Renovation ideas/suggestions

[eternit]

Hi Guys,

I am looking to renovate a property I recently bought and I would like some suggestions/ideas.

1. In the lounge room (room with the big entertaining unit and wallpaper)

I am going to take the wallpaper off. I have read I can do this with a wallpaper scorer and mixture of water/fabric softener.

I am not sure about how to go about taking the big entertaining unit out without damaging the wall as the unit is stuck to the wall. Any ideas with this would be great.

There is timber flooring underneath the carpets so I will take the carpets off and sand/polish the timber floors.

2. In the dining room there is tiles underneath the carpets so I will take the carpets off.

I am going to have a sliding door instead of the massive window. Any ideas on how to do this and which sliding door to use would be great.

Also I will be painting the whole house inside and outside.

Any more ideas would be great.

Thanks you so much.

 

[DaveM]

Hiya

Mate I saw the photos and can right away see that it will look great once renovated. Its the kind of place I love, most people walk in and say EWWWWWW but underneath is a great house.

Entertaining unit... remove as many screws as you can find and use a hammer to (calmly) knock it out. You can patch the wall anywhere it may have holes. If you have to get violent with it, worst case a couple of hundred to resheet it with new plasterboard (and saves removing the wallpaper).

Kitchen window.. too small for a sliding door. You would have to widen it, whats the construction, brick veneer, clad, fibro? You could do some narrow french doors that open outwards with clear safety glass instead.

Other tips.. replace light fittings and fans with modern ones will look great.

 

[eternit]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the quick reply and suggestions. The construction is brick veneer. I think French Doors is a good idea instead of sliding doors as the cost of getting sliding doors will be a lot more since the extension required and french doors will look good also.

I will be replacing the lighting also.

 

[westminster]

I agree with Dave - french doors for the dining room would be the best solution if you want access to the outside from this room

As to the lounge wall unit - it might just be stuck to the wall paper behind it so that will protect the wall

 

[TMNT]

I agree with Dave - french doors for the dining room would be the best solution if you want access to the outside from this room

As to the lounge wall unit - it might just be stuck to the wall paper behind it so that will protect the wall

looks great, how much do those doors cost on a budget? and I assume its no different to cutting a hole in the wall to install an internal door?

 

[Jane - Hotspace]

Its hard to see the finish and condition of the built-in lounge unit, but is it possible to paint it? If you prep'd it really well and finished it off with a nice high gloss bright white paint this might be an inexpensive way to update the lounge (depending on the value of the house and the 'expectation' of buyers and renters in the suburb). You could replace the cabinet doors with a cleaner (plain) door with magnetic catches perhaps.

If wallpaper is adhered well on to the wall, could you paint over that too (just behind the unit) and then remove wallpaper on the remaining walls?

I realise this wouldn't suit all properties, but remember that if this isn't a high end property, it doesn't need to be perfect.

Something to think about anyway. Hope it helps.

 

[eternit]

Hi Jane,

I think I would prefer to get rid of the entertaining unit. One of the reason is because it currently makes the room look small but once I get rid of it I can see the room will look very good size.

It is a high end property in a very good on a large parcel of land and its a 4 bedroom + ensuite brick veneer house.

Its hard to see the finish and condition of the built-in lounge unit, but is it possible to paint it? If you prep'd it really well and finished it off with a nice high gloss bright white paint this might be an inexpensive way to update the lounge (depending on the value of the house and the 'expectation' of buyers and renters in the suburb). You could replace the cabinet doors with a cleaner (plain) door with magnetic catches perhaps.

If wallpaper is adhered well on to the wall, could you paint over that too (just behind the unit) and then remove wallpaper on the remaining walls?

I realise this wouldn't suit all properties, but remember that if this isn't a high end property, it doesn't need to be perfect.

Something to think about anyway. Hope it helps.

 

[west57]

If the wallpaper is well stuck to the wall, you can hire a steamer from Bunnings which will help you take the wallpaper down in no time!!

 

[eternit]

This property will settle tomorrow and I will start the renovation straight away.

Since this will be my first hands on renovation I will be taking photos throughout and posting it on this thread.

Also I have decided to keep the entertainment unit. Its actually is made out of very good wood and once the wallpaper is off and the room is painted it will look really nice. I will varnish it.

Thanks.

 

[firstmillion]

This property will settle tomorrow and I will start the renovation straight away.

