Buying, Fixing & Selling Your Home: Part II

Published by cravat | Filed under Buyer / Seller Tips, Miscellaneous, Real Estate, Shout Outs, Uncategorized

On the first part of our fixing, we discussed about installation of tiles, ceiling fan and re-painting of bathroom. The second part of our remodeling, we will discuss about re-doing kitchens and bathroom floors.

Starting it on a new white kitchen, color white is very difficult to keep tidy and the dirt is easily shown. Using a white ceramic shows dust and even wet footprints and your dog paw print, end point, I do not recommend white kitchens. Remodeling the kitchen, here is what I learned:

Tiled Counters

1.     If you are working on an L-shaped counter top, you can begin in the pattern on the short-leg in the corner.

2.     Gluing Luan board over a plywood for a softer surface.

3.     Use bull-nose on the outside rows of the cabinets

4.     Make sure you have installed enough receptacles. You can’t have too many.

Cabinets

1.     If you could find a manufacturer and style that you like, then by all means call every distributor for a quotation and try to make an offer.

2.     Any accents or decorative trim, plywood sides, panels, glass inserts: everything costs extra. Making up your mind what you need the most because it instantly adds up and could cost you extra on your base price.

3.     It is much easier and more fun to smash cabinets off the wall using a sledgehammer than to slowly unfasten each screw.

4.     Remember, upper before lower cabinets.

5.     Attaching the cabinets to each other on the wall instead carrying them as one unit.

Covering Stairs in Carpet

I would not suggest covering your stairs if it is in a good shape. Nearly everyone prefers natural wood. Still let me give you reasons for covering your stairs. Carpeting soften the sounds, softer on bare feet. If you trip and fall, you’d likely to hurt yourself. More of the things that I learn:

1.     It is easier to install if you purchase carpet with the padding attached not to include it is less expensive.

2.     A very sharp, top of the line carpet know will do the trick and it will easily cut any grade of carpeting.

3.     Begin from the bottom and all the way up, extending across the tread and kicking into the riser

.4.     Glue it after you tuck it under the end.

Restoring a Bathroom Floor

Of all the rooms in a home that requires a fresh sub-floor, the bathroom is most likely. Wet conditions are contributory to dry-rot and pest infestation. Here is what I learned:

1.     Installing new plywood in one piece, take off the door handles, toilet paper holders, knobs, any exterior items from the walls before trying to lay the wood.

2.     Screws are likely to come out than nails

Sink, Lighting and Appliances

1.     When you are buying discount or big box stores, ask for floor models or items stashed in the back.

2.     It is all worth to buy cast iron sinks, though they might be heavy and costs too much.

3.     In a dishwasher, keep in mind to add an air-gap for sanitary purposes.

4.     Padding the sides of the dishwasher will decrease the noise.

5.     In a finished floor have some height differences when putting your dishwasher. This way, you can easily pull it back if it needs maintenance.

6.     Never hang lighting where you are likely to walk into it.