My First Reno! Photos, Feedback Please!

Ok, this is going to be my first reno, I thought I'd post them up so people can see my success/mistakes, and hopefully offer their feedback and it can be of use to others doing it for the first time.

My aim to do the reno with $8000 budget with expected budget blow out to $9-$10k, however if I can do it for $8,000 I am a happy munchkin, since this is a fairly low socio economic area, the reno will be really basic and best bang for buck. at this stage, the painting, the cleaning will be done by me, will get a friend to do roof cleaning, and a professional to do the tiles, kitchen installation

Firstly, the really bright photos are not done by me, and make the property look great, when in reality they arent so great!!

Front:

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Todo: Clean roof tiles from Moss/lichen
Trim Bushes
Remove plants in the middle of the front yard and put bark/stones
Revarnish Front Verandah
 
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Kitchen

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Todo: New Ikea/Bunnings Kitchen $1k -$1.2k
replace tiles with 30x30 or 60x30 white budget tiles
Repaint walls/window sill a white colour

Toilet
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todo: paint walls white
Fix hole behind Toilet (a big hole covered by the black material)
Clean or Replace Floor Tiles
 
Laundry
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Todo: Replace floor tiles with 30x30 or 60x30
Put shower block in
Paint walls a white
remove paint from pink painted wall tiles

Living room
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Todo: paint walls
Polish Floorboards (not sure whether its required)
Fix Hole
 
Bathroom
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Todo:
Clean tiles
paint walls a white
replace the small blue tiles
Either Repaint or strip bathtub down (original colour looks like a yellow)

Yard
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Todo: remove all the crap, and get started with the weedkiller to make it a bare backyard

Others
todo: change light fittings/switches

The above list was created by myself and the help of a great property manager whom I have a good relationship with.

So if people could comment on what renos I shouldnt or should be doing to what I have suggested, that would be appreciated.

Ill post up a budget a bit later!!
 
Looks great,wish I was doing it myself :(

I think the kitchen will come up fine with only a new benchtop,

Maybe tile splashback on the laundry tub?

Bobcat loose in the back yard for two hours would make short work of it.

Cant wait to see the finish :D
 
bedrooms
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Todo: Change Door handles, light switches

Study
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Todo: fix crack,
paint walls + sills a white
Leave Door as is
Maybe go under the house right under where that crack above the door and the new plaster and see if the post are still solid or has sunk off the bottom,that is a problem area that needs to be looked at,and as Painter has already said 2-4 hours with a bobcat would level and reset the back and front sections,and next time don't show the re sign you don't want people knowing your business..
 
Maybe change the windows?

do you know how hard/expensive will that be?? I know 1 larger sheet of glass will give it much better and spacious and modern look, which I like

Looks great,wish I was doing it myself :(

I think the kitchen will come up fine with only a new benchtop,

Maybe tile splashback on the laundry tub?

Bobcat loose in the back yard for two hours would make short work of it.

Cant wait to see the finish :D

id rather it not be looking great in the Before photos:D

yes probably will tile splashback in laundry

as for bobcat, that would be good but I didnt even consider that, I was thinking of getting weed killer and killing pretty much everything in the back yard + elbow grease and leaving it bare and neat since chance are, the yard is going to be ignored once a tenant goes in,

and would levelling be required at all in the front or the back? esepcially the front, im trying to get a visual of what it would look like and what benefits have a flat front garden?


P.S any suggestions on determinging whether floorboards need polished, they seem ok, and are a mildly shiny, but dont know if a repolish is required or will make much of a percevied difference,

property manager has suggested to focus on kitchen, toilet and front garden, because tenants usually decide within 10 seconds of seeing the front, hence im thinking of cleaning the roof tiles, varnishing verandah, trimming front hedges, and removing most the plants in the front yard
 
I think it will come up nicely with a lot of paint. I'd paint the bedrooms a shade of white and wouldn't worry about the door handles etc unless there is something wrong with them. I think you should strip back the bath to yellow and have a cute retro bathroom- the yellow bath is great! The kitchen only needs a paint (white again) and a new benchtop. Laundry just paint white & fix shower, no need to change floor tiles.

I think you can improve the street appeal & backyard considerably. Rather than varnish the balustrade I'd be tempted to paint it, along with the stair rails, blue & white to match your guttering & brighten the front (ie blue handrail & posts, white slats). Oil the decking. Pressure clean the driveway, the front of the house & garage. Is the eave lining yellow? Paint that white too.

For the backyard- remove existing plants (ugly), kill weeds, cover with bark & plant natives (tubestock is cheap from http://www.allnatives.com.au if you don't mind small plants). Turf where that greenhouse is. Use river gravel for pathways. Front yard- remove sleepers, make wider path using river gravel to staircase, cover the rest in bark chips & plant it out.

Budget...

Paint- probably 30L low sheen interior, 15L ceiling white, undercoat 15L, gloss enamel 10L, Weathershield 4L x 2, decking oil, around $1000 all up.

Paint stripper $40, Paper tape $5, Gyprock all-purpose compound $50, sandpaper & floats etc $30.

Benchtop- probably around $1000.

Garden- river gravel around $150 per cubic metre. Forest mulch $30 per cubic metre (use double thickness- lots of leaf matter so it breaks down quickly leaving bark chips). Turf around $7 per square metre. Plants- up to you.

I think you can do it for a lot less money than you have budgeted for but the time commitment is fairly large due to all of the painting!
 
Id get rid of the lattice, concrete pavers and plastic out the front for a start. Maybe some decent balustrading around the deck.

