Foo - Renovating help please

Hi,

Just bought an apartment (one bedroom, top floor on 2nd story at the end of the building so only one neighbour).

Good spot but dodgy apartment condition. Original condition from the 60s when the building was built. Same tenant for 20 years and no work done. I am moving there in 3 weeks time and hope to live in it as I do the repairs/renovations. I have no experience (28 year old office worker). I will pay for professionals for the parts I cannot do myself.

*I own the one next to it which is professionaly renovated nicely

Plan:



Short term: Live in one and rent out the other,

Longterm: Can combine if need extra space (eg start family). Building is planned to have at least 10-20 yr life before land is redeveloped.



(see pictures for potential ideas)







SHORT TERM: need to renovate place to live in it.





So far I have (just a bare minimum):



1) Ceiling: to be fixed by seller



Main rooms

2) Brickwork: would like to keep this if possible (less effort then rendering and painting but would like ideas for how I can make it look nice). Otherwise, perhaps plaster?

3) In built wardrobe for bedroom

4) Flooring: Currently rope like carpet, probably lino main room and carpeted bedroom





Kitchen

5) Sand the cupboards and doors, repaint and resurface where necessary

6) Hide piping

7) New fridge

8) New oven







Bathroom

9) Either bleach the toilet or get a new one. Replace lid with a new white one

10) Replace shower faucet

11) New vanity cabinet (optional)

12) New shower screen (optional)

13) Tiling (optional)







Entrance

14) Sand and paint doorway

15) Add security Door







Potential Decadence

16) Add extra windows on South side of building (brick) ( facing park)

17) Internal heater for bathroom

18) Extra lighting for apartment, eg downlights

http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/b9e3e06ede.jpg





*that would be the view if I put a window in, except it would be over the trees as I took that picture from the ground






http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/d4565e28c8.jpg


http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/009ebd2c4e.jpg


http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/faa00180b3.jpg


http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/edb44f3b0c.jpg


http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/5b15187747.jpg


Would love ideas for what to do or what could be done.

thanks

I'm a contractor and it really depends on how much money you have to spend. From your plan it seems like you're on a tight budget.
Kitchen and bath are the places you really should put the money. The bathroom looks like it should be gutted and re done completely. Same with the kitchen. A kitchen that small won't cost that much. You can find some pretty cheap cabinets and go from there.
Clean the brick up and paint it.
Why lino in the main room? That just screams CHEAP. Either carpet or hardwoods, and not that Pergo crap.
Adding a window threw a brick wall is a huge expense. That money can be better spent elsewhere.
If the bathroom doesn't have heat, you can put an electric heater in there, they're f fairly inexpensive.
If you're planing to stay there for a while, then fix it up right, and fix it up once. Other wise you just be doing constant work and constantly spending money.

Pergo isn't all crap. Plus this a one room apartment hard wood floors aren't going to make the value of it jump up. I think hard wood is nicer but there is some nice pergo as well.

Also shop craigslist, people are selling left over materials all the time, you maybe able find good quality floor for an inexpensive price, I see good cabinets there all the as well.

I agree kitchen and bathroom will cost the most but put you money there. You can pick up unfinished/non-custom cabinets rather cheap. I'm redoing my house and I started out thinking I could just refinish and reuse the stuff that was already there. It turns out it is less work and cheaper if time is a factor just install new rather then refurbish it.

Has the roof been adequately fixed? No point in fixing the ceiling w/o fixing the roof.

Pergo = Sawdust and glue with a picture of wood on top. Pergo is the duct tape of flooring materials.

Has the roof been adequately fixed? No point in fixing the ceiling w/o fixing the roof.

Exactly, waiting on the roof to be fixed (supposedly next month).

Great point, thanks.

Would love to see pictures of everyone's work, or places you guys think are done well

Would love to see pictures of everyone's work, or places you guys think are done well

Our kitchen, done back in 2004 (http://public.fotki.com/trswan1/remodel/)

Our kitchen, done back in 2004 (http://public.fotki.com/trswan1/remodel/)

so good I almost ordered prints ha ha.
How long did that take you? How much did it cost? How much effort/time did you put in?

If I may ask.

Great work you must be very proud

so good I almost ordered prints ha ha.
How long did that take you? How much did it cost? How much effort/time did you put in?

If I may ask.

Great work you must be very proud

Got the cabinets from Home Depot.
Had them do the demolition and install.

Silestone countertops. Also Home Depot.

Had a new gas line run (it was already in the house, just not the kitchen). Added 4 new electrical outlets. Added new light fixtures in ceiling.

Already had fairly new refrigerator and dishwasher.
Bought a dual-fuel range, and a microwave/exhaust vent from Sears.

Took a few weeks from ordering cabinets to delivery.

Kitchen demolition and cabinet install took about 3 days. Used plywood for countertops for several weeks.

So kitchen was unuseable for about 3-4 days.

We did the painting, floors, hung the pot rack.


Total process was about a month.

Cost for everything was around $18k. Incredibly well worth it. Modern kitchen in an old house. Added value to the house too.

Here is pic of my kitchen, I made more progress on it since this pic, but I have a way yet to go to finish. I really only the weekends to work on it.

http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd8/hos13/P1010171.jpg

Here is the ceiling texture I'm going to do.


http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd8/hos13/texture.jpg