Browse Forums General Discussion 1 May 02, 2010 5:33 pm I know most people here are building new homes and I get all excited for you and love looking at your pics, but I just wanna share my story. First step in my process is FINALLY being in the position to take our my own mortgage and buy out my ex We have been apart a long long time and while it’s very amicable between us, I have always had a security issue with him still legally having a half share of MY home. I wanted to remortgage years ago but as a small part of my income was from Centrelink, the banks would not support me. Now free of Centrelink binds and working 2 jobs, I am able to make my dreams come true. So as of this week, I am now officially a home owner ALL ON MY OWN! Well I have a really big mortgage and a really small house but I don’t care, it’s mine mine mine! So, to the makeover…As my home is 22yrs old and looking older, I have borrowed extra to bring her back to life. - massive clean out from 22yrs of hording, life and kids - I am going to be tiling my house all through, I hate carpet with a passion but will place a rug here and there if needed. - replace all internal doors with new paneled ones - replace back door (it’s weathered) - repaint whole house (my brother in law is an excellent painter and will help out). My bedroom has never been painted since we built as I could never decide what I wanted but now thanks to a blog I saw on here, I am going the French provincial look. I have a new Baltic farmhouse bedroom suite and will add colour and furnishings to suit. - install ceiling fans to bedrooms 2/3 - replace wall furnace - replace damaged skylight in carport and replace pergola roof - new side boundary fence - I was going to just get a new upright stove but looking at flat pack kitchens etc, I hopefully will have enough to install a new kitchen – it’s not big so am hoping I can do it for under $5000 and I found a nice Delonghi stove that I love. - turn bedroom 2 into my sewing/craft and personal haven with well planned desks and shelving/storage - replace bathroom vanity and hopefully the shower (it’s a 6inch step up and I hate it) - redo the gardens - eventually get a new dining setting and chaise sofa but will save for them I can't start anything until I get the cleanout done but currently have Pneumonia so it's all still go slow I just feel such an inner peace after such a long hall and I love my home more than ever, even in her shabby state Lynette ~making my dreams come true Re: My house makeover 2May 02, 2010 6:19 pm Congratulations!!!!! I bet its a great reflief to finally own it by yourself. Good luck with all the plans, cant wait to see some before and after pics on here. Re: My house makeover 3May 02, 2010 6:25 pm lynwill-Congratulations and may the process bring much joy to your life! As all the sand said-plans and pics please! Deemaree Kyndylan Capers: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=46852 My blog: http://www.sufficientlysufficient.blogspot.com/ Re: My house makeover 4May 02, 2010 6:47 pm Congrats Lyn! Good luck to you and your changing house! Would love to see how your progress goes!! All the best FSIV Re: My house makeover 5May 02, 2010 8:18 pm I wish you all the best of luck throughout your reno journey. I am looking forward to seeing your pics and following your progress. By the way, more power to you with your new found independance. You go girl! www.themaxbuild.blogspot.com forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=20717&start=300 www.leahspaperpassion.blogspot.com Re: My house makeover 6May 02, 2010 9:07 pm Thanks everyone for the kind words and support. Whilst it is scary to be in such huge debt alone, as I'm sure others here would attest, I know that for me I have absolutely done the right thing. I have been a single parent for a long time and have supported my kids and put their needs ahead of everything. They are 25 and 18 and with the youngest also about to move in with her dad, it is perfect timing for me to make the house more for me. I am so happy and will be doing all I can to above all else, squeeze the kitchen into the equation. That will just be the icing on the cake. I'm hoping I can save some $$ by using some of the shell of my current kitchen but we'll see. Through watching the Kitchen forum, I have seen some fabulous kitchens and believe I have the colours that I want, I just gotta see them in real life samples to finally decide Once I finish the clean up and get started, I will definitely be posting pics. Lynette ~making my dreams come true Re: My house makeover 7May 03, 2010 1:28 pm Can't wait Lynette! Deemaree Kyndylan Capers: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=46852 My blog: http://www.sufficientlysufficient.blogspot.com/ Re: My house makeover 8May 03, 2010 1:39 pm Good for you! All the best I willl definately be watching as we too are doing a major reno May it go smoothly and be everthing you dreamed of Candi ************* First time renovator VIC Re: My house makeover 9May 03, 2010 3:23 pm More power to you! Sounds like a great plan and look forward to seeing the progress All the best, Zac. Re: My house makeover 10May 03, 2010 5:09 pm Wow! Haven't heard of so much enthusiasm in years. Good luck, and hope everything turns out as you expected! If you don't mind an old, old architect giving you a few tips, I'll be glad to do so. To point you in the right direction, please note the following. 