Let's Talk Remodeling

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Wow!!

Were you considering moving?

Congratulations on getting the green light on the remodel!

We always knew that once my youngest graduated that we would be free to move. We just didn't know where. Well, this is her last year, so we've been discussing our different options. All of the previous remodeling that we'd done, was to prepare our house for the market.

In order to get the same amount of house (we definitely don't need to go larger), with the same interior finish, we'd be looking at around $200k more!

I'm in this industry, and even I was shocked to see the prices!

Yeah for you!!!! Nothing like the shock of new home prices to get them back in remodeling mode!!!

I really can't wait to see what you come up with! That is such a great big room, you'll really be able to do something wonderful with it!!

Well, I think I finally have him convinced (Thanks HGTV!) that we can lay the tile, at least on the floor. I mean, come on - the room's a square! How hard could it be? And we're using 18" tiles on the floor, and we're going with ceramic this time.

That'll knock a few grand off of the estimate if we do it ourselves. Now I have to see if the big box stores can give me a better priced on pre-finished cabinets for the bathroom.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I've been reading this thread for quite a long time and really enjoy seeing everyone's pictures! Some great looking rooms on here!

I've been in remodeling hell. DH and I bought the house I grew up in and gutted the entire main floor, put on an addition, raised the roof, and installed all new windows and sliding glass doors. We moved downstairs into the 4th bedroom for over a year.
DH is a contractor, so he ran the job himself and subbed out a lot of work to contractors he knew and trusted and had worked with on jobs before. (carpenters, brick layers, electricians and plumbers)
DH raised the roof, installed the skylights, put on a new front porch roof , built 3 new roof peaks,and did all the gutters and downspouts and installed the new hardwood flooring on the entire main floor. (except for the master bath)

How lucky for you to be married to a contractor! Like I've mentioned before, I just have to be happy with being put out if I'm on fire.

My husband is also an inspector, so at least I know his picky eye is on everything. That should count for something.

We still have not purchased and installed the countertops in our Master bathroom! It took me a year to find the granite I wanted and DH is unsure about it, so he's dragging his feet a little. I've never been more sure about anything! Also, I'm really thinking about going with vessell sinks. I just love the way they look. Anyone here have them and if so, do you like them??

Are you referring to the above-counter sinks? I love the look of those too, but I'm still not seeing them very often around here, and I worry about it being too trendy.

If you ever changed your mind, plumbing would have to be moved. Of course for you, that's not such a big deal!

 

[Ranatra]

Are you referring to the above-counter sinks? I love the look of those too, but I'm still not seeing them very often around here, and I worry about it being too trendy.

If you ever changed your mind, plumbing would have to be moved. Of course for you, that's not such a big deal!

Yes, that's them. I just love the look of them. I don't want a drop in sink.
I would love to hear from someone that has one.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Yes, that's them. I just love the look of them. I don't want a drop in sink.
I would love to hear from someone that has one.

When I lived in Destin, there was an artist who sold hand-painted vessel sinks in Seaside. They were gorgeous!

Look at these: http://www.glassartistsgallery.com/cat-sinks.htm

 

[mickeysgal]

When I lived in Destin, there was an artist who sold hand-painted vessel sinks in Seaside. They were gorgeous!

Look at these: http://www.glassartistsgallery.com/cat-sinks.htm

You lived in Destin??? We used to live about 2 1/2 hours from Destin. I love it there and all it's surrounding areas. We were looking for a small summer place. We checked out Sandestin, Seaside, and Watercolors but the prices... Needless to say, we didn't buy, but I wish we could have.

To poster Ranata, as far as the vessel sinks go, all I can say is that I'm not seeing them here in the southeast. We've looked at all ranges of model homes from 500,000 to well over a million and we not seeing them at all. I think its a phase that is dying out. But if you like them and you're planning on staying in the home for a long time, then do what makes you comfortable. And by the way, the amount of work that you've done on your house is simply amazing. Plus the fact that you lived in the house while this was all going on...thats incredible.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

You lived in Destin??? We used to live about 2 1/2 hours from Destin. I love it there and all it's surrounding areas. We were looking for a small summer place. We checked out Sandestin, Seaside, and Watercolors but the prices... Needless to say, we didn't buy, but I wish we could have.

