Sat 28th July
-painted all the rendered bits around the BBQ
-stained the seats and picnic table top
-re-oiled the cubby
-moved some hedge plants in the backyard to be next to the deck
-painted the wall the clothesline is mounted on
-inspected 3 houses in the area. All of them increased our confidence that our end sale price is quite acheivable.Mon 30th July
-put some new Merbau on the sides of the BBQ
-painted the steel frame of the BBQ with black spray paintHopefully I will get some more photos tomorrow. I have just been waiting till I get a section completed. BBQ end of the backyard should be nearly complete by tomorrow, and maybe the other end of yard as well. See how the weather goes.
Teus 31st July
-got a bank check and gave it to soliciotors for stamp duty etc. Settlement tomorrow. Excitement.
-bought some sand and topsoil for the backyard
-mixed up some homemade fence stain and stained the fence behind the BBQ
-started some paving under the clothesline
-bought a bunch of flowers for the vendor to say thanks for letting us start earlyForgot to take the camera, so have to wait for photos sorry.
Wed 1st Aug
-Settlement happened! At last. Got keys, we can start inside and get on with it.
-Also picked up a "For Sale" sign from printers and installed it front yard. Took down agents sign.
-ordered floating floor boards and paid depositTook a couple more photos of the backyard progress. They are up on the web now here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9273576@N06/?saved=1congrats, know the feeling
re floating floor…….
DONT cut any corners. floor MUST be flat. if its concrete, use a plastic liner. architraves / skirting must be removed and replaced after flor is laid. when finished, coat the floor with 2 coats of polyeurethane, using a large (not cheap one) brush. dont use a roller or lambswool. if you dont do this, a DROP of water can make the floor bulge / warp. sealing it also makes it stronger, longer lasting and look less fake.
my cat threw up on the boards and even though I cleaned it up immediately, it bulged. also, had a cold drink sitting on the boards and there was a bit of condensation, bulge bulge bulge. grrrr. water can also come up from underneath. also recommend the foam lining for sound absorbsion.
BBQ looks fantastic!
actually the property I just bought has an equally ugly BBQ area, was gonna knock it down…..might copy your idea. could we have a few close-ups? cheers
Thurs 2nd Aug
-finished paving under clothesline
-removed all rubbish from backyard
-dug up area for veggie garden
-leveled out soil ready for grass seed.
Backyard is almost complete now. Just a bit more topsoil, some grass seed, and another coat of paint to some rendered areas.Also had 2 agents come look at the house. Both said that after all the work is done that we are planning, it should fetch $330k or above. This is the range we have been hoping for, but have based all our numbers on lower sales price to make sure are not expecting pie in sky.
One of the agents brought a potential buyer with him (he asked me first), so there is a slim chance we will get an offer "almost as is". The figure the agent was hinting at would give a profit of $20-25k, but if we complete the work we could expect from $25k-$40k. So if we get the offer we then have to decide if we take the money and run, or stick with the original plan.Isn't this a great kind of decision to have to make? I love it!
Hi Crashy
Glad you like the barby. It has come up well. I will take a few more pics tomorrow when it is all complete.
Thanks for tips on floating floor. I have not done much of it before. Planning to use underlay. Using laminate not veneer, so can't really coat with poly. Was also planning to remove and replace skirting.
CheersI was referring to laminate. you can put poly on it, done it before. most buyers now are aware of the water issue with laminate floors and may be put off by them. it is virtually impossible to repair once it happens. all the boards must be taken up, which means architraves & skirtings off…..eek. people often dont think and mop the floors……..YIKES!
thin the poly down with 30% turps for first coat. then full strength on #2. #3 is optional. use satin, never gloss. brush with the grain. touch dry the next day but wont harden for at least a week, so use care with chairs etc. spiked heels can damage during first week. recommend applying in evenings.
Crashy
Thanks for tip. Will look into that.hi,
am new to this site and have loved reading all of this, if you have any time left lol can we see some more pictures please.
Nicole
Fri 3rd Aug
-got a metre of topsoil and put it in vegie garde.
-Spread lawn seed in grassed areas of backyard.
-picked up and signed plans for carport, so now they are sent to get a permit
-looked at another house (What a dump! Just the way I like it!!)
-removed door handles, window coverings, power points, light switches, nails in walls etc. to start prep for paintingMore photos are on web now. http://www.flickr.com/photos/9273576@N06/?saved=1
Sat 4th Aug
Great Day! Had lots of helpers today. About 32 man hours (and woman) went into the house in one day! Got heaps done.
-sanded all eaves, fascia & gutters, pergola rafters, posts and handrails
-sanded all inside walls (still need a bit more after we fill holes etc)
-removed all carpet and lino
-removed timber panelling from living room (it looks bigger already)
-removed fake window shutter things from outside
-loaded all rubbish into trailer
-started filling nail holes etc in plaster
-bought most of the paint and painting supplies that we need.
-inspected 2 more homes in the areaThanks to all the helpers!!!
Are you planning on painting the front fence? It seems to be the last obviously ugly bit in the front yard. Since you've got the for sale sign up already it might pay to fix up that fence earlier than later if you're doing it at all.
the house looks great i agree with Else the fence painted would complete the look how long have you been working on the house for now?
Hi Else and pinknic20
Thanks for opinion on fence.
Does everyone think it would look better painted cream like the BBQ (remember the front wall of house will be rendered cream) or stained brown like the fence behind the BBQ?
We started working on Mon July 16. So 3 weeks.Hi again,
I am addicted to your thread personally i think the same as the bbq fence it would create a border as such against the cream house and bring it all together. it looks fantastic we are taking the first steps to buy our first investment property but i have a question for you how do you balance your work load between your job the house and your family? i am all for doing this but my husband is a little resistant he works two jobs and is not sure how he would cope
Hi nicole
Thanks for ideas on the fence. The stain on the BBQ fence is actually a homemade brew, so reasonably cheap. I will probly use it on front fence as well. I just mixed 50/50 linseed oil and turps, then added some brown oxide powder, usually used to color concrete. I can get 8 litres of this mix for about $36. The cheapest ready made stain I could find was about $40 for 4litres.
I have sent you a PM about balancing work and family.i think a contrasting colour would be better. I think you should go with the brown if the house is going to be cream at the front too. If you were leaving it as the natural brick then cream would be good on the fence.
Jase and Flic wrote:The cheapest ready made stain I could find was about $40 for 4litres.not if you go to Bunnings!
when doing a reno, time is equally as valuable as money. buy ready mixed everything!
its a false economy taking shortcuts.
crashy wrote:not if you go to Bunnings!I was at Bunnings. I am there almost every day. It only takes about 3 minutes to mix up stain anyway.
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