What projects need to be done on your house?

[DawnM]

I have a LONG list.  

 

DH is just too busy these days and when he does have time he is exhausted.  He hates hiring out because of cost, but I think we are simply going to have to hire out.

 

New flooring upstairs (currently has 4 different colors of carpet from 1989, the year the house was built.)

New flooring in kitchen and dining room

Master bath needs to be gutted and rebuilt

Upstairs bathrooms need new cabinets and sinks

Basement is finished now but needs final touch-ups

Both garages need some drywalling

 

Those are just the NEEDS……there are more wants to add to the list.

 

The problem I am running into is that the "handy man" folks are just as expensive as the professionals. 

[Carrie12345]

Sigh.

3 sides of our house still need to be resided.

The new and old decks both need to be sanded and stained.

Kitchen counter needs to be replaced.

A *lot* of flooring needs to be replaced, but we still haven't agreed on what we want.

Driveway needs to be re-shaled or paved.

Some window screens need replacing. (New windows would be better!)

The boys' bedroom needs some sheetrock work, taping, mudding, sanding, and repainting. (We demoed their closet to make room for a bunkbed and trundle and should really build a new closet in a different spot.)

The girls' room needs trim finishing.

3 interior doors downstairs need replacing.

The main area downstairs needs repainting.

 

And that's just the stuff that's making me crazy.

The list of "wants" is even longer!

[Shelly in IL]

Master bedroom/ bath gutted

Basement/laundry room/bedroom new cabinets, reconfigured/ new flooring

Need new windows in most all of the house

[MysteryJen]

I hear you on the cost of handymen!

 

We need to put in new baseboards (last part of flooring project in master)

flooring in two bedrooms

paint the house

get carpet cleaned

replaced drop ceiling in basement

refinish kitchen and entryway floors

 

I can't even think about the yards...

[ksr5377]

I have also been thinking of hiring out.  DH has practically remodeled our entire home all on his own.  However, our master bathroom (which is really tiny, we're in a 1940's house) was gutted almost 2 years ago.  And still it sits there, just gutted and sad.  DH started it and then we decided he should go back for his masters, and there hasn't been a lot of extra time since then. 

 

ETA:  Our wood floors also desperately need redone, but with 4 little ones I have hated the idea of putting in all that work only to have them scrape them up the very next day.  I'm actually thinking of putting in laminate eventually.  I like real wood better but the laminate seems so much more durable.

[Guest]

We bought a new build a year ago, so luckily our list isn't huge. My husband is extremely handy, but doesn't have a lot of time. He recently cut a man door in our garage, but needs to paint the outside to match the house. Our biggie is our backyard needs to be done. It's nice and full of DIRT. Our grout needs a good grout doctor, too.

[elegantlion]

things I plan on doing: 

 

hang light fixture in bedroom

hook up power line to central AC (yeah, long story there)

paint living room/dining room and bedroom

replace kitchen countertops

fix trim around window in bathroom

paint front and back doors

replace hand rail on front porch

 

 

things that need to be done and I will probably do:

replace decking on side porch - it has a porch, but the posts are stone and will not be moved when I replace the decking

replace flooring in laundry room and kitchen

replace flooring in bathroom

paint detached garage to match house

 

 

 

things that need to be done and I can't do: 

replace garage doors

add door to boarded up garage area in basement

fix small plumbing leak - because of where it is, I need a pro

replace front porch deck supports

 

 

[Mandamom]

House gutted and rebuilt -- that's a need. :)

 

Let's see: 

These are the critical needs: 

 

windows to be  replaced -- 30 year old leaky windows and several with cracks/breaks in them

crack in chimney -- this is a must before next year

30 year old roof 

missing  flooring in 3 of the rooms

pipes that sweat which means a lot of extra water in the summer

30 year old heatpump that doesn't do much -- windows contributing to this problem 

broken sliding glass door

gutters/downspouts are in disrepair  -- this is a major need

garage doors don't work

repair shed as the doors are missing

 

 

Wants:

interior painting in all parts of house -- especially ceilings

replace trim

those rooms that have flooring need to be redone

replace closet doors and install closet doors where needed

improve lighting 

remove paneling downstairs and replace with anything better

remove/replace shed  

fencing needed to be redone about 5 years ago

curtain/blind repair/replace

driveway -- redo blacktop

replace back deck but I'm almost thinking this is a need and not a want

 

I could go on and on but I think you get the point.

