Tips and Tricks

A loose collection of things we learned that might help others circumvent the sometimes painful learning process that comes with renovation work.

#1 The Green $$ Rule

It really will take longer and cost more than you expect. Don't fool yourself into thinking otherwise!

#2 Reuse What You Can

We didn't reuse much of what was inside the house, but we did a much better job outside. Enough stone was unearthed digging the new footers to use for building garden beds. We also used brick, salvaged from widening interior doorways, to lay out vegetable beds at the bottom of the yard.

#3 To DIY or Hire Out?

Do a cost benefit analysis when you're deciding whether to learn a new skill or hire out. In fact, this may not be the time to learn a new skill! Let me rephrase, you need to have a really good handle on your skill level. It depends too, on the level of renovation you are undertaking; if you're redoing a second bathroom—take your time and learn how to tile. If you've just gutted an entire house and don't want to live with your in-laws for the next five years, you may want to hire out for any tasks with which you don't have some experience and/or expertise.

#4 Do it Almost Yourself

You can save a lot of money by doing almost all of the work and having a professional finish up. However, you'll have to find someone who is comfortable with this proposition. Steve and my father both have experience with wiring. Instead of hiring electricians, they did the wiring themselves. We then had a professional electrician friend do the service hook-up and check things over before we called for the official inspection.

#5 Look for a "Re-Use-It Center"

Check your area for a non-profit that accepts donations of building materials and sells to persons of limited income. We took the old cast iron bathtub from the house. (It was not the really nice claw-foot type!) They had an overstock of windows that had been donated by a contractor who couldn't use them. We picked up windows for the new addition very cheaply. Since we were designing our own floor plan we were able to build our walls to match the over-sized windows and save ourselves a good bit of $$.

#6 Oops! Paint

You'll save time and money if you paint your house one color. Yeah, I know, pretty boring! But keep in mind that it's a lot easier to keep going with a nice cream color in every room than to change colors repeatedly. However, if you'd rather go with different colors—check out your paint supplier's stash of "oops” paint. These are custom mixed colors that have been returned to the store. You may not find anything that you like, but if you do, you'll pay half as much for the "oops" paint.

#7 Low Hide Paint Colors

Have you ever seen the notation "low hide" on a paint sample and not understood what it meant? You'll find this on dark yellow, orange, and red colors. Quite literally, it means that the paint does a rotten job of covering the walls. Expect to apply 5-6 coats before you have a solid color. Do yourselves a favor and splurge on tinted primer; this will give you a head start and reduce the number of coats needed!

Did I mention it will take longer and be more expensive than you planned for?

#8 Will You Still Like Each Other When It's Done?

No matter the scope of your project, make sure your relationships can withstand the project! Where will you live while the renovation is underway? If you bunk with your parents or in-laws, be careful of your relationships. It's tough to live with anyone, but the stress of a big project like this and the inability to "get away from each other" will make it particularly challenging. If you're going to live in the house while renovating, think three times.

#9 Use Coupons

We went ahead and filled out change of address forms with our new address. We were very pleased when the "welcome to the neighborhood" packet arrived from the Post Office and included, among other savings coupons, a 10% off at Lowes. The coupon was good for purchases up to $10,000. So we went for it—all $10,000 at a time. We made a list of everything we could think of from shingles and insulation to faucets, light fixtures, and tile. Two trucks delivered our booty and a neighbor was kind enough to lend us space in his garage. The challenge then became finding what we needed... I know those toilet seats are around here somewhere!