Show us some messy stuff!

Story #4

I know. I said that we’re completely remodeling our first home. Then, I spent the first 3 stories telling you about us, our house, and our plans. Are you eager to see pictures of us tearing apart the house? I know, the messy stuff is exciting and there will be plenty of it during this project.

We’re eager to dig into the renovations, too. So, on our second day of homeownership, we began pulling down the paneling and storage cabinets in the basement. This was a great place to start our demolition because it didn’t involve any components that are structural, electrical, or plumbing. Plus, we could see a big difference after 1 day of work. It was very satisfying to reveal the raw concrete walls and start filling the 30-yard dumpster with that outdated paneling and other trash from the basement.

The previous owners built these functional cabinets and workbench but we removed them on our second day. We plan to gut this basement to the foundation walls, so we can rebuild it as a cozy living space.

With dated paneling, exposed ceiling, and raw cement floors, this unfinished basement was the "diamond in the rough" we were looking for. We'll add instant value to our first house by renovating it. (On the plus side, those cabinets provided functional storage.)

We could hardly wait to take down the ugly paneling! This is the first picture that Mim got, after Josh had already removed 3 sides of the archway and 1 whole wall of paneling.

We'll replace these cabinets in the basement with a 100-square-foot storage room.

Mim used this shelf while removing all the shelves around it.

Finally! The cabinets, shelves, paneling, and moisture vapor barrier are all removed to expose the raw foundation walls. The dark spot under that window is a properly completed concrete patch -- and future spot of an egress window to create 1 of 2 legal bedrooms in the basement.

Josh pulled down the paneling, moisture vapor barrier paper, and old lumber.

All the paneling has been pulled off the walls and side of the stairs.

Big ole pile of trash -- paneling, moisture vapor barrier paper, and lumber from the basement walls!

THINGS WE’VE LEARNED

The home inspector (who we’ll talk about in the next 2 stories) didn’t find any signs of water penetration or shifting of the foundation, but he can only examine the house “as-is,” not see behind the walls. By removing all of the paneling, we could check the entire foundation to confirm that it was sound. Luckily, there weren’t any surprises hiding behind that paneling! Even the one spot of darker concrete that we discovered under a window is a properly completed concrete patch. Before we frame and drywall the new walls, we’ll take pictures to assure future owners that there aren’t any foundation issues.

← What Happens on the First Day? Before You Buy It, Give That House a Check-Up →

OTHER STORIES

Revealing Hidden Costs of Remodeling

We accounted for the big-ticket items, like countertops and subcontractors, but it also felt like we were always adding things to our rehab budget. Little changes can add up quickly!

Reuse As Much As Possible When Remodeling

To protect the environment & our budget, we reused many of the original materials in our first house even though we completely remodeled it.

Homebuyers, Look for These Clues to Potential Costly Repairs

Homebuyers, you don’t need any construction knowledge to spot these clues to potential, costly repairs.

What the Heck are Floating Floors?

Our flooring services are only for snap-together products that can be installed as a floating floor. We explain what that means and why we chose it for our first home.

What the Heck are Floating Walls?

Building codes in Colorado require floating basement walls, but you don’t need magic to make that happen.

Some Things Didn’t Go Smoothly

Even though we regularly work with other contractors on clients’ projects, we still had issues with some of the new-to-us contractors & vendors we used to remodel our first home.

The Best-Laid Plans…

If you expect your plans to change, you may be able to roll with the design changes without freaking out.

When a Wall Has Got to Go

You don’t have to live with a wall you hate! See what a HUGE improvement we made by removing walls in our main living area.

Moving the Stairs Maximized Our Space

We knew the first time we saw the house that we wanted to move the stairs, but it took longer to come up with the best new spot for them.

Digging into Egress Windows & Legal Basement Bedrooms

With “Basements” in our company name and window installation as an expertise, we are asked to add egress windows a lot. Let’s dig into what an egress window is and why it matters.