Remodeling ain't as sexy as HGTV makes it out to be.

[scho63]

I purchased a very small but highly suitable home in a retirement community here in AZ at the end of September.

This is the place I have decided will be my final home to live out my life from nearly 62 to whatever time is left.

I began a nearly 90% remodel in November starting with a new hot water heater and all new parts in the external closet after a leak from the old one.

I started at the rear of the home in my bedroom by ripping everything out: built in cabinets, ugly decorative boxes above the window, tore out all old curtains, ripped up rug, expanded closet from slider to walk-in for more storage, changed every light fixture, changed utility closet for washer dryer from behind door to hall, changed plumbing, added 3M whole house water filtration at water meter, brand new bedroom window, electrical changes, custom closet design, new paint, new sheetrock, custom wall design behind bed, new bed, new hanging end tables, new art work, new sconces above night stands, new rug, new washer dryer. .

I have a complete new bath, all new floors, all new kitchen and appliances, all new windows, new porch and stairs and new office shed upcoming.

I hired people for all of it and it takes a shit load of more time than I could have imagined.

Wish I was a craftsman....

[stevieray]

I've been involved in remodels, and though it usually looks great at the end, it always takes longer than expected and most home owners are like just give me my house back already.

It can be a taxing process for sure.

[Garcia Bronco]

I redid my bathroom. Nothing crazy. New shower, new tile floor, washlet bidet, ..... But I cannot find a vanity that I want.

I'm going to have to order the bottom
Order the top, find the sinks that I want and faucet.

It's a small space for a master bathroom...

I've given up for a while until I have the energy to go look for one again.

[scho63]

Originally Posted by lewdog

We just tore out our old master bath tub and small standup shower and replaced it with a full custom walk-in shower.

I paid for 100% of that job to be done by someone other than me.

#feelsgood

Did you make it zero entry or small curb to step over?

I'm doing the bathroom next and need to find a reliable contractor who can do a zero entry shower that drains correctly.

I will have a complete wet room with nothing touching the floor, including a wall mounted toilet and floating vanity.

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by notorious

I have completely remodeled the 2 houses I’ve bought the last 16 years.

I am in construction so it’s no biggie, but the 2 things I didn’t touch were the drainage system and mudding.

The drain system for obvious reasons and I just never learned to mud. Weird. I probably enjoy electrical the most.

They wanted $7000 to sheetrock our new garage, so I bought a sheetrock jack and scaffold and hung the 84 sheets myself on a week of vacation in 2013. Wouldn't want to attempt that now.

Wouldn't want to attempt that now, sold both of them.

[excessive]

Working on my second complete remodel. Bought our current house in 2008 (right before the correction and recession). It was a foreclosure and needed just about everything. Previous owner was a house-flipper and had done everything on the cheap. Hired out Hvac and electrical but have done most of everything else myself: new bathroom with a claw foot tub and a warm floor (where it used to be a bedroom); theater room with sounding proofing on the floor and walls (used to be the garage); new kitchen floor (tile), island, and refinished cabinets; laid and nailed in a wood floor as well. In the yard, put up a privacy fence and got rid of all the landscaping fabric (that shit kills your soil), 4 raised bed gardens, deck addition and repair of older, water-damaged side; and an underdeck ceiling. That's a partial list.

Seventeen years later, and about ten or so neglecting upkeep, we're looking to sell, so I'm back at it: last year did the exterior, which was mostly dealing with the wet rot on sills and trim and putting up fresh paint. I left the high trim for this year. Bought a 28' foot ladder last year to do the work but haven't been up it yet. Climbing that ladder at 68 years old is a bit more intimidating than it was even at 50.

Been working on the interior this winter: painted the entire interior (2500 sq feet); just finished two minor bathroom remodels (new stick down floors, refinished vanities with new tops); and restored the finish on all the doors, trim, and baseboards. Just have to replace the tile in the entryway and finish up outside, and we're ready to put it on the market.

