Let's Talk Remodeling

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Yesterday, I finally found a dinette light and a dining room light that I like. DH and I are going to the store today to look at it again. Maybe, finally, we can get the cheapo builder grade light fixtures out of here. Seriously, I've seen my dinette light way too many times on HGTV's Design to Sell in the BEFORE pictures of homes.

We recently bought a cabin (new) that will be used for weekend rentals. We're in the middle of decorating it and already remodeling it (go figure!) to have an outdoor fireplace room. We just picked out the mantle on Friday - a nice freeform piece of walnut. The builders are starting work on it tomorrow. It has a wrap around porch and we're bumping out a section right off the kitchen to have a vaulted outdoor room. We're hoping the cost will come back to us in the future via strong rentals and strong resale value. Well, at least, that's what I've been telling myself.

Now, you can't tell us all of that without pictures! Shame on you!

Seriously, I really want to see it. By rental, I'm assuming that you'll use it when you want, and then use it as a vacation income property?

We thought about getting a group of people together and forming an LLC, and buying a beach house in Destin (I used to live there), and doing the same thing. Each owner would get four weeks to use out of the year (one for each season) and then it would be used as a rental for the remainder of the year.

And then, the bubble hit Florida and we got priced out of the market.

And, as usual, we haven't finished the prior project (the basement), before launching into another project (the cabin).

I'm not like that at all. I would never start a project with another one unfinished.

 

[SplshMtn99]

Yes, pictures of cabin please!

Not much going on here. Today we took the covers off the patio furniture and cleaned up the yard a bit from winter. Spring has arrived. Grilled outside last night. Need to buy mulch and move/divide a few plants. Not today however. lol

 

[MareQ]

We've made good headway with my minor kitchen remodel. I still have some left to do - need to have the cabinet built for next to my stove, cut my existing granite piece to fit, get the granite for the top of the wall, figure out what backsplash I want - and figure out what I want to do for flooring.

I DESPISE my cabinets but we're not going to reface them for another year or so. It's a shame as they're only 5 years old but the builder that built this house had NO taste - UG!

 

[shovan]

We've made good headway with my minor kitchen remodel. I still have some left to do - need to have the cabinet built for next to my stove, cut my existing granite piece to fit, get the granite for the top of the wall, figure out what backsplash I want - and figure out what I want to do for flooring.

I DESPISE my cabinets but we're not going to reface them for another year or so. It's a shame as they're only 5 years old but the builder that built this house had NO taste - UG!

Wow!! That is looking really great!! Really looks good.

mickeysgal, Ditto on the cabin pics!!! You can't tease us like that!


We have nothing going on here. DH is not over his payment to the tax man.

Right now, I'm just trying to keep the new plants alive & it's not working. Before I could even take pics, a lot of them are croaking. We cut a lot of them back & are waiting to see if they will come back. My water bill has sky rocketed & still some the plants look dead.

Also still trying to get mold off the way too expensive teak patio set, we bought last year. It's has been pressured wash, then scrubbed & it still has black spots on it.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Wow!! That is looking really great!! Really looks good.

I agree!

Also still trying to get mold off the way too expensive teak patio set, we bought last year. It's has been pressured wash, then scrubbed & it still has black spots on it.

I've been looking at patio furniture, and oh my God! Some of it costs more than my indoor furniture!

I finally found a set I liked. It has everything we need: a conversation set, two chaises, a bistro set and a table and chairs that seats five. It has wicker and wrought iron and best yet, it was at Home Depot.

The whole set costs less than one couch I was considering at Chair King.

Then I read the reviews, and people are saying that the cushions get mildewed really easily, and some of these people have the stuff in screened porches! The cushions are off-white! Why would they do that????


Here's a link to the collection: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...28691&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

On the bright side, they're digging our pool at 9AM tomorrow! Having a puppy with a big mud hole in the backyard should be so much fun!

 

[SplshMtn99]

MareQ, I really like the kitchen with the wall gone. Smart idea.

 

[mickeysgal]

Having a puppy with a big mud hole in the backyard should be so much fun!

