Documenting a rehab on the worst house in the neighborhood

20,756 Views | 123 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by JDCAG (NOT Colin)
irish pete ag06
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AG
Inspired by the over my head in Saurkraut Bend post by p_bubel, I've decided to start documenting my rehab also. Any insight y'all would like to offer along the way would be appreciated!

I bought this house because it was too good of a deal to pass up. It's the worst house in the neighborhood. I plan to rehab it and rent it for a long term investment. It's 1959 pier and beam construction. I bought it from the original owner (a lady in her 90s who was moving into assisted living, her 70 year old son handled the transaction).

It's a 1400 sf, 3 bed, 2 bath. There's hardwood floors in the bedroom, halls, and living room that is all under shoddily layed 1970s or older carpet. The kitchen and dining have a combo of sheet linoleum and vinyl tyle (dining also has 2 layers of shoddily layed carpet). The bathrooms are ceramic 4 inch tile. Another major issue is that only 2 outlets are 3 prong, the other 20 roughly are 2 prong.

Here's a quick rundown of what all I plan on doing and have done so far:
Bedrooms/Hall/Living
  • pull up all carpet
  • repaint
  • figure out what to do with hardwood floors (edit: figured it out, just going to clean them for now)
Kitchen/Dining
  • pull up all carpet, linoleum, and vinyl
  • replace with Vinyl Plank wood look floor
  • paint walls (wood paneling)
  • Paint cabinets and put on new hardware
  • Demo old tile countertop and backsplash
  • New countertop from granite tile
  • Remove OLD cook top and oven
  • Install new oven/range combo in cook tops place... EDIT: going to install a free standing range beside the countertop that use to house the cook top.

Master Bath
  • Demo old tile shower (the plumber checked out all the subfloor when I had him check the pipes under and he said most of it was still yellow and looked amazing for 60 years old. Only bad spot was under the tile shower where it had leaked)
  • Install new Tile Shower
  • Replace toilet (Blue toilet is removed)
  • Replace sink with new vanity
  • Take down decorative tile from wall and replace with beadboard
  • New medicine cabinet and lighting fixture

Guest Bath (this room is having the least amount of work done)
  • Refinish tub and sink
  • Paint vanity

I've crossed out what I've done so far and will include pics in subsequent posts of the process.
irish pete ag06
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AG
Here's the kitchen counters and 60 year old appliances...







Plan is to remove both. Turn the place where the oven used to be into a pantry. Replace the cook top with a combo unit where there used to be a cabinet.
irish pete ag06
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AG
Guest bath pink sink and pink tub...

The Fife
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Normally I'm for keeping original bathrooms and kitchens but um, yeah. No shower = it's getting redone if it was my choice and the tub looks like some kind of weird overlay or two piece thing.

The pink sink would sell pretty easily though, possibly also the original appliances and toilet if it's also pink.

edit: Also the tub looks like a 4'6" model and it may be difficult to replace unless you were going to just put in a shower only. If it's solid you might want to look into one of those places that can change it to whatever color you'd like it to be.
irish pete ag06
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AG
The Fife said:

Normally I'm for keeping original bathrooms and kitchens but um, yeah. No shower = it's getting redone if it was my choice and the tub looks like some kind of weird overlay or two piece thing.

The pink sink would sell pretty easily though, possibly also the original appliances and toilet if it's also pink.

edit: Also the tub looks like a 4'6" model and it may be difficult to replace unless you were going to just put in a shower only. If it's solid you might want to look into one of those places that can change it to whatever color you'd like it to be.
So you think the pink tub and sink would sell as a rental house or sell individually to people who want a pink sink and tub?

The appliances work, but there's no storage pantry in the kitchen and that oven is tiny. I'm sure renters would want an updated appliance.

You think someone would buy those appliances? I mean, I was going to try and sell them, but I assumed I'd be stuck with them for a while or they would wind up on Craigslist free stuff.
irish pete ag06
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AG
Master bath

Replace sink with vanity
New toilet
complete demo and rebuild of tile shower



Current status of this bathroom





That shower is a booger. Tile on top of about 2 inches of mortar and wire. Old school.

Also, never use wood for a shower curb.


The Fife
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irish pete ag06 said:

So you think the pink tub and sink would sell as a rental house or sell individually to people who want a pink sink and tub?

The appliances work, but there's no storage pantry in the kitchen and that oven is tiny. I'm sure renters would want an updated appliance.

You think someone would buy those appliances? I mean, I was going to try and sell them, but I assumed I'd be stuck with them for a while or they would wind up on Craigslist free stuff.
I'm not talking about keeping any of those things but the tub in place - they may sell to someone who needs / wants pink or blue fixtures or wants an old oven for example for powder coating or to use. There is actually a bit of a market for that sort of thing. If I was planning on keeping a tub in that space though I'd give a bit of thought to having it reglazed white. They're kind of a hassle to replace.

