Week 2: Reno for Real

Week 2 of our home renovation included more demo, but also some of the re-build.  The floors had to be removed in the kitchen and laundry, and floor joists replaced in the crawl space.  The previous owners allowed a water leak in the kitchen from the dishwasher and a leak in the laundry room at the washing machine hook-up, to be ignored and the problem got worse over time.  By the time we bought the house, it was a mess.

During this week, the house is a total wreck, with boards, nails, dust, debris.....everywhere.  But I see progress everywhere I look.  After the walls were knocked out, and before the new sheet rock went up, we wrote our favorite Bible verses on the frame, to keep us enclosed in blessings!  

We want to help, but don't want to get in the way.  So me, my husband and son are focusing on doing what we can do.  Outside, there is a lot of yard to maintain and clean up, so we spent a lot of time outdoors.  This was also the time I needed to start picking out fixtures:  lighting, ceiling fans, faucets, sinks, tubs, tile, cabinets, paint....you name it, I picked it out.  And then I changed my mind, and picked out something else.  And then I would get a second opinion.  And then I would go back with my original choices.  It is hard to envision everything coming together when so many choices are available!  One thing that is really important to start with is the budget.  You need to know how much your contractor has in the budget for these items, and if you go over budget, you pay the difference.  I kept my notebook with me, and carried it with me everywhere I went, and that helped keep me organized.  Since I had written down every single item we needed in every room, I had a great way to keep everything straight.

I love the selections I made, and hope it all looks as good as I think it will!  We shall see!

                                                  Click to view Week 2 video

Lovin' Life in the Low Country,

Janie

My mission statement:  To live each day to the fullest, with excitement, enthusiasm and a strong desire to build a successful and highly respected real estate business, earned by developing relationships through consistent and predictably high work ethic of always going above and beyond, and always doing so with a creative surprise up my sleeve.

Week 1: Reno for Real!

Week 1 of our Fixer Upper was all about "out with the old"! 

We knocked out walls, pulled up carpet, tore out bathtubs, sinks and toilets, pulled off wallpaper...You name it, we removed it!

Our contractor and his crew came in like gang busters, and we saw immediate change.  I loved seeing the changes each day, but I have to admit, when I walked in to what was to be our master bedroom one day, and saw no walls, no ceiling and no floors, I had a moment of panic----"WHAT HAVE WE DONE?!?!?"  But once past the point on no return, we had no choice:  This party had officially started!

As I mentioned in a previous post, it is important to have a vision, a plan, a budget and a timeline, so everyone knows what to expect.  So far, so good!

                                                        Click for Video of Week 1

Lovin' Life in the Low Country,

Janie

My mission statement:  To live each day to the fullest, with excitement, enthusiasm and a strong desire to build a successful and highly respected real estate business, earned by developing relationships through consistent and predictably high work ethic of always going above and beyond, and always doing so with a creative surprise up my sleeve.

Before the Reno: Renovation for Real!

We bought the house, have met with the contractor, and are ready to get started.  Before we start the week-by-week progress, here is what we are working with!

                                                      Before the Reno! 
                                                       (Click for video)

Next post, we will start the process!

Lovin' Life in the Low Country,

Janie

My mission statement:  To live each day to the fullest, with excitement, enthusiasm and a strong desire to build a successful and highly respected real estate business, earned by developing relationships through consistent and predictably high work ethic of always going above and beyond, and always doing so with a creative surprise up my sleeve.

The Notebook: Renovation for Real!

So you have decided to go for it.  Now what? 

Start with the inspection report.  Looking over our report and the extensive list of repairs (not including the renovations and improvements we wanted to make), I felt a huge sense of overwhelm.  But wait!  NO!  This is exciting!  But wait!  NO! WHAT HAVE WE JUST DONE?!? Emotions ranged from excitement to overwhelm to panic to deep breathing to ok…. "There is no turning back.  You bought the house….now get busy and do it!”

I started with a notebook and an Excel spreadsheet.  I created a page for each room in the house, and listed every item on the inspection report, as well as the projects, improvements and upgrades we wanted to complete.  I prioritized by number, the order the items needed to be completed.  When we looked at the list, we decided the project would need to be broken down into 5 phases.  Phase 1 items being those that were covered with the renovation loan (“The NEEDS”), then moving down through the list, when we could afford the “WANTS”.

I sectioned off the notebook by room, adding a plastic sleeve for each section to hold paint chips, fabrics, paperwork, etc.  I also printed out inspiration and design pictures from my Pinterest board, and added those to the appropriate sections of the notebook.  Since I carried the notebook with me everywhere I went, I was able to use the photos to help pick out everything from light fixtures to paint to faucets to pillows!  Standing in the middle of the showrooms I visited, again, I was overwhelmed with the vast selections around me.

The notebook was a great place to keep track of item numbers, prices, dates ordered, dates delivered, etc.  I highlighted each task as it was complete, making it easier to see where I needed follow up with our contractor.  The plastic sleeve was a perfect place to keep the receipts in case I needed to refer back to them.  It was also a great place to keep business cards of the vendors I worked with. 

In my next post, we will take a look, week-by-week, how the project actually evolved!

Lovin' Life in the Low Country,

Janie

My mission statement:  To live each day to the fullest, with excitement, enthusiasm and a strong desire to build a successful and highly respected real estate business, earned by developing relationships through consistent and predictably high work ethic of always going above and beyond, and always doing so with a creative surprise up my sleeve.