 

 

 

 

[Farrar]

The back needs repointing. And there's some gutter flow issue that needs to be fixed this spring or else. Also, the only rear window we didn't replace seems like it's not going to make it. The support beam underneath is all messed up.

 

Dh doesn't see this stuff. Like, if I point it out, he gets it, but it's not on his mental priorities for money list, which is no good.

[Scarlett]

Ok, I will play....

 

We need

5 new exterior doors.

A small balcony built outside one of those doors upstairs. Used to be a window.

5 new windows

New siding

New kitchen (got job)

2 new bathrooms (gut jobs)

7 interior doors.

All base molding

Interior doors and molding painted.

And if we hit the jack pot I would like new flooring...we have stained our concrete and I can live with it...but would prefer some wood flooring and tile.

 

Good news is the house is paid for.

 

Probably would be easier to say what we have done so far.

 

New roof

Popcorn ceilings stripped off and retextured

Al walls painted

Walls knocked down to create open concept

Fireplace made operational

New exterior handles and locks on exterior doors

Pool painted

Master shower ripped out and new flat entry tile shower half completed.

Lots of electrical work done. ....more to do....

 

It is an ongoing process.

[MomtoCandJ]

What needs to be done....

- a few trees need to cut down by pros due to their location (one hangs over the house, other two are near power lines)

- new windows (we live in a mobile home)

- new back door

- wire for over head lighting in living room

- put more gravel in drive way

What we want done

- paint rooms (all are white but ours but even that needs to be finished)

- new back steps/ porch

- new flooring (right now nothing matches)

- redo kitchen (will include dishwasher)

- addition for dd2's room

- garage

[Wheres Toto]

Our whole house needs to be torn down and rebuilt.  Seriously.

 

Most urgent:

overhead light in girls' room doesn't work

hole in laundry room that is apparently allowing a chipmunk in and out of the house (and maybe all the other openings around pipes and vents)

septic system doesn't work well even newly cleaned out

new overhead fan needed in living room

faucet in bathroom leaks

 

Really really needed:

new siding

new boards under siding

new insulation

every room needs painting

new carpeting everywhere

 

What's going to actually get done?  Dh will probably fix the bathroom faucet pretty soon and do something to get rid of the chipmunk.

[Crimson Wife]

We have replaced the roof and the HVAC system since we bought in '09 but we still need to replace the windows with energy-efficient ones. The current ones leach heat in the winter and let in heat in the summer so we think it would likely be a smart investment. But we're not willing to finance the upfront cost so we're holding off on the project until we have the savings to pay for it.

 

Would love to install solar panels but DH crunched the numbers and it doesn't make financial sense unless the cost-benefit ratio changes (cost of solar coming down or the price of electricity going up or a combo).

 

Our kitchen has those ugly square panel fluorescent lights that I would love to replace with track lighting but as that's purely cosmetic it's sadly way down on the priority list.

[DawnM]

What is a man door?

 

We bought a new build a year ago, so luckily our list isn't huge. My husband is extremely handy, but doesn't have a lot of time. He recently cut a man door in our garage, but needs to paint the outside to match the house. Our biggie is our backyard needs to be done. It's nice and full of DIRT. Our grout needs a good grout doctor, too.

 

[Ripley]

I need to patch, paint, and either stain or lay down some kind of rubber flooring - all in the garage. It's way to dang cold, that's waiting until Spring.

 

Yesterday I installed a new lighting fixture, so today I need to patch the drywall hole left from the old fixture. I was going to wait until next week, but it's driving me crazy to see it there ... with the former owner's icky ugly wallpaper taunting me every time I glance that direction ... today I patch, tomorrow I'll do the cover-up paint.

