Having a plan of Attack
Spring of 2006
After an extensive search for a property I ended up with the home pictured to the left. It was the Spring of 2006 when I finally had the keys to a fixer upper. What it amounted to was a complete rehab.
Since the home was already gutted and the roof had recently been re-shingled, I could start on the exterior.
My first plan of attack was to get the place cleaned. More on that in getting started.
The Plan
After a good look at what had to be done. I came up with a 6 month plan. This should put me into the house around October - November time frame. I figured I could work on the place every night after work and on the weekends when I didn't have my daughter. Summer was on its way and I would have plenty of day light after work hours. I had a lot of work to get done.
With the input from other friends I came up with an estimate of $30,000 in matrerials to accomplish what the house required. This would also include heat and air, all the kitchen appliances, lighting, flooring, windows, plumbing and basically everything you need to build a house. Does that sound possible?
I will provide a detailed list of materials later in the site.
Tips
1. Have a plan
2. Have a design
3. stick to the plan & design
4. Expect the unexpected
5. Be able to modify the plan & design
A Design that Appeals to Everyone
The previous owner had already started on framing out for bedrooms and bathrooms, kinda sorta. I wasn't quite sure what his ultimate plan was though.
I had some basic ideas of what I wanted. It would be just a matter of how to accomplish this.
First off, the home would be a two bedroom single bath with nice sized kitchen and living rooms. Storage was also very high on my want list. I've always heard that storage is big factor with prospective home buyers. I know that two bedrooms is not as desirable as a three bedroom home, but space is a factor with this house. I propbably could of had three bedrooms but then I would sacrifice a lot of space in each room. It is what is!
My thinking throughout the project was to make the house appealing to future buyers while still constructing it the way I wanted.