We are still trying to close on this house, but I’m making my preparations since we have only 2 weeks of having somewhere else to live while we get the place in a condition we can live with while we make upgrades. It has a nearly finished basement apartment that only needs a few appliances, so we plan to probably live there while we work on it.
We’re planning on :
Ripping out the carpets & linoleum and refinishing the hardwoods
Painting
Buying and installing new appliances
Buying and replacing most/all of the light fixtures
Tearing out an inset cupboard to make room in one bathroom
Re-staining the kitchen cupboards
Making concrete counter-tops for kitchen cupboards
Replacing the kitchen sink
Replacing the kitchen flooring
Moving some plumbing around in the bathrooms
Tearing out bathroom cabinets
Putting new tile in the bathrooms, possibly tanking and making a wet-room
Replacing the bathroom sinks with wall-hung sinks
Replacing the bathroom window (maybe making larger or replacing with glass block.)
Replacing the rusted fireplace box and facade
Paint-stripping the fireplace mantle
Paint-stripping the trim, built-in-cabinets and doors and replacing mismatched trim
Replacing the gutters and flashing around the chimneys
Fixing the sub-standard window trimming outside
Tearing off the vinyl siding, removing the asbestos siding underneath and re-siding
Adding vents to the roof
Removing a possibly leaky greenhouse-style sun-window
Putting up a fence
Ripping out a deck
This list is so huge and a bit overwhelming; which should we do immediately and which should we wait on. Obviously we won’t want to install new tile bathroom floors before moving the plumbing, for example; and we won’t want to paint after finishing the floors, nor before we strip the trim. However, some of the larger projects, like replacing the window with glass block, we may not get to for a long time, and it would be a pity to have our external window seals leaking while we wait and plan.
My fiancee is a remodeler so we’re pretty sure we can tackle all the projects, but in the interest of making the place as livable as we can as quickly as possible. does anyone have any advice on getting things into good shape quickly without causing more problems for ourselves down the road.
We are buying this foreclosed house very cheaply, my fiancee, as I already mentioned, remodels houses for a living. You rarely find legal duplexes in the city for $73 a square foot. The structure is sound, the floorplan is decent, there are so many good things about this house that I shouldn’t have to explain why we want to make some custom cosmetic tweaks. I could buy some other house that has had $3,000 put into cheesy cabinets and ugly countertops that is selling for $10k more as move-in-ready and still want to rip the whole thing apart.
5 Responses to “We just bought a fixer, what should we do first.”
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Do dry-in work first (weather tightness) next structural and layout, roughs of all mechanicals, wall finishes, flr fin., paints and trims pur./install appliances. really no hard fast rule just don’t work youself into a corner and plan before demo- where will I shower when I remove tub. where will I cook when I remove kit. where will I sleep when I do bedroom. etc.
list of things to do This should help
Tearing out an inset cupboard to make room in one bathroom done in the begining along with other gutting
Ripping out the carpets & linoleum (right away)and refinishing the hardwoods during painting faze
Replacing the kitchen sink (after the floors) and after gut work
Replacing the bathroom sinks with wall-hung sinks (after the floors) and after the tile work.
Replacing the bathroom window (maybe making larger or replacing with glass block.) (before the siding)
Replacing the rusted fireplace box and facade during the gutting
Fixing the sub-standard window trimming outside before the siding (incase you deside to change the size or the wood is off a bit)
Tearing off the vinyl siding, removing the asbestos siding underneath and re-siding done after the window is removed.
Removing a possibly leaky greenhouse-style sun-window after the deck removal (you may need some wood).
Ripping out a deck first to keep any good wood.
Replacing the gutters and flashing around the chimneys at any time
Re-staining the kitchen cupboards at the same time any
Painting is done
Buying and replacing most/all of the light fixtures after painting
FLOORS Last just before Buying and installing new appliances
EXTRA TIPS
((((carefully ))))gut out what you want to remove.
try to recycle.
use freecycle.org people will come get stuff and save you from a huge dumpster cost.
save wood from the deck. that is good. it may be needed to be cut and used in walls where there is water. (around sinks and tubs).
save any wires you remove the copper will bring you money back and will add up when you start changing shut off valves that are made of brass.
our gut jub we made $280.00 on scrap metals. only copper and brass
I am not halling steel (its not worth it to me ) but to each his own.
The gutters I would scrap myself and get cash back.
a junk man or local guy picking up scrap metal will remove a hot water tank for you. saving your back and cash hours.
sell old lights on ebay
ok now that gutting is done.Get an inspection by a pro
look at all the pipes. look for leaks and signs of leaks.
check shut off valves
to save money. You can install 1 shut off valve at the main and don’t need anymore. the rest is just for convienance on any future repairs.
(I do not reccomend this if it is a multi-unit building)
look for electrical hazards Get an inspection by a pro
such as a really rusted box (water is getting to this area and needs to be stopped)
to may wires in a box, (fire hazard)
Test the loads make sure they will handle what you want.
such as running washer and dryer on same line while cooking
is your electric stove going to pop the cuircut
do an air test
for insulation reasons
and get proper rating for your area.
run any phone line
speaker lines, cable lines, and ready dead lines for future use.
If you have all that money to sink into this house then why did you not buy a better house.
You are going to have to check your local laws because Asbestos Removal is heavily regulated.Also, make sure you do your floors last so you don’t screw them up trying to complete other projects.
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