Oh, will that puppy have fun. And you will too washing him every day.

Regarding the cabin...I have pictures and if I can reteach myself with how to upload them, I will post them. They were supposed to start today on the outdoor room but I haven't heard from the builders today. That could be a good thing or a bad thing...

Yes, we're going to use it ourselves and rent it as often as we can. We're interviewing rental agencies and pretty much know who we're going to use. We're looking into transferring it into an LLC for liability purposes. Believe it or not, most others that have rental cabins don't have it under an LLC but rather under their personal names and carry a personal umbrella policy. Sorry, but that's just not good enough protection for me.

We bought it because it was significantly reduced due to the builders needed their money out of it. It has short and long range mountain views, yet is on a level lot and not a cliff hanger. It's a 5 bedroom 5 1/2 bath - every bedroom has a bath and a walk-in closet, gourmet kitchen (better than mine at home), granite tops everywhere (kitchen and baths). We're in the middle of decorating it. It's an investment and should be a great rental. Or at least that's what I've been telling myself every hour on the hour.

It could be the smartest thing we ever did...or the dumbest.

 

[mickeysgal]

I DESPISE my cabinets but we're not going to reface them for another year or so. It's a shame as they're only 5 years old but the builder that built this house had NO taste - UG!

Beautiful progress so far! Love the island and the openness.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Oh, will that puppy have fun. And you will too washing him every day.

Regarding the cabin...

Oh my... it sounds gorgeous! Will it accept humongous, house-trained dogs?

 

[mickeysgal]

Oh my... it sounds gorgeous! Will it accept humongous, house-trained dogs?

How big are they expecting her to get? She'll be bigger than Chloe?

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

How big are they expecting her to get? She'll be bigger than Chloe?

Oh, God I hope not! Piper's dad was only 65 pounds, so she'd better stay smaller... or I'm going to ship her to you.

 

[binny]

hey mare, how much space do you have between your kitchen sink wall and the other wall?

I am wondering if I have the space there.


I never even thought about ripping out my wall to the dining room either. That could be really nice! Looks great at your house!

 

[MareQ]

hey mare, how much space do you have between your kitchen sink wall and the other wall?

I am wondering if I have the space there.


I never even thought about ripping out my wall to the dining room either. That could be really nice! Looks great at your house!

Measuring from wall to wall - not cabinets or the dining area - my kitchen is 16 feet long and 12 feet deep. The island has a 12" overhang on 3 sides.

Yeah DH was reluctant to rip it out and combine the rooms - but I hated how my kitchen was initially setup. The table was supposed to just sit in the middle - up against the wall where you see my pantry cabinets. I hated it - so we ditched the kitchen table, added the wall of pantry cabinets, put in the island and changed to the granite counters. That was when the house was only 6 months old so this is already my second minor remodel in 6 years Needless to say eating every meal at the Island got old and I only used my dining room 2 times a year so we did that. DH was concerned about it reducing the value of the house - but I still have a formal dining room(ETA this shoudl read LIVING room) around the corner I could convert to a dining room if need be(And that's where I threw my hutch anyway) - and I still have a very large family room and a study so we're not at a loss for space in general.

 

[crz4mm2]

MareQ,
Looks GREAT!! You took a wall down, I put a wall up
I am still decorating and still waiting for my floor It was supposed to be when the weather warmed up... now I don't know what we are waiting for!! LOL.

 

[shovan]

I agree!



I've been looking at patio furniture, and oh my God! Some of it costs more than my indoor furniture!

I finally found a set I liked. It has everything we need: a conversation set, two chaises, a bistro set and a table and chairs that seats five. It has wicker and wrought iron and best yet, it was at Home Depot.

The whole set costs less than one couch I was considering at Chair King.

Then I read the reviews, and people are saying that the cushions get mildewed really easily, and some of these people have the stuff in screened porches! The cushions are off-white! Why would they do that????


Here's a link to the collection: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...28691&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

On the bright side, they're digging our pool at 9AM tomorrow! Having a puppy with a big mud hole in the backyard should be so much fun!