If you let me know your city or general location I can post them to a facebook group with people who may be interested whenever they're ready.
aezmvp
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Have you figured out how the wood look vinyl plank will look against the actual hardwoods?
Cromagnum
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AG
irish pete ag06 said:

Here's the kitchen counters and 60 year old appliances...







Plan is to remove both. Turn the place where the oven used to be into a pantry. Replace the cook top with a combo unit where there used to be a cabinet.


I'm amazed those appliances even work. Does the house smell like a little old lady lived in it?
irish pete ag06
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Cromagnum said:

irish pete ag06 said:

Here's the kitchen counters and 60 year old appliances...







Plan is to remove both. Turn the place where the oven used to be into a pantry. Replace the cook top with a combo unit where there used to be a cabinet.


I'm amazed those appliances even work. Does the house smell like a little old lady lived in it?
Yes. It's quite strong too. Not as moth bally as you would expect, but a definite little old lady smell. It's gotten a lot better since I've stripped every piece of carpet out of the house.
irish pete ag06
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aezmvp said:

Have you figured out how the wood look vinyl plank will look against the actual hardwoods?
My plan for the dining & kitchen is a light grey walls with gloss white cabinets, so I'm going to go with a lighter grey wood look Vinyl Plank. I've looked a lot of examples and read about that look and the general consensus is you don't try to match the woods at all. Go with a stark contrast between the 2. I'll post some pics in a minute of the wood floors, but the light grey should be a pretty dramatic contrast.
irish pete ag06
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Awesome. Ok. I'll let you know.
p_bubel
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Welcome to the fray!
irish pete ag06
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Here's some shots of the carpet that was there and what was under it.

Living Room



Hall


One of the bedrooms (and what was under that carpet, YUCK)


Here's the dining room with 2 layers of carpet, a layer of straight mesothelioma dust, and finally the original sheet linoleum


irish pete ag06
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p_bubel said:

Welcome to the fray!
Thanks! Good to be here!
sts7049
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AG
"straight mesothelioma dust"
p_bubel
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irish pete ag06 said:

Here's some shots of the carpet that was there and what was under it.

Living Room


One of the bedrooms (and what was under that carpet, YUCK)




Oogway
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Can't wait to see how it turns out! I am kind of sad you are turning it into a rental. I get the investment side of it, but hate to see it off the market once you get it rehabbed. Looks like it has good bones.
Oso96
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AG
I think you should've advertised as "vintage" so a millennial would buy it.

My grandmother had that same pink tub.
irish pete ag06
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Oogway said:

Can't wait to see how it turns out! I am kind of sad you are turning it into a rental. I get the investment side of it, but hate to see it off the market once you get it rehabbed. Looks like it has good bones.



It's 2 blocks down from my house so I'll keep a close eye on it. It is tempting to flip, but these little real estate purchases are retirement funds for me.

It's in a neighborhood that has hardly any rentals, so I should be able to keep good folks in there hopefully.
dubi
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AG
Good luck!

Love the floors.
irish pete ag06
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Finished demoing the one shower wall today. Demoing isn't that bad... it's getting the damn rubble out of there that's the worst.

I started demoing the counter today and was able to lift a huge chuck of mortar, mesh, and tile up. Felt good to get it loose in a big chunk. Then I took a good swing at the backsplash and accidentally caught my elbow on a jutted ho piece of ceramic tile. It bled pretty good, but I was able to get it stopped and got the drips on the hardwood floors cleaned up. I thought about getting stitches but I just butterflied it up and I'll be back over there tomorrow. I may should invest in a long sleeve work shirt.
Kenneth_2003
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sts7049 said:

"straight mesothelioma dust"
What was that stuff? 60 years of grime ground through the carpet or decayed carpet pad and backer material?
irish pete ag06
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The only carpet that had pads under it were in the living room and hall and they were professionally installed.

Every other room that had carpet had no pad, just carpet laid down. All that dust was the disentigrared backer on the carpet... disgusting.
irish pete ag06
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Ended up not working yesterday because I wanted to make sure I didn't pop my wound back open.

I have to get a plumber over asap for many things. I need a gas line valve installed along with a water cutoff valves under each sink and also the shower I'm demoing.
Dr. Doctor
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AG
I love those floors. The wood original underneath. I'd clean and let them go again.

~egon
Streetfighter 02
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AG
There is definitely a market for those kitchen appliances. The range and double stacked French ovens in my house are original from 1956. Thankfully they're not brown. Used daily for coffee. Good luck with your remodel!

irish pete ag06
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Here's the cut on the elbow I got a week ago. It was about a quarter inch deep and bled like crazy for about 5 minutes. Managed to just butterfly it together and it has healed nicely. Ceramic tile is sharp.



Here's the counter top in the kitchen after I had removed one section of the tile. The plywood under is in great shape and I'll be able to do my new counters on top of it.




Here's the shower's current situation. Got it all demo'd but the shower pan. Ran out of room in my garbage can, so I didn't mess with cleaning out that rubble left. Probably going to removed the drywall and open the top part up to go all the way up to the natural ceiling.






