Taking the Leap
Remodeling a home is not for the faint of heart. Even those brave enough to take on a remodeling project is likely to break out in a cold sweat after they tear the first hole in their drywall. It is that point when you realize that there’s no turning back. At the very least, you’re going to have to patch up that hole. And it’s likely to get much worse before it gets better. That said, remodeling is something anyone can do with a little bit of guts, time and effort.
Our current project is a roughly 80% tear-down. We salvaged the living room, family room, and garage. Everything else was ripped down and rebuilt from scratch. This kind of project required a contractor, an architect, framers, roofers, plumbers, electricians, and more. I would highly suggest not doing this for your first go-around. This is our third remodel and it has already been more than we bargained for.
If you are interested in getting started remodeling a home, here are a few steps to take.
- Paint a room. This may sound easy, but it is astounding when you see how many people don’t buy a house because of the paint color. This is the easiest thing to change to make your home to your tastes.
- Spackle something. If you are going to remodel, you will eventually have to mess up a wall. You may be taking down hideous wallpaper, removing outdated wood paneling, or eventually changing the layout of a room. It sounds strange, but the thought of putting a hole in a perfectly good wall is enough to stop many people in their tracks. So before you start, it helps to eliminate the fear and mystery of drywall. If you get a hole in the drywall you can fill it with Spackle and paint over it. Larger holes can be patched with kits from a home improvement store. Bigger fixes may require piecing in or replacing some of the drywall. That’s all. Once you get over this fear, you can start really remodeling.