 

Also, there's a 20' fabric wall one of the bedrooms.  I need to remove that bad boy, and fix anything it's hiding :/ - that's on my January list of to-dos.

 

We moved in this summer, and are tackling one big project a month. December was replacing 80% of the lighting fixtures, and boy I'm glad to be done with that!

 

 

[G5052]

Flooring is our #1 priority.  The 15 y.o. carpet is looking pretty bad, and is actually worn through in some areas.  Don't know when we'll get to that.

 

The rest of the house is OK, but we have one bathroom that needs new tile, and my countertops are pitted.  Those can wait though.

[rebbyribs]

What is a man door?

 

It's a regular door (as opposed to the big garage door.)  It can be used by women  and children too.  :-)

[Scarlett]

Ok, I will play....

 

We need

5 new exterior doors.

A small balcony built outside one of those doors upstairs. Used to be a window.

5 new windows

New siding

New kitchen (got job)

2 new bathrooms (gut jobs)

7 interior doors.

All base molding

Interior doors and molding painted.

And if we hit the jack pot I would like new flooring...we have stained our concrete and I can live with it...but would prefer some wood flooring and tile.

 

Good news is the house is paid for.

 

Probably would be easier to say what we have done so far.

 

New roof

Popcorn ceilings stripped off and retextured

Al walls painted

Walls knocked down to create open concept

Fireplace made operational

New exterior handles and locks on exterior doors

Pool painted

Master shower ripped out and new flat entry tile shower half completed.

Lots of electrical work done. ....more to do....

 

It is an ongoing process.

Edited to add---we also torn out all vinyl and carpet and tile and stained the concrete floors. That was done AFTER we moved in wich was a nightmare.

 

Also to be done is all new lighting. And we need a fencing to repair back fence that fell down from rot.

 

Oh and we need to get a termite policy.

 

This house was a repo/ bank owned. Everything was stripped out of it by previous owner. Fireplace pipe, mantle, front deck, poor fencing, bathroom mirrors, all light down to bare wires....crazy.

[TrixieB]

Really need:

 

replace kitchen faucet before it bursts -- I will have to go shopping after Christmas, and I hope it's easy to install the new one.  The last time I did this project was 20 years ago and a couple of homes ago, and that faucet's bolts were corroded and had to be hacksawed off.  Ugh.

 

Really want, that I can do myself:

 

re-glue the vinyl flooring that is coming loose in the bathrooms

re-glue the backsplash laminate that is coming loose in the kitchens and bathrooms

re-caulk around the tub

re-coat the deck surface

repainting various rooms

 

Really want, but costs more $$ and I can't do the project myself:

 

new carpet to replace the current carpet that is worn through to the backing

replace windows with leaky seals

 

Hope it doesn't have to be done this year:

 

new roof

 

[Melinda S in TX]

Fix shower head in master bath, spraying on wall but I draped a washcloth over it to catch the spray

Fix shower in small bath, spraying on wall and fixed with washcloth draped over it

Run dryer vent from under trailer to outside skirting, skirting crew didn't do it

Fix cabinet door in kitchen that just pulled apart in dd hand when she opened it

Install shelves in pantry

Install shelves in linen closet

Install shelves in master closet

Install shelves in guest bedroom

Install shelves in dh's office

Install cabinets above washer

Install hooks in utility for coats and hats

Install hooks in master closet

Change out water heater (what crazy person puts a 25 gallon water heater in a four bedroom house?)

Move dishwasher water supply line from hot water to cold water

Run phone line and computer line to dh's office

Run lines for printer and computers to router

Dead tree to cut down, but first I have to get dh's amateur radio antenna untangled from it

Put in anchor posts and tposts, put in gate, run 375' barb wire so cows will stay out of my front yard

Put board in bottom of small trailer, take and get welded so board will stay in

Take stock trailer to shop and get weld broken, replace flooring, get rewelded, get new tires on it (had blowout last time we used it)

Get gutters installed so yard doesn't flood every time it rains

Finish moving all of our things from our cabin to our new home (from backyard to frontyard)

