Where should I begin?
Question:I'll be moving into an older 3 level house soon that needs alot of improvements. But I dont know where to begin. For starters, the home needs: Central heating & A/C, a new driveway and new outdoor stairs, new basement ceiling, carpet throughout, paint throughout, I want to either remove or paint over the wood paneling in the basement, all new appliances, and a whole lot more.Any suggestions on what to tackle first?
Answers:
Sound like you have your work cut out for you.
My suggestion is to begin with areas that improve the quality of living. What I mean is the have the electrical, plumbing, A/C and weather related items of the house worked on first.
My reasoning is these items make the largest mess. I do mean mess. Once these systems are in place and working properly you have two advantages.
One is you will not have to redo areas you have already worked on and the other advantage is you will be comfortable working on the rest of your house.
You should work on the inside of your house first before tackling the outdoor things because that is where you live and you will get the most "reward" for you efforts.
I will list in priority what you stated in your question.
1. Air Conditioning
2. Paint/Basement Ceiling
3. Carpet
4. Stairs Outdoors (If not in too bad of shape)
5. Driveway
Make sure you use good, and change often, the filters on your A/C unit while you are working on your house.
I would tackle the most difficult, least appealing job first, to get it out of the way.
Then make a list of all you need to do and assign priorities to each task.
Start on your list in order of importance, and above all, make sure you finish one thing before you begin the next! There is nothing more overwhelming than a house full of unfinished projects!
Best of luck!
The floors first. Do any sanding thats needs sanding. Paint last. Anything that would create dust do first-save outside work for next project.
Well your gonna need that ac unless you live wayyyyyyyyyyyyy north. And get those stairs safe...you don't want accidents.
Next, start on the room that you use the most..kitchen?
Then move to other parts of the house that you need for comfort.
The driveway can wait.so can the basement.
I think the heating is a good place to start before it gets cold
Start with structural issues (roof, leaks, heating/ac, water, foundation issues).
Then examine your budget. Determine your priorities. Kitchens & Baths cost the most to redo, but bring the biggest return upon selling.
Hard surface floors are always better than carpet and last much longer. Again, resale value is high.
Paint is cheap and easy. Please do the necessary prep work first and prime. The paint job will be better in the long run. Determine your whole house color scheme before beginning to paint. I like Sherman Williams better than B Moore - and always paint in eggshell not flat because it withstands daily wear much better
More Related Questions & Answers...