Remodeling Question.............

[THE HCP]

Wanting to get my bathroom and kitchen remodeled. Also get my basement finished. I have a couple friends that do that for a living, but expect to paid upon finishing the project. I don't have a few grand laying around so was wondering where I should turn. Does Home Depot have that kind of service?

 

[SlyPokerDog]

A few grand is painting and some light fixtures. What exactly are you meaning by remodel?

 

[DaRizzle]

Yeah, elaborate what you want to do. Show us some pics.

Once you have a plan you should do demolition and clean up of that yourself.
Also buy all the parts needed....dont rely on ANYBODY to get what you need...it will just lead to frustration
A lot of stuff can be done by yourself with simple proper instruction...depending on what your schedule is you can save a lot of money doing the simple things yourself.

Remember...nobody cares as much as you do, watch whoever you hire like a hawk

 

[Denny Crane]

I figure a bathroom remodel is about $5K, and kitchen probably over $10K.

Bathroom would be new toilet, sink, and tub/shower, plus the vanity (cabinets below the sink), and medicine cabinet. It'd include the plumbing and to tear out the dry wall and install new dry wall, and paint.

Kitchen appliances can be $10K alone, if you're doing top of the line stuff, or 1/3 that for decent stuff. Then you have the cabinets, sink, disposal, etc. The counter can be pricey if you do granite (but well worth it, IMO).

But maybe you should ask KingSpeed... he has the interior decorator gene, after all.

 

[julius]

Yah, include pictures. Maybe with the wife..

On a serious note, my parents, about 15 years ago, remodeled both their bathrooms and kitchen. All told, it was about 20K I think.

Depends on what you A: want done and B: can do yourself, as to how much the cost is. It also matters how nice the cabinets are, and if you buy new appliances/fixtures. Like Darizzle said, a lot can be done by yourself. It's not nearly as hard as people think, even if you have no idea what the difference between a hammer and a socket wrench is, and don't know how to say solder, or spell solder the correct way off the top of your head.

In my dads prime, he could've done it himself but he was an old fart at the time and he'd probably STILL be working on it if he did it himself.

 

[maxiep]

HCP, this is a case where if you're in for a penny, be in for a pound.

If you're going to replace the vanity, toilet, bathtub surround, etc. in your bathroom, go ahead and gut the bathroom to the studs. See what's behind the walls, check the condition of the plumbing, electrical, etc. Buy the most powerful exhaust fan you can find (I like Panasonic models) and put it on a timer so it can run for 20-30 minutes after every shower. Gutting a bathroom will give you the opportunity to properly waterproof the bathroom with concrete board, a waterproofing membrane, mold-resistant drywall (w/o paper) etc.. It will also ensure that you put down a subfloor that stiffens your joists enough to handle the weight of the tile, so they don't crack. Finally, it ensures you never have to deal with mold or rotting--waterproof products have come a long way in the past decade alone.

With the kitchen, you HAVE to check the condition of the drains and plumbing, make sure you have the proper number of circuits, your vent hood is powerful enough, the drain venting is properly done, etc. In a kitchen, electrical code states you have a MINIMUM of five circuits, and usually more. They should all be GFCI, although it's not currently code. Here's how I would wire a medium-sized kitchen:
--refrigerator (dedicated @ 20 amp)
--range (electric dedicated @ 50 amp, gas @ 15 amp)
--dishwasher (dedicated @ 15 amp)
--garbage disposal (dedicated @ 15 amp for smaller gd's or 20 amp for larger)
--microwave (dedicated @ 20 amp)
--small appliance (two circuits @ 20 amp)
--lighting (@ 15 amps)

When was this place built? How many renos have already been done? What was the quality of those renovations? Those are the questions that will haunt you until you answer them.

And whatever you do, CALL THE CITY AND ASK IF YOU NEED A PERMIT. Permitting is not meant to screw you, but protect you. An inspector will come in and ensure the job was done to code. And speaking of code, MINIMUM CODE SUCKS; always go a little bit better.

My point is if you have $5K to spend on a bathroom and $8-10K to spend on a kitchen, you're better off waiting until you have $10K to spend on a bathroom and $20-25K to spend on a kitchen and do the project right. When you gut, you can also change the configuration to any way you wish. It's well worth the extra money. Otherwise, just spend a grand or so and paint each room, update the faucets and light fixtures and keep saving for the day when you can do it properly.

Remodeling takes time, planning and money. If you don't know what you're doing, hire someone who does. Have a few designers come in and give you ideas. Buy some books about how to remodel. Your kitchen and bathrooms are the most important rooms in your house for re-sale; a bad reno can actually diminish the value of your property.

P.S. Don't use Home Depot for contracting services. Find a licensed and bonded contractor and ask them for a reference list of at least 20 references.

 

[maxiep]

BTW, don't be afraid to do reno yourself. There's a reason they don't offer Ph.D's in residential construction. It just takes some common sense, a level, a little bit of know-how and the right tools. When I bought my first rental, I couldn't change a light bulb, much less a light fixture. Today, I can proudly say I have mastered the light bulb and am working toward changing a light fixture.

 

[THE HCP]

Thanks for all the help guys. I'm at the beginning stages of this and want to make sure I do this right!