Getting Started

[katsmeow1213]

Hi, brand new to these boards. I have decided to take on the task of fixing up my home. We've just recently moved in. It's a very old home, that needs a ton of work. We are currently on a very tight budget. My husband works over 60 hours a week, so I am going to be doing a lot of it myself. What I'd like to do for starters is get some of the rooms painted and looking decent. I'd also like to look into some flooring options at some point. The house is a 2 family, and we're thinking of maybe someday turning it into a 1 family, but that's something we'll have to hire contractors for, so it is not in the immediate future. Also, the floor is uneven, and my husband says we'll have to hire contractors to jack it up?? Again, not in the immediate future. In the meantime I want to make my home a nice looking place, but I have very little knowledge on the subject, and I'd like to surprise my husband, I want to get some of it going by myself. I have decided I will do 1 room at a time. The living room, and 2 of the upstairs rooms have really ugly panelling on the walls. I think I will hold off on those rooms for now. The floors through the whole house are very ugly, and will need to be replaced or redone or something. I am thinking of starting in the bathroom, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea. Can I just paint it and not replace the tub, sink, and toilet? There are some plumbing issues in there, so if I painted and redid the floors, would that cause a problem later if my husband decided to fix the plumbing? (BTW, he can't get to the plumbing in there through the basement, it's nothing more than a crawl space that only my 9 yr old can fit into!!!) I mean, all I'm doing is painting, and possibly replacing the laminent flooring, so if we had to redo it at a later time due to fixing the plumbing or replacing the tub, sink, toilet......that wouldn't be a huge deal, right? At least it would look good for now? Or should I start in another room? Any advice would be appreciated!.

[jtfoxman]

Personally I would start in the room that you spend the most time in. Which is usually the living room, kitchen or bedroom. This way you can feel more at home and good about yourself and your home.

[katsmeow1213]

The bathroom seems like the easiest to do at the moment. The living room has panelling that needs to be torn down, and carpeting that needs to be replaced. The bathroom also has panelling, but I'm thinking of just restoring that. It has been painted over, so I'm thinking just remove the paint. I don't know, every room has it's problems. There are cracks or holes in the walls in almost every room. There is a section of the bathroom that is missing a large peice of wall, and it's in the corner, where the panelling should be, ugh. This is going to be some job.

[HayZee518]

Tell ya what - go to the Time Life site and invest in a set of books on home maintenance - there's a book on plumbing, electrical, walls, floors, concrete work, roofing etc. well worth your investment or just go out and look for a house renovation around your home - ask the contractors for their advice and just watch how they do things. THEN if you have more questions, come back to this forum and ask questions. Lazypup is the guru on plumbing, I head up the electrical section, Dan O is appliances, Joseph is pretty good too!

[katsmeow1213]

I already have basic knowledge of what I'm doing, so your suggestion is of no help at all. Women know a lot more about their home than just how to clean it! If anyone would REALLY like to help me and offer some USEFUL advice, see my blog on myspace/katsmeow1213, I am keeping a journal of the remodel there.

[Distinctivescenes]

Hi, I have read your dilema and have helped customers with similar problems. For rooms with cracks and holes, an easy way to hide the damage is with faux finishes (after a repair). The repair doesn't need to be perfect. There are several faux finishes that can go right over paneling as well. That might make fixing up some of your rooms easier than tearing out old paneling first. There are many books that have clear instructions on faux finishes. You may want to buy one or get one from a library and check that out.

I would hate to fix up a room and paint it knowing that it is going to need plumbing work, especially since there is no access from below. Your husband, or a plumber, may need to make an access hole in the wall to work on the plumbing. Then you would have to repair the wall, and repaint. Why do the extra work? I'd rather do work once. I also agree that woman can be very knowledgeable about repairs, etc. I am much more handy around the home than my husband! I am also not afraid to use any and all of the tools I bought him (specifically so I can use them). Jan

[HayZee518]

I didn't mean any harm in what I suggested (books etc) It was what I deduced from your priginal posting. We'll all be here to help you in any way we can. Guys clean house pretty good too! Sometimes we cook too and CLEAN UP! -