house number two remodel

I will take you through the first year of working on this house and try to show you how much time and work is involved:

I bought this house two years ago and have not gotten it finished yet. I bought the house in February on an article of agreement.

My remodeling rule for myself is: try to make sure to pay as I go because I do not like to owe anybody or feel obligated to anyone.

During the first 6 months when I did not have money to buy supplies I cleared off about a 40 foot by 60 foot lot. This lot is not part of the property but is right behind the garage and I obtained the owners permission to use it for a garden. I had to cut down about 50 skunk trees and dig the roots out so I could have my brother use his tiller.

The first month I cleaned out the rooms and got rid of as much trash as I could so I would have clear working space without a lot of obstacles. I also talked to a company that installs windows and made arrangements to have the windows replaced, when I got paid, one level at a time. The first floor had seven windows and I had the windows measured and made an agreement to have them installed around the end of May. I replaced the single pane windows with double pane argon filled windows. And I paid something towards the balance every two weeks (payday).

I put a 10% deposit down and had the three and a half months to finish paying them off. I made the agreement this way so I would not have to finance and pay interest.

The company was having a special so I bought the windows for 1/2 the normal retail price with installation included.

The second month all I got finished was upgrading the electrical panel and rewiring the basement and first floor of the house. I paid a certificated electrician to install the main panel breaker box and the main outside wire for 200 amp service. Paying for the installation of the electrical panel as well as some towards the windows made the budget tight for a few months.

The third and fourth month I finished wiring the second floor of the house and had also started on the plumbing. I was hoping the cast iron drains would still be good but there was cracks down some of the seams. I used a sledge hammer and broke the old cast iron drain pipes out, from the basement to the attic. The old copper water lines and drains in the bathroom had corroded through so I ripped up part of the floor to get the pipes out. I have a drop ceiling in the room below the bathroom, so I am putting the drains and water lines in the drop ceiling below the second floor, so I can have access in the future. Since I had broken the pipes all the way to the attic I ran the wiring for the attic up through the same wall as the pipes had been in. When I put new plastic drain and water pipes in the wall there will be plenty of clearance. The cast iron pipes were about 6 inches around and the plastic drain pipe I am using is 4 inches and I have a 16 inch space to work with.

Getting involved with the electrical, plumbing, clearing the garden plot, and keeping the yard maintenance done I did not work any overtime. I had to put the window installation on hold for an extra two weeks until I got paid and had the money for the final payment.

About the middle of June I had enough money set aside to order tools to do some cement work. I used the tools and a little money to have my nephew do the basement wall and tuck-pointing around the outside of the house. July the tuck-point and basement wall were finished and I had the whole house rewired. I want to have my nephew replace the retaining wall along the front of the house but that will be for next year.

The middle of July I had the window company measure and order the 9 windows for the second floor. I went with the best quality I could get for the money I had at the time. Again I made the same arrangements with the window company.

I put a 10% deposit down and had the three and a half months to finish paying them off. I made the agreement this way so I would not have to finance and pay interest.

The windows were installed in November.

I did not work on the house during the winter because there was heavy snows. I had trouble getting to and from work and did not have the extra money to buy building supplies. I had the electric turned off so I would not have another bill during the winter and I was not working on the house.

There is a lot of work if you are doing the majority of the work by yourself. There is an inner satisfaction and pride from doing things yourself. You will know your home from the bottom up and you can keep up the maintenance on your own. If you have help from friends and relatives it is a lot easier and faster. Don't expect your progress to be as fast as the shows you see on television unless you have the money to pay several contractors for the different jobs that need to be done.