I'm really feeling sorry for you! Having the pool put in, will be a bad enough mess! With the puppy, it's going to be quite a challenge!!!

That patio set is really pretty. I can't offer any advice on the cushions, I've been hunting for some myself.

Are you putting in a saltwater pool or a regular filter system?

I have to warn you the pool chemicals are really tough on metal furniture. Hence we bought the teak set, which mildewed under the covered patio! So if I were you, I'd just ignore my advice on that, since we've had such little success!

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I'm really feeling sorry for you! Having the pool put in, will be a bad enough mess! With the puppy, it's going to be quite a challenge!!!

They're here digging right now, and I thought they'd at least leave the concrete under my breezeway alone until they were ready to do decking. Well... I thought wrong. It's already a HUGE mess back there.

Chloe's freaking because of the noise and Piper can't take a nap.

Someone hold me?

That patio set is really pretty. I can't offer any advice on the cushions, I've been hunting for some myself.

Thanks. If I knew how to sew, I'd buy it and make cushion covers for it.

Are you putting in a saltwater pool or a regular filter system?

I have to warn you the pool chemicals are really tough on metal furniture. Hence we bought the teak set, which mildewed under the covered patio! So if I were you, I'd just ignore my advice on that, since we've had such little success!

Regular. It's what I had in my last pool, and they use so little chlorine now and are so easy to maintain. Plus - and this is the real reason we didn't consider a saltwater generator, is that we're having a lot of natural stone, and it's supposed to eat it up.


Probably the most expensive thing we added, was an 18" high, stacked stone wall, with a 3' sheer descent in it. The salt would really do a number on the stone.

 

[shovan]

They're here digging right now, and I thought they'd at least leave the concrete under my breezeway alone until they were ready to do decking. Well... I thought wrong. It's already a HUGE mess back there.

Chloe's freaking because of the noise and Piper can't take a nap.

Someone hold me?



Thanks. If I knew how to sew, I'd buy it and make cushion covers for it.



Regular. It's what I had in my last pool, and they use so little chlorine now and are so easy to maintain. Plus - and this is the real reason we didn't consider a saltwater generator, is that we're having a lot of natural stone, and it's supposed to eat it up.


Probably the most expensive thing we added, was an 18" high, stacked stone wall, with a 3' sheer descent in it. The salt would really do a number on the stone.

Just try to hang in there! Your yard is going to be SO GORGEOUS when it's all done! And remember you don't have to wait for the Cocktail Pool to have a few Cocktails!!! In fact you might just want to start the next few mornings with a little Irish Coffee!

 

[SandraVB79]

Hi everyone,

I am also in the middle of some (a lot of) remodelling, but I have started a thread on the Home Interior board (see signature for link). Didn't think of this thread at the time, and well, I don't think it's a good idea to copy every post in here.

My "before" pictures are up, as are pictures of the colours/ things I want to use.

The remodelling is already half way done (well, not really halfway, but a lot is done) and now some problems arrise *sigh* like they started putting the tiles from the wrong side (and now the math isn't correct anymore!) and the colours of the paint are nothing like in the brochure/ on the sample cards.

I can see some sleepless nights in the near future...

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Just try to hang in there! Your yard is going to be SO GORGEOUS when it's all done! And remember you don't have to wait for the Cocktail Pool to have a few Cocktails!!! In fact you might just want to start the next few mornings with a little Irish Coffee!

Trust me, I will not be waiting a month to drink. I'll be lucky if I hold off seven more hours.

If I hear Chloe bark one more time...

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Okay... this is my pool, it's only fitting that there will be issues with its build.

So far, we have gotten the Bobcat stuck, had to bring in another one, and now my all-time favorite... they just busted my main sewer line.

Now the second Bobcat is leaking hydraulic fluid and they have no idea when the mini Bobcat is going to be repaired.

So, this is what my backyard looks like, and will be looking like until the other Bobcat is fixed. Actually this is an improvement, because I took this before the second one got stuck.

If these problems wouldn't have happened, I'd have gunite by Friday.