1. Take some time out and reflect on what you're entering into. It's like getting married, you have wed the house. 2. With a firm commitment (and at times you will cry), prepare a priority plan, ie do all the essentials first and stick to it. Achieve each step before jumping into a new one where possible. This way your health and your finances will stand the strain. 3. Avoid going bargain hunting for appliances etc., before they are required. Buying a claw bath for example, before the bathroom is ready means you have to store it, your money can't be used for some emergency and because it's heavy, it can become a nightmare. It can also be damaged which raises the issue of insurance. You have to obtain insurance cover while your building, and if the process takes years, it's pointless insuring stoves, dishwashers etc for a period you don't need to. 4. Get chummy (not personnely) with someone in the building industry, they will show you shortcuts, cost savings and easier ways to do things. 5. Plan some nice barbeques and invite your kids and their friends. It's amazing how young people love to demolish things. Make sure they hang around to clean up. Get the kids directly involved. Believe me when they face getting their own flat and paying the rent, mum's house suddenly becomes inviting. Promise them, if they help with the renovations, you might give them food and lodging in return till they stand on their own two feet. 6. If some works you feel are beyond you, perhaps roofing, guttering, plumbing electrical etc, is best left to the professionals. In any case, there are certain trades that must be done by qualified tradesmen. Don't do your own wiring for example unless you are a registered electrician, no matter how tempting. Burning the recently renovated house or being electrocuted isn't a pleasant thought as well as being illegal. As much as it becomes a pain, get at least three quotes for each section of the work. If you renovate more than 50% of the area or value of the house, you will need to become a registered owner builder, get advice from your local council building surveyor. 7. Keep a file broken down in trades, and record contacts, phone numbers, quotes, actual costs, variations and cost overruns. Enter these costs using an Excel spreadsheet into two columns, estimated and actual. Keep a running total and watch if there is too much variance. You should not, for example buy a more expensive stove than your budget without sacrificing something else. Otherwise you will have a blowout in cost that may overwhelm you. There are propably another thousand tips, but you are now facing a new challenge and learning experience, so be prepared to make the odd mistake, the trick being to make as few as possible and hopefully the least costly. As much as these tips may cause you to wonder what you are in for, knowing your challenge ahead in detail should better prepare you to overcome any obstacle. As you see progress and a job well done (All my kids did their own renovations and extensions and did them better than most builders) you will one day sit on the verandah with a chardonnay in one hand and a slice of cheese in the other, and yell "I did it, it's mine". Good luck! Joe Re: My house makeover 11May 03, 2010 6:37 pm Good on you Lynette! I wish you well in the mammoth but very satisfying task you are about to undertake. Keep an eye out on Ebay for 2nd hand kitchens. Sometimes you can pick up a really good and near new kitchen for a couple of thousand dollars. Friends of mine bought a really old house last year and absolutely hated the original kitchen that was about 50 years old. They managed to grab a kitchen for about $1600 from Ebay which was in excellent condition and included appliances. They just got ceasarstone benchtops to match the new configuration and voila - a new kitchen Building the Grandview 36 with M$tric0n Plans approved 15/4/2010 Site start date 21/5/2010 Our build thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=32825&p=461266#p461266 Re: My house makeover 12May 03, 2010 8:03 pm Joe-well done & said! Deemaree Kyndylan Capers: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=46852 My blog: http://www.sufficientlysufficient.blogspot.com/ You’re on the right track, wire brush in a grinder then a zinc rich epoxy primer then a top coat of some sort, like a waterproofing membrane. Raising the concrete would… 1 7020 How good is Simeon?! Always taking time to help others out! Wish we were building in NSW and could work together. Thanks for all that you do! 7 6550 Really tight at the top of the stairs- how to get furniture into those rooms? Study books - does anyone really use them these days? Large storage closet would be more functional. 2 6882 |