I signed papers on a house today!!!
It was a short sale, and it took 5 months to get through the grueling process, but the fiance and I signed papers today on it. It's on the small side and needs some work, but the yard is big, it has a garage (YES!!! Never had my own garage before!) and a large shed. Since I'm a cheapskate (obviously, I'm on here 
) I'll be approaching all the projects with being cheap in mind.
I'm pumped to finally have my own place, but I have a lot to learn about home ownership, so I figured I'd start a thread about cheap "house mods" that are cool and effective. Right now, just like when you drag home that fresh junkyard jewel, I'm cleaning it up and getting all the former owner's crap out that they left in there to see what I have to work with. I'll post some pics when it's kinda presentable. 
You should probably post pics as-is. That way, we'd be able to come up with some awesome ideas for the "garbage" that has been left behind.
Now houses are awesome. Kitchens, Master bed and bath, and day-to-day usage are what you should focus on. If you're not using a room right now, no reason to spend $1000 to really make it nice. That thousand can go to a significant portion of a kitchen remodel.
congrats! its awesome to have your own castle, its also allot of work but well worth it. here are some tips:
rule #1: the " To Do " list never actually ends, half of it recycles itself on a regular basis.
rule #2: home efficiency should always be a top priority. Insulation, HE appliances, etc. youd be amazed at how much the monthly utility bills can drop if you pay attention to these things.
rule #3 : home salvage / surplus resellers are your friends. why pay a grand for new tile for the kitchen, when you can get it for $100 at the nearest Habitat for humanity "re-store?"
rule #4: dont call the service people in unless it really is an urgent emergency. otherwise you may end up paying $250.00 for a $5 switch and 20 minutes of conversation (dont ask me how i know)
rule #5: briggs & stratton or honda, if the gas powered yard tool has any other engine, its probably crap.
Congratulations! There is nothing like walking through your own house and yard. Pictures are supposed to be before and after, not just after. 
Don't put off the little things like caulking and paint. They can turn into major projects in a hurry. Ask me how I know.
Do all your own work even if you don't know how. It will save you major money.
As stated earlier Habitat For Humanity is your friend. Also look for a building salvage place. They can be a life saver when looking for that odd piece of siding or a period fixture.
+1 on Honda and Briggs.
A house is a lot like a project car. You are never really finished, just between phases.
Now I have to go change a couple of light fixtures...
Congrats on the end of free time as you knew it. And just in time to learn that Jimmy Carter was right about one thing. Put on a sweater and don't touch the damn thermostat.
Derick Freese wrote:
Now houses are awesome. Kitchens, Master bed and bath, and day-to-day usage are what you should focus on. If you're not using a room right now, no reason to spend $1000 to really make it nice. That thousand can go to a significant portion of a kitchen remodel.
+1 on this. We had a couple rooms, including the formal LR/DR, that remained unfurnished and unused when we moved into our house and started the long process of beating the '70s out of the paint, flooring, lighting, and trimwork. (As a side bonus, going into those rooms during these couple of years was like time-traveling back to my friends' parents' homes, only with less furniture.)
That said, just as with cars, it's best to have a master plan in mind before you tackle a single mod. Make sure everything's where you want it to be--not just walls, but also windows and doors--before you pretty/fix any of it up.
And don't be afraid to scavenge and salvage parts for your house. My master br vanity is a repurposed dining room buffet from the used furniture store (looks like a $2000 "custom" piece); our garage cabinets are tearouts from a kitchen remodeler; and two bathrooms are tiled with nice porcelain we found at yard sales (people often have leftovers when they tile big areas, and we always asked when we went to a sale. Twice they did, and both times it was a nice, neutral beige.).
Margie
Keep an eye open on CL as well. I just picked up a brand new never installed whirlpool tub for $100. It's amazing how many people buy stuff and never get around to installing it.
I figure I should bump this one up since I've been going nuts on the house all weekend. 
Some things I'm learning so far:
-Power washers are not just for greasy car parts
-My cheap fridge makes sounds that sometimes sound like a sport bike, and sometimes like a moaning whale
-Amateur crackhead drunkard electricians should be arrested (Darwin needs to catch up to this guy)
-Having a garage is sweet!!!
-Old houses are slanty and have strange angles inside sometimes
-The Walmart near my house is a 24-hr superstore, and they sell everything
-Painting windows shut should also be a crime
Yep... Being a home owner is interesting.
SilverFleet wrote:
-My cheap fridge makes sounds that sometimes sound like a sport bike, and sometimes like a moaning whale
The sounds this sentence has caused in my head will keep me smiling all day.
yep - owning your first place is a trip!!! I know it sounds gimmicky, but if you are going to be a hardcore DIY home improvement guy, start watching HGTV and DIY-Network on tv - you will learn a lot...seriously.