Since this will be my first hands on renovation I will be taking photos throughout and posting it on this thread.

Also I have decided to keep the entertainment unit. Its actually is made out of very good wood and once the wallpaper is off and the room is painted it will look really nice. I will varnish it.

Thanks.

Hi Eternit,

Good luck with the reno and pls share the before and after pics with costs. Try and sell the entertainment unit on Gumtree, might help pay some reno expenses .

 

[westminster]

This property will settle tomorrow and I will start the renovation straight away.

Since this will be my first hands on renovation I will be taking photos throughout and posting it on this thread.

Also I have decided to keep the entertainment unit. Its actually is made out of very good wood and once the wallpaper is off and the room is painted it will look really nice. I will varnish it.

Thanks.

I'm looking forward to the end product - can't wait to see how it goes.

 

[matto_]

Looks like a great project. Would you have any more details to share, location. Purchase price. Budget for Reno. Expected end valuation increase.

All of these items are crucial for your planning.

 

[Sean M]

Looks like a great project !

 

[eternit]

Hi Eternit,

Good luck with the reno and pls share the before and after pics with costs. Try and sell the entertainment unit on Gumtree, might help pay some reno expenses .

Thanks I might consider selling it, depends on how the finished product turns out

 

[eternit]

Looks like a great project. Would you have any more details to share, location. Purchase price. Budget for Reno. Expected end valuation increase.

All of these items are crucial for your planning.

The property is in Rivett, Canberra. Purchase price is $450K and its a 4 bedroom ensuite on 850sqm land. Budget for reno is $5K and expected value at the end is $530K minimum.

 

[eternit]

Looks like a great project !

Thanks mate.

 

[Jacque]

Bright colours are making a comeback. That includes aqua carpet

Seriously though, looks like a time-consuming project without a steamer to assist with wallpaper removal. I'd be repainting the cabinet too, if it's too tricky to remove without damaging or at least retaining the bottom section for TVs etc. Paint will make the biggest difference and you may get lucky on Ebay with some french doors. Happy Renovating!

 

[eternit]

Update on progress plus some photos

I finally got the wallpaper off today, it took forever getting the wallpaper off behind the entertainment unit.

Tonight I will be fixing the gap in the floor, the loose wood on the wall and taking off the adhesive off the timber floor.

Tomorrow I will take off the carpets and vinyl from lounge and dining area and prepare floors for sanding. Also tomorrow I will prepare the walls aswell i.e. sugarsoap, filling and sanding.

By friday morning hopefully I will be ready to sand the floors. I am hoping to get all the floors sanded on friday.

 

[neeko]

Update on progress plus some photos

I finally got the wallpaper off today, it took forever getting the wallpaper off behind the entertainment unit.

Tonight I will be fixing the gap in the floor, the loose wood on the wall and taking off the adhesive off the timber floor.

Tomorrow I will take off the carpets and vinyl from lounge and dining area and prepare floors for sanding. Also tomorrow I will prepare the walls aswell i.e. sugarsoap, filling and sanding.

By friday morning hopefully I will be ready to sand the floors. I am hoping to get all the floors sanded on friday.

Goodluck..

 

[Angel13]

I'm a Canberran too. Rivett is a great area. I grew up in Waramanga.

Just my two cents below if you are renovating to sell (rather than rent):

- I would personally remove the wall unit. Even painted it's still going to be ugly and take up so much space (just my opinion). If I was a buyer I'd be annoyed that I can't even fit my flat screen in the wall unit.

- An ethanol fireplace would add some wow factor. You can pick up a stainless steel 4 burner wall hanging one for under $300 on ebay and it's easy to install yourself. Just remember if you go this way, you'll need to put a section of fibre cement board behind the spot you are hanging. With freshly painted walls it would look fabulous. Trust me, I have one and I love it.

I don't know what you kitchen layout is like but that wall in the kitchen, is it load bearing? Are there any cupboards or appliances on the other side? If not you could maybe knock it out. If you did that it would open up the space so beautifully.

- If you're going to sell it, style the room for open house with some modern furniture. I can see a large rug skimming the newly polished floors, art on the walls, low modern lounge perhaps with a throw and some bright cushions, a modern coffee table with a few neatly stacked books and a tea light candle in a glass votive, perhaps a nice large plant (like a bird of paradise) and a floor lamp.

Good luck and keep the photos coming.