Last June, in the midst of knowing my job was coming to an end (but not when yet), I bought a house. A big house. Nearly 2,800 square feet of house. And while it was a wonderful home to the family that lived here before, it just wasn't me. So I've spent the last several months tearing it all apart and redoing.
I hesitate to really call it remodeling because I haven't gone to the extent of tearing out walls or anything nearly so drastic. But somehow it seems like a little more than simply redecorating. By myself I ripped out around 1,400 sq feet of carpet and padding (and that nasty tack strip!). I had help putting in a new laminate floor everywhere but the master bath. The bathroom was already done in marble tile - too nice to take the sledge hammer to - so it stayed in place. Also had help with the new kitchen cabinets, the (as yet unfilled and unpainted) beadboard in the kitchen. What painting is done, I've also tackled on my own. But there's still quite a bit more to do. It's taking so long to get done that it seems like there should be more accomplishments to list, but that's about it. New flooring, new cabinets, some new paint.
I have regrets about the handyman I picked to help me. Sure he does good work for cheap, but he's such a drag on time I'm thinking it would have been worth the extra money to hire real professionals. What's really slowed things down to less than a snails pace is getting him to finish up details. It took 60 days for him to get the closet doors rehung after the floor was down! And another 45 to get the baseboards put up and caulked. Okay, so that isn't even completely finished yet. Even withholding payment doesn't motivate him!! This is now the middle of January and I'm still trying to get him to do things he promised would be done before the first of September. And my (hopefully someday) master bedroom is so full of his tools and construction rubble, that I can't even get in there to finish painting.
Here's some before pictures. Soon there'll be some in progress pictures and as we get there, after pictures.
I hesitate to really call it remodeling because I haven't gone to the extent of tearing out walls or anything nearly so drastic. But somehow it seems like a little more than simply redecorating. By myself I ripped out around 1,400 sq feet of carpet and padding (and that nasty tack strip!). I had help putting in a new laminate floor everywhere but the master bath. The bathroom was already done in marble tile - too nice to take the sledge hammer to - so it stayed in place. Also had help with the new kitchen cabinets, the (as yet unfilled and unpainted) beadboard in the kitchen. What painting is done, I've also tackled on my own. But there's still quite a bit more to do. It's taking so long to get done that it seems like there should be more accomplishments to list, but that's about it. New flooring, new cabinets, some new paint.
I have regrets about the handyman I picked to help me. Sure he does good work for cheap, but he's such a drag on time I'm thinking it would have been worth the extra money to hire real professionals. What's really slowed things down to less than a snails pace is getting him to finish up details. It took 60 days for him to get the closet doors rehung after the floor was down! And another 45 to get the baseboards put up and caulked. Okay, so that isn't even completely finished yet. Even withholding payment doesn't motivate him!! This is now the middle of January and I'm still trying to get him to do things he promised would be done before the first of September. And my (hopefully someday) master bedroom is so full of his tools and construction rubble, that I can't even get in there to finish painting.
Here's some before pictures. Soon there'll be some in progress pictures and as we get there, after pictures.
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