Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with renovate

Is putting a sink in the bedroom too bizarre?

amanda — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:46:53 -0800

Real Estate Filter! I'm thinking of doing a little addition to my house which would add bigger closets, create a bigger master bedroom and add another bathroom. I'm considering one feature which I can't decide whether it would be too weird or not... ...a sink in the master bedroom.

When I lived over in England, all the bedrooms in our house had a sink and vanity in them and I thought it was great. Perfect for families and really handy. I miss that sink! My idea is to create a kickass walk-in double shower and toilet room off the master and put a sink right outside that door, in the master bedroom. I'm trying to keep the addition in line with the house and not take over too much of the yard -- it's a small lot.

I have two questions for anyone who has bought or sold houses in the U.S. -- as a buyer, would this just look totally weird to you? Would it be akin to seeing a toilet in the living room in terms of seeming "not right"? Also, I've got a question out to our last realtor as to how that would look in a listing -- would it have to be listed as a 1.5 bath house? Anyone know?

Water (storage) to wine (storage).

liquado — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 14:45:32 -0800

What is the best way to convert an old, dry cistern into a wine cellar? We're mere days away from owning our first house, which is a beautifully refinished 77-year-old home. The basement has a cistern which is the perfect size for a modest wine cellar (and really wouldn't serve any other functional purpose, to be honest. My somewhat-inexperienced DIY nature says, hey, let's cut a doorway through the cement bricks, install a door, frame and drywall the gap at the top, run some lighting in, and voila!

Then, Ms liquado asked what kind of saw would be needed to cut through the wall...and I started thinking about how I was *really* going to pull it off.

So, constructionally-talented folksies, any advice or ideas?

Solid Wood Countertop?

jalexei — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 08:15:18 -0800

Wood as a kitchen counter top - pros and cons? We're in the process of ordering everything for a kitchen update, and while we were originally considering granite as a counter top, I've been grooving on photos of a solid oak counter top from Ikea - It's also (no surprise) dramatically cheaper. Anyone have experience with wood in the kitchen?

I don't mind oiling it, and we'd still use cutting boards, but I'm wondering about overall durability and water resistance (thinking of the puddles around my sink whenever we're cleaning pots and pans). Are there any issues with germs/bacteria and disinfection that might vary from other surfaces?

The money trap!

five fresh fish — Fri, 23 Jul 2004 11:16:26 -0800

Home renovation: quick road to profits, or a disaster-in-waiting? If you have experience or advice, please come inside.. I've got a lead on an old heritage home. It looks like the frame is in good shape, though the roof looks like it may need replacing (it seems to be saggin). The inside is in pretty lousy condition, with shabby cupboards, shabby finish, shabby flooring, etcetera. The house is large, and appears to have been a two-parter, a substantial addition being added some time after the orginal building. Swimming pool out back looks to be in good shape, though, the yard is a large corner lot, and the neighbourhood is quite and appears to be headed towards revitalization. House cost will be < $140k, recently reno'd home a block away is>$260k.

So I'm thinking that with a year or two of mainly self-done work (I do believe I'll prove to be a competent craftsman) the place could be reselling for around $300k.

My first guesstimate of reno costs gets up $50k-75k. The place will need a roof repairs, new appliances, new counters & cupboards, flooring work, possibily new pipes & wires, all new windows, walls knocked out, etc. I'd have to contract out the roof & cabinets, most other stuff I can do the majority of the gruntwork myself (I've laid tile, laminate floors, done basic wiring, hammered studs, etc.)

So with any luck, this place could turn us a $300-$140-$75 = $85k profit. And IIRC, capital gains on a primary home (ie. we'd have to live in it for a while) are tax-free in Canada.

Could this work? Could I actually make money doing renos? Would I learn enough that I'd save boodles of money when I build my own home after fixing up this one? Would life be a living hell for the time we're doing renos? Should I be running, running away from this idea? Will it pay off nicely?

Of course, none of you can answer those with any sort of guarantees. So I'll take the next best thing: your experiences and thoughts!

Thanks in advance...