My real life job is a teacher/coach, and I'm currently an assistant softball coach. Time has been at a premium over the last 2.5 months. We were eliminated from the playoffs last night, so I suspect this project will see a pretty major uptick in progress.
dubi
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Glad to see you back at it!
irish pete ag06
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Also... after talking to some flooring guys, they said I should just lay the vinyl plank flooring in the kitchen and dining on top of the old vinyl floor. It will provide a basic underlayment. Sounds great to me... was not looking forward to pulling that up.
Purple Parrot
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Yikes
Aggie1
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AG
One of the biggest reasons contractors recommended you not take up the old vinyl flooring is because that era of vinyl tiles were vinyl-asbestos in composition and the clean up commercially would be very expensive because of the way it has to be handled. One of the accepted remedial solutions is to "cover it up" and not take it up assuming it's stuck good and needs little to no hole or leveling patching.

Those original oak floors are to die for and can be stained, sanded, etc., without worrying because of the thickness... To follow, to make them look like the "modern" pre-finished plank stuff available today requires an epoxy finish or waxing and polishing or "gym floor" type finish.

The carpet craze of the 60's, 70's and 80's covered up a lot of beautiful oak floors. Carpet - especially the majority of residential carpet - is really intended to be replaced every 5-6 years during typical upgrades and remodeling and was never intended to be long lasting - the fibers are too long, the backing too shoddy and the density too loose (causing matting) and the quality was simply comparatively poor - because the carpet companies wanted people to replace it - often - so it was never intended to withstand many years of wear and tear. That's not to say there was not good dense, quality carpet made by companies like Mohawk but most people wanted a $10/sq yard carpet and pad installed during that period - and were unwilling to pay up to $50/sq yd the good stuff costed in high dollar residential construction of the period.. For what it's worth carpet has many redeeming qualities - insulation, sound absorption, color/design, etc., but does have to be properly vacuumed often and maintained to be serviceable - because it does "hide" soil and may cause allergies..

That mud/wire backing in the shower is still used in commercial applications and is hard to replicate quality and waterproof wise. You may not have liked the tile, but if the shower wasn't leaking (usually an old lead pan metal disassociation problem in that vintage), you could have saved yourself all that rubble clean-up by simply scoring/etching/wiring the old tile and gone over it with new and saved all that demo (assuming you were not trying to increase the size as the old showers were awfully small). (...as were the closets in older houses...). Houses from a hundred years ago and older didn't even have clothes closets - they had "furniture/shranks").

Interestingly, one of the current "in" things is retro 4x4 colored tile, etc., according to all the "millennial" tripe discussed in trade shows and house smart TV programming. And those older fixtures - bath and kitchen, etc., - assuming they did a good job of color coordination to begin with - are the "in" thing... Of course the older appliances have to be replaced to function properly - but there are companies that take current stoves, fridges, etc., and "retro" them with colors of the 40's and 50's on purpose. Obviously, next year they will be out of style - but it's a trendy thing to do right now by interior designers for "millennials'.

I would bet the two plugs you found with 3 prong outlets were simply 3-prong replacements changed out to accommodate some item that the literature insisted have a 3-prong with ground or simply for convenience - but really never had the 3rd wire installed. Many older homes have had all the 2-prong outlets replaced with 3-prong but never had the wiring upgraded as well - usually they were wired with 14-ga wire at that - and 15-amp breakers - that "someone" likely has replaced with 20-amp because the 15 kept breaking from overload... - ...a fire waiting to happen - especially if aluminum wiring was used and not copper. Even older homes (40's and earlier) that have not been updated often still have fuses and paper wrapped wiring on porcelain insulators and an inadequate panel of say, 50 amps... that's really REALLY bad for current applications in a modern home which often requires at least 2- 200 amp main breaker boxes to cover all the loads of modern living - and if there are multiple A/C units, hot water tanks, pools, heated Jacuzzi tubs, etc..
irish pete ag06
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AG
Great information!

The shows had been leaking and the sub floor needs to be replaced. I'm also going to try and raise the shower head and take the top of the shower all the way to the ceiling. I nearly was bumping my head on top of the old shower.

Luckily, the flooring is very level, so I should be good to go with laying the flooring.

I'm definitely going to try and sell those appliances. When I started, I figured I would get nothing for them!
Reload8098
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How's the smell? We renovated a house in Memphis (a flip) and decided to replace all of the old ductwork which eliminated the odor. It was a great selling point.
We had the tub reglazed white with two coats and it came out fantastic.
irish pete ag06
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Reload8098 said:

How's the smell? We renovated a house in Memphis (a flip) and decided to replace all of the old ductwork which eliminated the odor. It was a great selling point.
We had the tub reglazed white with two coats and it came out fantastic.
The smell has gotten much better since all of the carpet has been removed. My wife has the nose of a blood hound, so I'll use her to help with that. Thanks for the idea about the ducting... I'll keep that in mind.

How expensive was refinishing the tub?

I need to do that to the tub and sink in the guest bath. I really want to convert the guest bath into a shower bath combo... but I do not want to have 2 bathroom reno's on my hands at the same time.
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