Budget renovation for a 1932 bungalow.
We have been working on a small bungalow in our neighborhood for a few months now. It was in rough shape when the owners purchased it and some of the initial work that was done needed to be removed as it was not done correctly.
Every surface was touched on the first floor. Wood floors were refinished, tile flooring was installed in the kitchen and pantry, cabinets and counters were installed, walls and ceilings were painted, furniture was sold and purchased and lighting and blinds were installed. I even whitewashed some exposed brick. All of this work pales in comparison to the amount of trim work that needed to be done.
Trim is one of those things that can completely make or break a remodel but its impact is often underestimated by a homeowner until they see it in place. It is also something that is more costly than people realize for a couple reasons. Trim is expensive, prices have gone up on a lot of building supplies and trim is no exception, and it is labor intensive. It takes a trim carpenter to install, do not cheap out on this!
Here are a few before pictures of this home:
And here is the (almost) finished product: These photos are mostly in the same order as the before photos and excuse the elephant in the room. The ductwork in the living room still needs to be boxed in, but that will be done by my favorite drywall guy who has been on vacation for a couple weeks.
And here is the learning: good craftsmanship takes time, and by that I mean the job takes time and learning the craft takes time. If you hire a handyman to install trim it will look like a handyman installed trim. If you hire a professional who has honed his skill for years then it will make the room sing! Make sure you hire the right person for the job, you will never regret it.
