Well, work has commenced at the most recent rental rehab project and we are making progress! The first thing to happen was cleaning the walls so that I could start painting on a clean surface. It is amazing how much dirt settles on the walls over the years. I removed and labeled the trim to be replaced later and we then set to work putting a good primer on the wood paneling to help the paint stick. We chose to paint the walls a pale beige (named yacht beige) instead of white to make the rooms feel cozier. This also helps conceal imperfections that a stark white paint would accentuate. Afterward, the rooms looked so much brighter and bigger!
As you can see from the pictures, we kept the nasty (40+ year old) carpeting down while painting. This makes painting much easier and a little bit more fun by not having to worry about drips. While this was going on, the A/C went out and we ended up having to replace the entire HVAC system, but when rehabbing an old home these kind of repairs should be expected and built into the budget. The good news is that I won’t have to worry about the heating and cooling in this house for another 15+ years. While they replaced the system, they also ran the duct work up to the attic we plan to finish to add an extra bedroom. One more thing crossed off the list!
After the painting was finished, we peeled up the carpeting and were overjoyed to find the hardwood flooring in great condition! The carpet pad was literally disintegrating as we pulled it up which left dust on the floor, but we were happy to see that the 1920’s hardwood was protected for so many years. After getting the old carpet out, the house feels much cleaner and smells much fresher. I even took a chance and pulled up some vinyl in the kitchen and found hardwood there as well! Fingers crossed it looks as nice as the rest of the house when I get all of the vinyl up…
Next projects: Bathroom and kitchen!
Real Estate W/ Kate 