Remodeling my home...advice?

[AUMM]

Buying a 1970's home (currently in escrow), needs some work especially cosmetically but I would like to make the home energy efficient and try to add some cool features without spending TOOOOO much $$

I plan on redoing all flooring, replace windows with dual pane, paint/wallpaper all walls, scrape popcorn ceilings, redoing all bathrooms, new insulation where possible, and will be doing a little room extension.

While I have some walls open i would like to put tv/internet wiring behind the walls, should i place actual cables or lay conduits?

Any suggestions for items to consider, or recommendations for good home technology?

anyone used a Nest thermostat?
http://www.amazon.com/Nest-Learning-...est+thermostat

 

[bfdd]

hardwood flooring.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Bathrooms and kitchens are the priciest. Are you planning on keeping the house or selling it? Number of bedrooms/bathrooms?
Please don't paint everything white. At least look at tans/beige or other light colors.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I bought a 1973 home.

I purchased 30 year warranty hardwood flooring from Bruce. I ordered from a distributor out of state and had it dropshipped to me for $300. I paid no tax. I was able to get 1500 sq feet of flooring for about $4500. I bought a Ramsond flooring nailer from eBay for $150 and ordered all my flooring nails from amazon. (cheaper than Lowes/HD)

I ran a gas line since we had natural gas in the neighborhood and ordered a 3 ton AC unit from American Standard that did duel fuel... It was basically a heat pump with backup heat when the temp gets lower than 40 degrees to keep it efficient. It dropped heating/cooling bills in half.

 

[IronWing]

Buy a toilet that works.

 

[KaOTiK]

lasers

 

[AUMM]

Bathrooms and kitchens are the priciest. Are you planning on keeping the house or selling it? Number of bedrooms/bathrooms?
Please don't paint everything white. At least look at tans/beige or other light colors.

Keeping it, moving in with my wife, no kids just yet....

4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, gonna be pretty much gutting all bathrooms, kitchen cabinets/countertops are already redone...

 

[AUMM]

hardwood flooring.

we're thinking bamboo flooring....

 

[Red Squirrel]

If there's carpet, pull it up, might get lucky and have the nice ~1 inch wide old style hardwood planks. Get it redone by a pro and it will look awesome.

Best pic I could find showing the floor. Mine was already hardwood when I moved in but it looks like there was carpet at one point.

 

[God Mode]

Put a water fountain that serves Hawaiian Punch.

 

[olds]

Watch "Renovation Realities".
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy-renovation-realities-episode/videos/index.html

 

[grohl]

pick a budget and stick to it.

 

[TheSiege]

Crown molding, I paid 150 bucks a room, some guy came and installed it in 2 hours, it was foam, but you would never know. It made a huge difference. And it really helps to cover the painting mistakes made at the joints where the wall and ceiling meet.

 

[DrPizza]

Huge difference in what you can do without spending "TOOOOO Much", depending on whether you do it yourself or if you hire a contractor. You can do at least twice as much for the same amount of money if d-i-y.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Bathroom will give close to the best bang for $$.

Also consider ceiling fans. Add a little value and a lot of comfort.

Closets can be reworked.
If not a full walkin but sliding doors; consider turning onto French door style. Swing out should be $10-15 for hinges, pull handle and mag latch on each door. You can use same doors, but will need to shave the width. Also molding on the top

If you upgrade house more than
30% over neighborhood, you will have problem getting asking price when selling. Anything over 30% is for your self gratification

 

[Greenman]

It's a little late now, but the place to start is testing for lead and asbestos. Either of those will make a substantial difference in what you pay for upgrades.
Check the wiring as well, a lot of houses built in the early 70's had aluminium wiring that requires regular inspection and maintenance.
If your house is located somewhere that has a generally mild climate, stopping air movement can net you almost as much benefit as insulation, at far less cost.

 

[BoomerD]

Huge difference in what you can do without spending "TOOOOO Much", depending on whether you do it yourself or if you hire a contractor. You can do at least twice as much for the same amount of money if d-i-y.

That depends on how many times he has to do it to get it right...or before he finally just calls a contractor...

 

[eits]

get a good contractor... don't go with whoever's cheapest.

 

[jagec]

That depends on how many times he has to do it to get it right...or before he finally just calls a contractor...

Yes, the recommendation to DIY comes with the unspoken clause "If you have the knack for it". People who are all thumbs should hire a professional.

Still, if you're handy and work carefully, a lot of things can be done right the first time, even if you have no prior experience. I did the hardwood floors in my bedrooms and they turned out awesome, actually better than the professionally done hardwood in the rest of the house. What I lacked in experience I made up for by working slow and paying attention to details. I'm sure the professionals were probably 4 times as fast.

 

[wirednuts]

my honest best advice is to run away like its on fire but i dont want to seem negative. so my 2nd best advice is to burn it with fire as soon as the insurance coverage kicks in jk. dont do that.

 

[Papa Hogan]

Make sure you install speaker wire for your surround speakers after you plan where your entertainment center goes. I forgot to do that in my remodel and now I'm gonna have to figure out an alternative to running wires along the floor and walls.

 

[mshan]

http://homes.yahoo.com/news/how-to-negotiate-a-deal-with-a-contractor-01.html

 

[OlafSicky]

Attic insulation

 

[Auric]

Shag carpetting, wood panelling, built-in microwave oven, avacado green appliances and ceramics, bean bag chairs, lava lamps...

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Go slow and don't go trendy. I hate the bowls for sinks trends.

High quality bathroom cabinets are a must. Steel slides on the drawers. Dove tailed hardwood joints, stone counter top with inset sink. Nice faucets - matching mirror & medicine cabinet.