Tear down living room, hall, and kitchen of cabin

Install outside door on remaining part of cabin and turn it into a workshop

Get roadbase for the driveway, just got some, but need more

 

 

Not as important, but still would be nice sometime:

Install ceiling fans in four rooms

Install new light fixture in dining room, one bulb doesn't cut it

Roof on back deck since it is the main entrance right now, not fun standing under the eave and unlocking the door in the rain

Build steps for front, we can use the back

 

Before dh got brain cancer, he would do all these projects when he got around to it.  Now he can't do anything, so the children and I are having to learn how to do things.  The only jobs that will be hired out are the gutters and driveway.  We are living in a new doublewide, but the did things crazy like putting in a 25 gallon water heater and putting one bulb in the middle of the master bedroom.  I didn't expect it to be so much work on a new home.

[Wilma]

Our most pressing issue is a hole in the drywall in a kid room. We had a tree come through the siding/wall/window, and have already fixed up the siding and the window, but the drywall issue remains.

[lanabug]

We're in the midst of remodeling my grandmother's house, which we are buying.  Most of the work is cosmetic, but it's still expensive and daunting to think of what we still have left to do!

 

- Replace blinds in all rooms

- Install 2 new toilets

- Install all new light fixtures/ceiling fans throughout the house

- Install new towel racks and toilet paper holders

- Rehang bathroom mirrors

- Replace all lightswitch and outlet covers

- Replace wall oven and cooktop

- Install new range hood, which involves cutting through the cabinetry into the attic for venting

- Replace kitchen counters and backsplash

- Possibly replace kitchen sink and faucet

- Replace bathroom counters/sinks/faucets

- Replace old cabinet hardware

- Fix cabinets that won't close completely

- Paint sunroom

- Have chimney inspected

- Restain several interior doors

- Check heater in sunroom for safety

- Repair loose rocks around pond in the backyard

- Have trees trimmed that we are keeping

- Remove several trees that are too close to fence or other trees

- Paint exterior of house

- Paint shed in backyard

- Haul in dirt to cover tree roots and reseed with shade grass

- Tear out random concrete slabs in backyard

- Replace 2 fence posts and panels

- Remove wiring for invisible dog fence (stapled all the way around the fence in the backyard)

- Tear out shrubs that are dead and/or overgrown

- Re-level the brick paver patio and remove old tree roots

- Run cables for internet into office and schoolroom

- Run surround sound wiring in living room

- Have carpets professionally cleaned

- Clean EVERYTHING!  Drywall dust and sawdust is everywhere, not to mention just basic move-in cleaning.

 

Whew!  I'm tired just thinking about all this, and I'm sure there's more I've forgotten!

Lana

[chicagoshannon]

My DH is not handy so all of this needs to be farmed out.

 

Need:

New fixture in kitchen (glass dome cover fell and broke) and dining room

New drywall around the top of the shower in master bath

 

Want:

New light fixtures in both upstairs baths (get rid of the glamour lighting)

French Doors put on our den to close it to the entryway

Put handles on the kitchen cabinets (been waiting for this since we built the house over 9years ago)

Finish the basement- half of it will remain storage the other half will split into 2 rooms (play room and craft or school room) plus install a full bath.

Fence the yard ( this will probably never happen)

[jenangelcat]

What doesn't need to be done?  Our second floor minus my bedroom needs to be gutted and redone, the kitchen and bathroom need gutting and redoing,  The siding and roof are a mess and need replacing.  Everywhere needs new insulation.  The entire 4 acres needs some kind of landscaping, animal fencing moved around and general maintenence.  Oh and the barn needs replacing before it tips over.  

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

LOL.  No really, ROTFLMAO.

 

Our house was built in 1925, then sold in 1957 to a young family, and the husband promptly dropped dead.   Nothing was done to it over the subsequent decades.  Here's the list I can think of:

 

Replace all wiring and plumping

Replace 25 of 27 windows (already did two)

Strip lead paint from exterior (did one side 7 years ago, before HSing -- you can still see the line where the color changes)

Rip interior walls down to studs, as early drywall prototype sheets are buckling.  Might as well insulate then, too.