Also have a second home that our daughter and family have been living in for the last ten years. Deal was that they would put in the time, get some sweat equity into it, and take any gains when it was time to sell. Instead, they've trashed it. So, that deal is no longer. Purchased it for 60 grand and it is valued at 200 right now, if it were to have been updated instead of trashed. Hopefully, they will be out before the end of year, and I'll be working on another remodel. We are moving out of state (in K.C. now) but will keep the trashed house for a home base to visit the grandkids and work on it slowly.

About our next move (to Michigan to be near our son), I've told the wife: no more fixer-uppers. I'm done. We'll see.

[KCJake]

Pay other people to do all the hard things in your life.

Rule #1

[rfaulk34]

I've remodeled so much of my house, and still have a couple very large projects to do, i should have my own HGTV show...

[notorious]

Originally Posted by HemiEd

They wanted $7000 to sheetrock our new garage, so I bought a sheetrock jack and scaffold and hung the 84 sheets myself on a week of vacation in 2013. Wouldn't want to attempt that now.

Wouldn't want to attempt that now, sold both of them.

Hanging drywall isn't too bad, just have to know your limits.

There's a dude around here that looks like he's wearing shoulder pads under his t-shirt (he's not) that single arm presses a single sheet of 5/8" 8x4 onto the ceiling and screws it with the other hand.

He's just a man. Straight-up MAN.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by excessive

Working on my second complete remodel. Bought our current house in 2008 (right before the correction and recession). It was a foreclosure and needed just about everything. Previous owner was a house-flipper and had done everything on the cheap.

...

Flippers are the worst. They do nothing but waste homebuyers' money.

[notorious]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Flippers are the worst. They do nothing but waste homebuyers' money.

Shortcuts everywhere.

The quickest way to check if it’s a flipped home is the trim work. If there is more silicone than wood that’s just the beginning.

[scho63]

Originally Posted by notorious

Shortcuts everywhere.

The quickest way to check if it’s a flipped home is the trim work. If there is more silicone than wood that’s just the beginning.

Bathroom tile is best way. The cuts, the layout, the straightness, the grout lines. I've seen some abortions on flipped properties including some of the TV shows on HGTV.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by notorious

Shortcuts everywhere.

The quickest way to check if it’s a flipped home is the trim work. If there is more silicone than wood that’s just the beginning.

It's been decades since I've been a homebuyer, but I remember being annoyed by bathroom vanities and fixtures. We'd go into a house that wasn't cheap, and the bathroom would have the absolute cheapest vanity and faucet possible. Any homebuyer would immediately pull it out and replace it. Even though it wasn't a huge waste of money, it was a big indicator that the flipper was not thinking about quality at all. I would never buy a house from a flipper, and you can tell when they've been involved.

[scho63]

Originally Posted by Garcia Bronco

I redid my bathroom. Nothing crazy. New shower, new tile floor, washlet bidet, ..... But I cannot find a vanity that I want.

I'm going to have to order the bottom
Order the top, find the sinks that I want and faucet.

It's a small space for a master bathroom...

I've given up for a while until I have the energy to go look for one again.

There are MILLIONS of bathroom vanities online of all styles, colors and sizes.

I must have looked at 100,000 different ones.

I do a very specific Google search, then when the results pop up I changed to Images selection from All along the top and start scrolling.

[notorious]

Originally Posted by scho63

Bathroom tile is best way. The cuts, the layout, the straightness, the grout lines. I've seen some abortions on flipped properties including some of the TV shows on HGTV.

Yep. Another sign is the gray VCT plank. Some of it’s good, a lot of it is trash.

Check around the door casing to see if they took the 30 seconds to undercut or if they just jammed it in and caulked. Same with toilets.

[REDHOTGTO]

i've done remodels all my married life, i'm your age too.
did the whole west end of the house last year, took a sunner break, and did the east end of the house this last winter. just finished up a few weeks ago. always always worth it after done, no its not like HGTV but its kinda fun.
have fun finishing yours and good luck man !