I lived in Sandestin! I had to make the horrible decision to move back to Texas, so that my oldest could go to Texas Tech and not have to pay out-of-state tuition. Right after I moved back, property values sky-rocketed there.

I'm hoping when she's raking in the big bucks, she remembers the sacrifice I made and puts me in a really nice nursing home.

To poster Ranata, as far as the vessel sinks go, all I can say is that I'm not seeing them here in the southeast. We've looked at all ranges of model homes from 500,000 to well over a million and we not seeing them at all. I think its a phase that is dying out. But if you like them and you're planning on staying in the home for a long time, then do what makes you comfortable. And by the way, the amount of work that you've done on your house is simply amazing. Plus the fact that you lived in the house while this was all going on...thats incredible.

 

[shovan]

I lived in Sandestin! I had to make the horrible decision to move back to Texas, so that my oldest could go to Texas Tech and not have to pay out-of-state tuition. Right after I moved back, property values sky-rocketed there.

I'm hoping when she's raking in the big bucks, she remembers the sacrifice I made and puts me in a really nice nursing home.

Funny! But all too true, the things we'll do for our kids!

I know what you mean on the housing prices! We have been considering a little bit of a move to get out of the worst hurricane/flooding area. We would also like to downsize a bit. I just don't need all of the cleaning & yard work any longer. But, we've looked at gardenhomes in the Baton Rouge area & on the Northshore of Lake Ponchatrain & the prices are around $230 & up, way up!!!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Funny! But all too true, the things we'll do for our kids!

I know what you mean on the housing prices! We have been considering a little bit of a move to get out of the worst hurricane/flooding area. We would also like to downsize a bit. I just don't need all of the cleaning & yard work any longer. But, we've looked at gardenhomes in the Baton Rouge area & on the Northshore of Lake Ponchatrain & the prices are around $230 & up, way up!!!

Ah, the patio home curse. We looked at these over the weekend too. Why is it that you pay more for less yard?

I want to buy land in Colorado. I'm tired of this heat.

 

[shovan]

Ah, the patio home curse. We looked at these over the weekend too. Why is it that you pay more for less yard?

I want to buy land in Colorado. I'm tired of this heat.

With the heat and the hurricanes , one has to wonder why we stay? I know for us it's family & the food!

It does look like all of us Gulf Coasters are going to be spared from Dean!!! We haven't cancelled the hotel rooms we booked for evacuation yet though.

 

[theprincess]

I'm in the process of remodeling my kitchen and kind of undecided which bowl sink to get I'm between the double bowl or the 1 1/2 bowl ~ what are your opinions?

 

[Miss Jasmine]

With the heat and the hurricanes , one has to wonder why we stay? I know for us it's family & the food!

It does look like all of us Gulf Coasters are going to be spared from Dean!!! We haven't cancelled the hotel rooms we booked for evacuation yet though.

I may be needing that room by the end of the week if this new thing out there turns into something. Anyway...we painted the bathroom this weekend, it looks great, but I need to take pictures. We haven't hung anything on the walls yet (besides the mirrors) so it looks kinda plain. I'm waiting until it looks a little more put together. Oh and I did some painting for the first time! I was in charge of the closet door.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

With the heat and the hurricanes , one has to wonder why we stay? I know for us it's family & the food!

It does look like all of us Gulf Coasters are going to be spared from Dean!!! We haven't cancelled the hotel rooms we booked for evacuation yet though.

Shovan, Dean would have been all you need right now. Just when you get things under way... can you even begin to imagine???