New kitchen, expand into back porch and butler's pantry

Half bath on main floor

Finish basement

I re-framed the garage roof 7 years ago, but never stripped the siding, but now I'd like a bigger garage, so???

Repave driveway

New furnace?  Maybe not if I insulate

Refinish all the original chestnut trim, which, while not painted, is full of holes and gouges

 

That's all I can think of at the moment, but I'm sure there's more.  Can I just arrange for those TV guys to come and send us to Disney while they do it in a weekend?

 

[Annie G]

Our house was built in 1880. The 'needs' list will never be completed- new items are added monthly. This past week we bought two new furnaces and three locks for doors.  The list never ends....but I love this house. 

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

Basement needs tuck pointed

Siding needs replaced

Front porch needs replaced.

Need insulation added

Electric needs rewired

Interior needs painted

Downstairs bathroom needs redone, except tub it functions fine.

 

 

The list goes on, the house is 130+ years old. It never ends....

 

[skimomma]

130+ yo house here.  The list just makes me want to cry.  Most pressing is a new ROOF.

 

Every singe project turns into several.  It is so bad that we hesitate to fix anything.  I have a toilet that needs to be replaced….but I know when we pull it out we will find the floor is rotten….which will lead to some sort of leak from the shower….which will turn into "isn't this supposed to be a load bearing wall?"  Next thing you know, we are tearing the whole house apart.  So, I am just going to be OK with the toilet:)  That is how we handle most household projects these days.  Head in the sand.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

130+ yo house here.  The list just makes me want to cry.  Most pressing is a new ROOF.

 

Every singe project turns into several.  It is so bad that we hesitate to fix anything.  I have a toilet that needs to be replaced….but I know when we pull it out we will find the floor is rotten….which will lead to some sort of leak from the shower….which will turn into "isn't this supposed to be a load bearing wall?"  Next thing you know, we are tearing the whole house apart.  So, I am just going to be OK with the toilet:)  That is how we handle most household projects these days.  Head in the sand.

 

This is how we handle most projects here as well...

[Jean in Newcastle]

 

 

 

That's all I can think of at the moment, but I'm sure there's more.  Can I just arrange for those TV guys to come and send us to Disney while they do it in a weekend?

I would love that EXCEPT that they always do the kid's bedrooms so over-the-top.  My needs are simple but expensive and I'd like them done in a weekend, please.

[Erica in OR]

The list here is massive. DH has been working on repairing and upgrading the property since we bought it 8 years ago. He can do the work, but it's a question of time. He gets one day off a week and if it's always spent working on the house, where's the relaxation, KWIM? He's nearly finished with a project that we've all been helping with the manual labor. It literally took six years of work (while other projects were completed), but it's so close to being done now!

 

We finally hired out one piece of it—pouring a concrete floor. There are several dads in our homeschool group that run their own small construction businesses. The one we hired was able to give us a good deal and did a great job. Maybe there's someone like that in your area you could connect to?

 

Erica in OR

[Jean in Newcastle]

We need a new kitchen.  Basically everything in there needs to be gutted and replaced - ceiling, floor, cabinets, stove/oven (which only half works anyway).  

 

We need to replace the very old and very stained carpet throughout the house.  

 

We need landscaping help in the front yard especially but the back yard too.

 

And we need a professional organizing TEAM.  

[SKL]

A lot!

 

• Replace the windows with the broken seals, which we haven't been able to see through for years.
• Service the furnace.  (But in order to do this, we need to clean out that area of the basement so they can find the furnace.)
• Move the stuff from the shed to the garage.  (It's in the shed because they moved it from the garage to there when they redid the inside of the garage.  Now nobody can even get into the shed.  The shed that I had worked so hard to clean out.  Sigh.)
• Find how the mice are getting in and block them.  (Hey, at least the skunks and raccoons seem to have stopped coming in.)
• Find all sources of water damage and fix them.
• Replace water-damaged floors, which is basically every linoleum floor in the house.
• Replace the rugs.
• Replace the front door.
• Paint.
• Replace curtains.
• Build expansion so the kids don't have to share a tiny room when they are teens.

