Tuesday 12 March 2013

A New Renovation Project (as if we don't have enough!)

Last blog I mentioned that my sister has bought her first house and enlisted our expertise to help her do a quick and cheap reno before she moves in at Easter.

Always happy to help, we agreed but of course are regretting it now! It's been over 30 degrees for a week straight here in Launceston and that's a record (literally). That's not fun when you are pulling up carpet, taking out kitchens and old fireplaces etc.


The house is an old 60's brick and tile which is solid but need a bit of a cosmetic freshen up. With a budget of 2-3 thousand dollars, this is achievable but still a bit of a challenge. Mainly because we need to hire a few trades like electricians, a floor sander and a plumber.

Lounge
Hallway
Bathroom
The house has tidy carpet but it's a bit dated so we have decided to leave it in all the bedrooms but pull up the rest of the house and polish floor boards. The electrics are all fine and safe (according to our sparky) but the fittings all a bit dated so we are employing an electrician to remove all the old daggy 60's ones and disconnecting completely the millions of mis mashed wall lights and fluros which seem to adorn every wall. One light in the centre of each room is really all that is needed except the kitchen which will need a few more. If you want more lights than this, then buy table and floor lamps as they can be added without the expense of a electrician.

Kitchen
Dining room looking from the kitchen
We will put in a new Bunnings flat pack kitchen and a new bathroom vanity. Yes, I did say budget of 2-3 thousand and I really think we will be able to do all this for that amount...well I will certainly try!

Lovely wall light (not) and louvre wardrobe doors which will be painted white
Lastly, my favourite renovation weapon of choice, paint, paint and more paint! The plan is to paint all the skirting board and architraves a fresh white rather than keeping them a wood finish. We will also do all the doors (including the wardrobe doors). There is also a tile paint that you can buy which we will use to freshen up the kitchen splash-back tiles and all the tiles in the bathroom rather than replacing them. At $80 for the paint verses hundreds (if not thousands) for new tiles, it will do the trick for many years until she has enough money to replace them.

Yes I think we are a bit crazy but I do like a challenge. Fingers crossed that all goes to plan and she gets to move into her new house by Easter. Wish us luck!


8 comments:

  1. Can't wait to see the "after" shots of this one! You guys have so much energy ... especially during a heat wave. Don't know how you do it. Good luck ... hope it all tracks along beautifully and on budget for you. S xo

    ReplyDelete
  2. Though summer is the best time to work on your roofs as there are lesser chances of rain, it makes working with house renovations a little bit more tiring. Given that, you should all give yourselves a pat on the back for still managing to accomplish these house projects. With all your combined efforts, I'm sure you were able to finish this nicely. Good work!
    Homer @ Pinnacle Group

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  3. My mind is blown. What an amazing use of such a small space! There is no way I would imagine a place with that many rooms would be hidden behind that façade. I love the use of exposed brick against the white of the rest of the house too. Personally I couldn't live there as the narrowness would make me feel claustrophobic
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