As for the floor its radiata and if this is an IP I would just clean it and leave it at that. Looks like its got a coat of some sort on it. If you got to sell the house at some point then maybe refinish the floors then.
 
I would not waste money on a new benchtop. It looks like pre laminate cupboards so will still look/smell old. It's only a short term measure and won't win any points with tenants.
I would leave the door handles if you plan on leaving the handles high. Won't add anything.
I hate the laundry sink. I would look on Ebay for a cheap straight line kitchen and put part of that in (bench type). Sometimes small ones go for very cheap.

The yards are terrible. I don't think weeding will help much. I'd grade the front at least. Anyone with kids would be wary of that backyard.

I don't see value in spending money on an old bathroom. Do it as cheaply as you can because you'll have to do do a complete refit later.
I agree with the property manager. First impressions + kitchen and bathroom sell the place. When we get new tenants in they look at the kitchen and bathroom and say "we'll take it". Money well spent in those areas.

Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
 
a question for the experts out there please,

If Im painting the walls white, with polished timber floor boards, and the floor sills are a original wooden colour, should I leave them brown or should I go all white,

same with the study area, it will be white walls, white tiles with the original wooden floor sills, should I leave them or do them white as well

Just not sure how an completely white room would look or a completely white room with brown sills looks?

Unfortunately, when god was giving out skills/talents, he completely skipped my creative section
 
If you mean the "sills" as being the slight step up or down into a room, at the doorway, then I would keep them the same colour as the floor. Were they polished when the floor was polished, or are they painted brown?
 
Why are you painting the walls white?? which white? There are millions of them. Or do you mean buy white with no tint?

I wouldn't recommend white walls for a rental.

Better to have a neutral colour. I like white trims.
 
If you mean the "sills" as being the slight step up or down into a room, at the doorway, then I would keep them the same colour as the floor. Were they polished when the floor was polished, or are they painted brown?

Why are you painting the walls white?? which white? There are millions of them. Or do you mean buy white with no tint?

I wouldn't recommend white walls for a rental.

Better to have a neutral colour. I like white trims.

Well, I'm no color expert so I asked over 10 people and every single one of them replied white is the best for a cheap ip, the 10 included 2 property managers

The actual colorir I've chosen is antique white USA so it's a Yellowy white color
 
The wall sills(Skirtings) need to go the same color as the other gloss work (Eg: Doors) ,

The biggest problem you will have is with painting this clear/stain because you need to give it a light sand and use an oil based undercoat first.

It is worthwhile doing it as it will finish the job,also the doors and pelmets need to be done,this will highlight the floors even more.

I probably wouldn't go straight white on these walls ,as the coverage would be better using something with a slight color to it.These walls will take some covering,perhaps even three coats so beware of this.

The gloss-work (Doors,skirting s,pelmets and windows would be nice in a white),white will cover because you will be first using an oil undercoat ,then the gloss.

And of course,the ceilings,two coats flat white (Queensland builders white)

Use tape/paper/plastic ,drop-sheets where you need to

Do all ceilings first,completely finish them.

Oil undercoat all the clear,being careful not to get any on the floor

Prepare your walls /plaster ,wash grease etc

Sand everything with 180grit sandpaper on pad,even the gloss-work.

One coat low sheen of wall color on everything even your skirting s and doors,this acts as a second undercoat and the gloss will look so much better when this is done.

Gap up any cracks and finalize the preparation.

Put the final coat on walls,if it doesn't cover,do another,

Put the final coat on the gloss,
 
Hi,

Seems a nice place and will come up a treat.

My 2 cents worth.

Did you get a building pest report? if so what did it say about the crack and the front deck and rail.

Crack
Someone mentioned about checking under the house where that crack is, I would be doing that as one of my first things. If there is a post with a problem fix it. If not then I would cut that section around the crack and check the supports in that area. No point sugar coating by just fill and paint this will just crack again. Need to find out why its cracked.

Steps
The steps look like they are one tread short, what is the riser height should be between 125 and 175 (from memory) evenly spaced. balustrading is also needed on the steps. Riser height is measured from top of one tread to the top of the next tread. The post should not be in the ground as they are, invites termites and rotting of your post.

Deck
I would put in supports under the bottom rail between the posts to stop the sagging in the rails. Paint the rails, balustrading and lattace. Pressure clean the deck and recoat ensure the deck boards are secured down and not loose. The deck posts look like they are also in the ground and not of stirrups. Clean around the base of these so no water lays there. If and when the rot sometime down the track you can replace and claim it back as a repair. If they are in the ground like the step post again is a termite invitation. I would also check how the deck joists have been fitted if you have not had a building report and check the posts are secure (tighten the bolts) as required.

Clean and paint the front exterior wall and around the garage door, repaint the garage door simply for colour change. This I feel would give you the street appeal you are wanting at little cost. I say this as you are doing the roof not that much more to do the walls. Pressure clean the driveway.

The front hedge looks like Westringa which is a good plant, may just need a trim back. As for the other parts of the yard looks like there are blocked garden beds why not leave them and plant them up and gravel the rest spray with "once a year path weeder" under the gravel areas. Clear all the plants away from the deck. Once a year path weeder is better than roundup. Or you could use a salt, vinegar with detergent and spray.

As for the interior all good advise the only thing I would add is tint your undercoat the same colour as your top coat.

The curtains be aware of the new laws re the cords and ensure you comply with this if required in your state. Smoke detectors, did not see any, a safety switch may need to be installed if its a legel requirement in your state.

What is the expected rent for this place?

Brian
 
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