The other people who live here think we need more than this done.  However, I have said we have to first do everything that is a real need, and then the things we can all agree on, and last we can talk about the things we don't agree on....

 

[MBM]

My current project is scraping dreary yellow latex paint off of some ductwork in the basement laundry room so that I can paint it. I'm about one-half way through. I also have to tidy up the joists, lightly sand them, remove nails sticking out of the ceiling using my handy-dandy oscillating tool and dh has to rerun some of the wiring. The walls and doors will get painted, too.

 

When that is done, dh and I plan to finish framing out two walls, install a few IKEA cabinets and countertops and then install some dimmable overhead LED lights and under cabinet lights. We are hiring an electrician to install a bigger electrical box. My husband probably could do it if he really needed to but he'd rather not.

 

I just recently finished tiling the floor down there which has inspired me to finish everything else. It's coming along slowly but I love doing remodeling projects.

 

So far, we have redone almost everything in our house including gutting the kitchen and bathroom, installing new windows, exterior/interior doors, installing all molding, tiling floors, putting in an automated lighting and alarm system, insulating walls and attic better… a lot of stuff. When the youngest leaves in two years, we plan to frame out the rest of our basement and turn it into more livable space. We can't put in drop ceilings, though, because they'd be too low which is why I'm sanding and painting.

 

I love it when things start getting done. That's my favorite part. :)

[sbgrace]

Well, we always had a list in our old house. When we moved to this one, I was determined to avoid that. It took us a full year after move in and we did hire some out, but got the inside entirely done. I'm so pleased with it. We bought it as a repossession/sheriff sale, so it needed a lot.  I avoided even thinking of the outside. But it still needs:

1. a new shed

2. a new deck, the old is getting unsafe

3. The roof is 22 years old. No leaks, but it's just a matter of time and makes me incredibly nervous

4. painting outside

5. I have some more landscaping to finish

6. The lawn is horrible, but that will probably never be on the actual fixing list for us

 

We've got a savings account we're building for the roof. I don't think we can afford the deck for a long while. I'm going to try to just paint the shed this spring so it looks a bit better, because I know that's not financially feasible now either. We'll be able to finish the landscaping. I got some great deals (like $1 shrubs) at the end of this season that I can plant when it warms. I'm excited about that.

[Guest]

It's a regular door (as opposed to the big garage door.) It can be used by women and children too. :-)

Yes it's just a regular door that goes out the side of the garage. Our builder called it a man door I don't know if there are other names for it. We weren't willing to pay the builder to do it.

[DawnM]

Oh, I thought it lead to some secret man cave.

 

It's a regular door (as opposed to the big garage door.)  It can be used by women  and children too.  :-)

 

[DawnM]

Oh, and also at Home Depot today we remembered that the boys' two bathrooms upstairs needed new toilet seats.    We bought three (one for downstairs too) and wrapped them for the boys to open tomorrow!   :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

[happypamama]

A lot needs to be done. My house was built in about 1830 or so and "remuddled" over the years by people who didn't know what they were doing. Structurally, it's sound, and the roof and septic are good, and it's a good size on a nice lot in a great area surrounded by nice people and beautiful countryside, but it could use a fair amount of cosmetic work.

 

Don't feel too badly about the stuff you have to pay for to have done. My husband IS a professional carpenter, specifically in historic buildings; most of what this house needs is no sweat at all for him. (For instance, he looked at the front of the two interior staircases when repairing a step, and said, "Huh. This staircase isn't actually original to the house -- want it taken out? I'll draw up a plan and estimate for how to do that. No problem.") But do we have it done? No. It one, still costs money, and two, he's crazy busy at work. Shoemakers kids go barefoot and all of that. (But I do know that when he does get it done, it will be amazing, so I am patient.)

[Rosie_0801]

If someone puts a door back on the bathroom before winter, I'll be happy. Two doors and I'll think all my Christmases have come at once. I think the door I had was turned into a new toilet floor or I'd put it back myself.