Remodeling and Surprises

We're in the middle of a home remodel and rehab right now. It didn't start out that way. We had sold some real estate and thought we'd put some money toward remodeling our master bathroom to meet today's buyer standards and trends. With the beautiful tile, granite, custom cabinets and all the plumbing fixtures chosen and ordered, what was to be finished in six weeks opened up a "few surprises."

Our shower wall, roof, and floor had major structural damage due to a roof leak and a plumbing leak. We had no idea about the former and took care of the latter as soon as it was discovered, but with opening up the walls, we must have discovered that leak long after it started.

So we're rehabbing that whole side of the house, the roof and an adjoining deck. In the end, what started as a bath remodel will have turned into "two" bath remodels since it affected the bath below and, well, we might as well redo the powder room as long as we're at it. Plus, we really didn't like that the deck was accessed off our bedroom, so let's build a deck from the family room over to the re-built deck. Just tear open a few more walls. Oh, add some stairs down to the back yard from the deck too. Gee, as long as the walls are opened up, we should "plumb" for an outdoor kitchen. Hot and cold water, lots of electricity, move the gas line. You know. We'll have to fix up that patio now and get rid of the water feature for one easier to maintain.

I must mention I also designed family room cabinets for the new room configuration to allow for a door out to the deck and bedroom cabinets (as long as we're at it) to give us an armoire-like closet and more storage (You know, shoes and stuff.). Don't you love remodeling?

Luckily (we feel lucky enough to win the lottery to pay for this), we have a super contractor. And patience. And you know, I love projects like this for helping clients with home buying and selling "and" for us.

But not everyone is ready to remodel for one reason or another. So, my advice: MAINTAIN. Get that roof maintenance professional there every five years to check things out and keep your roof leak proof. Keep an eye out for any signs of leakage in your pipes. (Although, in our case there were none because there was no mold.) But, mold will be one of the warning signs. Water damage is easy to spot in the walls and ceiling. If you can catch these things early enough, you may avoid the structural damage we incurred and some remodel "surprises."

Six weeks to three months. I'll post some finished photos when we're done. We'll have added to our home's value and marketability, and we know to the enjoyment of our home for years to come.