I hear ya about the food. Nobody does good Tex-Mex like... well, like Texas! And I'm married to a Cajun (for the second time - what's up with that???), so I get a lot of that too!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I may be needing that room by the end of the week if this new thing out there turns into something. Anyway...we painted the bathroom this weekend, it looks great, but I need to take pictures. We haven't hung anything on the walls yet (besides the mirrors) so it looks kinda plain. I'm waiting until it looks a little more put together. Oh and I did some painting for the first time! I was in charge of the closet door.

I hate this time of year. Fingers are crossed that it fizzles out, or makes a hard turn towards in the Atlantic. Maybe towards Africa... I think we owe them a couple.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I'm in the process of remodeling my kitchen and kind of undecided which bowl sink to get I'm between the double bowl or the 1 1/2 bowl ~ what are your opinions?

I like the 1 1/2 bowl, because it makes that one side so large and deep. I can hide lots of dirty dishes in it.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I like the 1 1/2 bowl, because it makes that one side so large and deep. I can hide lots of dirty dishes in it.

I agree, though I never get to hide any dirty dishes.

 

[shovan]

I'm in the process of remodeling my kitchen and kind of undecided which bowl sink to get I'm between the double bowl or the 1 1/2 bowl ~ what are your opinions?

Just make sure at least part of it is deep! I have the an extra deep double bowl, I like it!

 

[shovan]

I may be needing that room by the end of the week if this new thing out there turns into something. Anyway...we painted the bathroom this weekend, it looks great, but I need to take pictures. We haven't hung anything on the walls yet (besides the mirrors) so it looks kinda plain. I'm waiting until it looks a little more put together. Oh and I did some painting for the first time! I was in charge of the closet door.

I don't think you'd want to go all the way to Hattiesburg, MS! Our plans were to head there for a couple of days & if we had to stay away for long to head to WDW!! What was scary, was when we thought we'd be really early with booking rooms, everything was already booked up! I'm just breathing a sigh of relief from Dean & here we go again!

Shovan, Dean would have been all you need right now. Just when you get things under way... can you even begin to imagine???

I hear ya about the food. Nobody does good Tex-Mex like... well, like Texas! And I'm married to a Cajun (for the second time - what's up with that???), so I get a lot of that too!

I hate this time of year. Fingers are crossed that it fizzles out, or makes a hard turn towards in the Atlantic. Maybe towards Africa... I think we owe them a couple.

Yeah, I could & did imagine! And I won't really feel okay until Dean is gone! and then we'll have to start watching the next one!

I wonder why you've married a Cajun for the 2nd time? Could it be for the food! I'm sure with all of the New Orleanean transplants in Houston now, cajun food should be getting a lot easier to find! And we love to hit the Tex-Mex places when we visit Houston! We're trying to score some freebie Astros Suite tickets for a weekend at the end of this month for a quick getaway with DD & DSIL! I'll let you know if we do, you'll have to recommend some good Tex-Mex places for us.

 

[SplshMtn99]

I'm in the process of remodeling my kitchen and kind of undecided which bowl sink to get I'm between the double bowl or the 1 1/2 bowl ~ what are your opinions?

I just went thru that decision. We are replacing countertops & some appliances. No new cabinets. Currently have a single bowl sink. Our current sink cabinet is 36" & the window is 32 (outside of molding). We could have gone up in size. BUT, when DH & I made a cardboard template of 2 sinks we were considering (1 & 1/2)....they were just HUGE for our kitchen. I'm having the trouble with lots of things. The stove & frig are bigger than before. Both stick out more than old ones. Everything was making our kitchen feel smaller & smaller. So, we decided to just stay with the same size sink we had, but go with undermount instead.

We did get a deeper bowl however.

 

[SplshMtn99]

Silestone to be installed Thurs 8/30 in the morning! 10 more days!

 

[Ranatra]

I'm in the process of remodeling my kitchen and kind of undecided which bowl sink to get I'm between the double bowl or the 1 1/2 bowl ~ what are your opinions?

We went with the 1 1/2 bowl and I love it.