Also, buy those books at the hardware store for each major job you undertake - I laid hundreds of square feet of tile in our kitchen (floor and backsplash), Dining room (floor) and both bathrooms (floors, backsplashes and even an entire shower including a decorative mosaic inlay and border), installed Crown Molding, new cabinetry, toilets, lighting/ceiling fans, decking, and some minor wall adjustments. Luckily Ive done construction framing and roofing in the past, so Im am quasi-familiar with a bit of handyman work, but those books were immensely helpful everywhere else - I particularly like the Stanley brand books - of which I have 3
while the work can be hard, costly, and frustrating, the upside is typically in the first few years, every job requires a specialty tool - miter saw for the crown molding, circular saw for framing, pneumatic nailer for trimwork or a new roof, the essential compressor for said nailer, gotta have a high powered good quality drill to mix mortar, you cant list all the tasks youll need a good angle grinder or laser level for, not to mention all the random handtools needed...the list goes on and on. Before long you have a respectable set of tools to fill that garage. My rule was always if we start a new project, I get a new tool
SilverFleet wrote:
Some things I'm learning so far:
-Amateur crackhead drunkard electricians should be arrested (Darwin needs to catch up to this guy)
-Having a garage is sweet!!! use this newfound wisdom well...we'll be watching.
-Old houses are slanty and have strange angles inside sometimes
-The Walmart near my house is a 24-hr superstore, and they sell everything except sanity...
-Painting windows shut should also be a crime
Yep... Being a home owner is interesting.
Darwin and drunkard crackhead amateur electricians are great friends!! They know just enough about electricity to get themselves dead, usually. Just hope and pray it doesn't happen when your kids are watching. It can be really ugly when Darwin finally has his way.
On the painting shut of windows...a boxcutter is a great tool to have in your box. Soooo many uses!
+1 on the effiiciency recommendation. Good time to put in high efficiency windows. You can do them yourself. We had some installed after saying we would never spend any more money on our current house. Well worth the cost.
If the house has a crawlspace on into it and look up. Problems show up in the crawlspace long before you will ever recognize them from above. A problem is much easier and cheaper to fix early than it is later.
Water is the devil to structures. Try to keep yours dry.
spitfirebill wrote:
Water is the devil to structures. Try to keep yours dry.
As a former flood victim (plumbing flood, not mother nature) I can sincerely attest to this.
number one thing we installed on probably day 3 was a battery backup on our sump pump!
I've been using a putty knife on the windows. It works pretty good, and they all open now. Some are missing screens, and some were missing locks. The upper parts of most of these old windows are down too far, and I can't get them to go up where they are supposed to be. What a PITA!!!
The house has a partial basement. It does get water, but there is a sump pump and it works. When we first saw the house, there was some water down there because the Northeast had a period of rain that lasted 2 weeks and dumped record amounts of rain. But even at it's worst, everything that was important seemed to stay dry. that battery backup does sound like a good idea. I also have an old generator that my dad said I can have if I get it running.
Speaking of small engined things...
I have a bunch of yard stuff that I need to whip into shape. I have a weed trimmer and a HUGE old-school 1984 vintage Toro 826 (I think) snow blower that I picked up for free. The weed trimmer just needs the line untangled and to be fired up. It's practically new. The snow blower needs the auger drive shifter rod welded back to where it's supposed to be. It snapped, and the people tossed it. It should be an easy fix. I also need to ressurect the 8hp Briggs on it. It probably hasn't run in like 5 years.
SVreX
SuperDork
9/21/10 12:22 p.m.
SilverFleet wrote:
I've been using a putty knife on the windows. It works pretty good, and they all open now. Some are missing screens, and some were missing locks. The upper parts of most of these old windows are down too far, and I can't get them to go up where they are supposed to be. What a PITA!!!
Boy, you sure screwed up...
...If you hadn't taken the putty knife to the darned things, you wouldn't need the locks! They were secured just fine when they were painted in place!! 
Congrats on your new cave!
Another vote for Habitat. We found a complete kitchen setup there that was a little tired, but it turned the laundry room from a cave to a really nice room. Huge improvement, and all it cost was about $300 plus a weekend of screwing the cabinets to the walls and figuring out how to fit it all in there.
A gallon of paint will also make a huge difference to a room. White walls are inoffensive, but the bang-for-the-buck change with a well-chosen color or two can't be beat.
Wire 220v into the garage. Not that hard to do and that opens you up to real air compressors and welders instead of the toy ones.
I'm Canadian, so you know I'm going to vote for increased insulation. I think we'd changed every door in our house (including the garage doors) by the time we'd been there for a year. The house is more comfortable and costs less to heat.
Say goodbye to a big chunk of your spare time!
That said, I've owned my own home since 1995, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
JFX001
SuperDork
9/21/10 1:21 p.m.
Check craigslist for shovels/rakes/hoes/pruners/clippers/yard equipment.
Good luck.
When you're doing Allan Block, especially the 77lb jobbies, pace yourself. I've been in physio since last October because of my project last summer.
G.H.S. = http://community.familyhandyman.com/f/default.aspx
