Clark the fliphouse

Clark: Week 4

I can't believe it's week 4 already!  (check out previous progress here) I've been doing a lot of flooring.

A LOT.

But I'm VERY pleased to say the kitchen and hall floors are DONE!!! (with the exception of closets and transitions which are ongoing)

kitchen floors 1

They make me so happy I could tap dance, but that would hurt the floors and be very counterproductive, so I won't.

I do need to shave down the bottom of the basement door, so that it can open with the new floor thickness, though.  This is what it looks like heading down to the basement- pretty wood tread.

hickory stair tread

This is where our IKEA cabinets will be installed.

kitchen floors 2

I may be the crazy person who taped out where the cabinets are going to go to help me determine what fridge size/style to buy.  May be.

kitchen layout1

I think I have it figured out, but I'm going to measure the heater when I get to the house today, just to make sure before I buy appliances.

The basement door and side door also got new door trims to match the rest of the house.  They had been replaced by the previous owner and were the only trims of a different style in the house.  No more!

door trims

This week's other accomplishments include

  • buying LOTS of supplies for the next projects at Home Depot
  • harassing the IKEA kitchen install guy to give me a date (looking like end of next week, but not set in stone yet)
  • getting more quotes from painters, electricians, gutter guys, etc
  • purchasing the granite countertop
  • more appliance research
  • and did I mention laying lots of hard wood floors?

I'm hoping next week's progress will be in leaps and bounds!

Clark: Week 3

I vowed that this blog wouldn't turn into one all about the flip, but can someone please tell my brain that?  It's all I think about lately!  I mean, I guess that's a good thing- it's better than wanting to turn off my brain to work the second I walk out the office door.  I'm working on this whole work/life balance thing and its even tougher now that work and life are very much intertwined. So on to it!  Clark the flip house's week 3 progress- and finally I have some exciting progress!  (see other Clark progress HERE)

Aside from some straggling pieces, the demo pile is all gone from the living room.  It needs a GOOD vacuum, though, with all the demo dust.

buhbye demo

And we finally have a kitchen again!

ikea kitchen

What, that doesn't look like a kitchen to you??  It's still in boxes from IKEA waiting to be installed, but I need to finish the kitchen floor before that can happen.

There is finally one thing finished in this house, though!  Yesterday I had installers in rebuilding the shower walls and tiling them.  I didn't get any progress pictures, though- with 2 installers and all their tools in that tiny bathroom, there was no room for me and my camera.

bathroom shower progress1

Doesn't it look phenomenal??  I was practically jumping for joy when they left.  I debated a LOT about what to tile and what not to tile myself.  The more people I talked to about tiling, the more I heard how tough shower walls are to do right and have last.  So, I bit the bullet and hired installers to rebuild the walls with new cement board and install white subway tiles.  It only took them a day to install it all!

bathroom shower progress2

I honestly loved it even more before the grout when you could see the dark lines between the tiles.  If this were my house, I would totally have gone with dark grout, but I know that's very taste-specific and I'm trying to appeal to the majority.  With these walls all finished and looking spiffy, I need to get the rest of the bathroom to the same level- its currently nowhere close...

bathroom shower progress3

Next step is to rip up the remaining damaged floor, but that means making the bathroom unusable while I work.  Since It's the only toilet and only working sink in the house, I'm putting that off until I get a bit farther in the rest of the house.  I WILL be installing the mosaic tile floor and wainscoting wall myself.  I already have all the supplies for the tile, so I think that'll be my next focus after the hardwood floors.

So on to the hardwood!  So far, I've successfully built a bowling alley!

clark bowling alley

Ok, so maybe not literally, but that's what it feels like.  I LOVE these floors!  I want to pet them, but that might be creepy.  I didn't get to completely finish the hallway yet because I didn't want to be in the tile installers way as they came in and out of the bathroom, but that shouldn't take me long.  I'm definitely getting the hang of the floor install- I have a feeling the kitchen floors will go decently fast (knock on wood).

kitchen floor progress

If it was possible cheat on Hubby with a house, I think he'd be worried.  With these floors and the new shower tile, Clark is turning into one sexy beast.

The less-visual things accomplished this week include:

  • A working garage door opener (with Handy Dad's help- Thanks!!)
  • Leveling the kitchen floors where the cabinets and closet wall had been removed
  • Desqueaking the floors as much as possible (I emptied and entire box of screws)
  • Selected granite for the kitchen counters (ordering today if this snow ever stops)
  • Selected appliances, just have to hit the "order" button
  • Met with an electrician to get pricing on grounding outlets and adding outlets for appliances

I think that about covers it for this weeks progress.  I'm exhausted, but I'm so happy to start seeing the house come back together!

Clark: Week 2

It has now been two weeks since I became a professional house flipper.  Sounds crazy, but honestly, it feels right.  I've been working practically every waking minute, since I can't turn my brain off, but I'm so happy to be doing this! Ok, enough with the sap for now. I'm really not sure where this past week went- I seriously blinked and it's Friday....  and I feel like I don't have a ton to show for it.  Despite my own perception, I did accomplish a TON of prep and planning this week.  (Check out Clark the Flip House's Week 1 update HERE)

The only visual change that occurred this week is the kitchen:

kitchen progress w2 1

The opening is 95% done (I'll be adding a wood ledge to the unfinished bottom later on), the in-the-way closet is no more, the walls are all patched and sanded (PHEW!) and I finally got to start priming.  The priming is a HUGE step- at least in my head it signifies the rebuilding, and I'm ready for the rebuilding.  No more demo!

kitchen progress w2 2

Hubby's going to help me break down the demo pile in the living room today so that we can load up the bagster and get to work on those floors!

kitchen progress w2 3

So, the floors.  I have BIG plans for them.  I know I mentioned in my last Clark post that I was eyeing hickory for the floors- and they will be be.u.ti.ful!  What I neglected to mention is that I've decided to attempt the floor installation myself.  It'll save us over $1000 which was the primary reason, but I also wanted a challenge.  I think this qualifies, don't you think?  The people that I've told my plans to either think its great or think I'm crazy.  I'm going with both.  So far I've picked up 14 of the 23 boxes that I purchased from Home Depot (a Jeep can only fit about 5 boxes at a time, and yes, I know they shouldn't be in the basement, but I need my big strong Hubby to help me move them upstairs later today).

hardwoods

I'll let you know how it all works out when I get started on the floors next week.  I'm very excited for them!

The other running around and non-visual accomplishments of this past week are:

  • Got several quotes for each a new roof, a new driveway, and granite countertops
  • Ordered tile for the shower surround and scheduled installation for next Thursday (hooray!!)
  • Purchased all the hardwood floors
  • Purchased mosaic tile for bathroom floors
  • Purchased wainscoting for bathroom walls
  • Finalized the layout for the kitchen (ordering at IKEA this afternoon)
  • Patched and sanded all the walls in the house- ready for paint!
  • Patched, sanded and deglossed all the trim in the bedrooms
  • Got one coat of spray paint on the ReStore kitchen light that I purchased last week
  • Replaced a broken spring on the garage door and assembled new door opener (which hasn't been installed yet)
  • Researched appliance deals and scratch & dent deals
  • Adopted several new tools- a compressor, mega-shop vac, and a floor nailer

new tools

The key to this girls heart is with shiny new tools, I'll admit it.

I am, however, VERY ready for a weekend- next week's going to be jam packed!