hmmmmmm...it seems that my reply to Babs went adios bye bye....... uh, nope. It became part of Babs post. I must have deleted the quote thingy.
We did tackle a whole home reno 5 years ago and we were no spring chickens. We bought a place from a guy who had started renovations but lost interest when his girlfriend left him and he was leaving town so we got a good price. We had to finish drywall, gut the kitchen, tear out carpet and replace the flooring throughout, paint, new windows. Actually the only thing worth saving was the bathroom. We worked hard and long hours to get it done, and lived to tell the tale.
Quoted from @Bobby Cole..[.In some ways, a diy family is a godsend to the professionals but in other ways...not. Normally, a home owner really cares about how their new found abode is being treated and is pretty picky about the work. That said, I have found out in the past that if a diy owner wishes to help out, it's best when the owner does their thing after the pro's have left for the day. What I do is instruct people as to how and what they can do on their own after I leave should they wish to help out and save some bucks. Many folks want to do all of the painting which saves a bundle, but I have been called back to a job because the client only "thought" they knew how to do such and such.] There won't be a problem with this Bobby...as anything my son-in-law will do to help will be something he knows what he is doing in. My daughter will be picking the colors she wants, etc. and I'm sure she will have some help from her middle sister for this too.
That was my first thought. I don't think I would want to do some full renovation. Perhaps younger people are more up to it. The only thing I would do would be new flooring, paint and any needed repairs for safety and to maintain the integrity of the home.
Hell, I tackled a "whole-house" build, from hand-pouring of foundation and floor slab, to framing walls, rafters, trusses, roof, plumbing, electrical, ceramic flooring, 200 sheets of drywall went into the dump, it took three years, was actually still not absolutely finished when we sold it after living in it 10 years. The whole house and garage was faced with red brick. Here's the old fool (today older, but no less a fool), brick veneering the garage, after the house & connecting wall were completed. Finishing the brick of the east end of the house, kitchen end. Some veggies my wife grew in our garden. The garage is still not bricked over in this shot. A brick wall 40 feet long was built between the house & garage, effectively "sealing off" the front of the property from the rear. Happier times. That small cement mixer in the background prepared 95,000 lbs. of concrete, as well as all the mortar used to lay the brick, that amount unknown. I was then physically in about the best shape of my entire life. I was 46. Frank
That's really something to be proud of accomplishing @Frank Sanoica. When I was younger I always wanted to build my own log cabin and I would have gone for it if my ex would have agreed...but he didn't...so I didn't. But I'm proud you did!
@Babs Hunt Actually, building our own house proved to be the single best investment we ever made. Our materials cost totaled under $20,000, the lot $27,000, so of the difference between those two together, the $150,000 we got upon selling provided a handsome ROI. Those 3 years of my labor had intrinsic vealue, too: it kept me in top physical shape, better than any exercise routine might have. Frank
@Gary Ridenour Looked like the guy fell flat on his face! Wonder if he was hurt? My big tumble came about in a different way: up on workbench fastening plywood over windows in my shop, for security purposes 2 weeks before due to leave for the winter. Some small wooden dowels stacked vertically had unbeknownst to me fallen over.....I took a step, right on top of them, felt myself pitching forward off the bench. Took a desparate swipe with my left hand trying to grab the door handle of the Explorer parked right there, fell forehead first to the concrete floor, as my wife watched it happen. I think the hand could have better been used to break the fall; I missed the door handle. That little adventure got me stuffed in a helicopter, flown 180 miles to Columbia (MO), MRI, X-Ray, overnight, wife drove up to get me noon the next day. They handed her a bag with the pants the EMT lady had cut off of me. Yes, as I confessed to that lady in advance, sorry, Ma'am, I have no underwear on! She laughed! No concussion, some loss of personal guile, though, the total cost came to $23,000. We left for Arizona on schedule 2 weeks later. Nov. 2010. Sorry, no video available. (I burned it). Frank
Well I am pretty sure my daughter and her husband are not going to go the whole house renovation route now that they have had time to really think about this. They are looking at several homes that have been renovated already and are even considering building a new home since they found some lots for sale in some neighborhoods they are interested in. Honestly, I am praying they don't add anymore stress to their lives and just buy a home that is move in ready!
If I knew what I know now, the housing market was like it is now where you can buy a home for nearly nothing, and had the credit history for the cashflow I would. Even then I would be careful not to get in too overwhelming of a renovation.
I tackle small jobs of electrical-plumbing and the like but as once said, " A man's gotta know his limitations" and they change with age. Now if it's a big job I pay cash where I can...or... move.
And the end of the story is: My daughter and her husband have picked out their new home here in Louisiana and it is just a few minutes from my Honey and me so I am thrilled with their choice. While they won't have to renovate their new home, it has been completely renovated by a contractor who builds new homes. The inspection checked out just fine and on June 30th my daughter and her husband will close on their new home and will be official residents of Lafayette, LA once again. And I am so happy about about this that my heart sometimes feels like it's just going to burst with joy!