Anyone else forced to DIY during quarantine? Share your pics!

Rehabbing & House Flipping

Anyone else forced to DIY during quarantine? Share your pics!

Rental Property Investor · East Wenatchee, WA · Member since 2014 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes

This bad handyman is accidentally looking to get promoted to just a regular handyman. Ive never been afraid to roll up my sleeves, but I generally know what I don't know and hire out the more advanced or specialized tasks. No longer an option with the quarantine.

We have been tearing out our kitchen for the past few weeks and putting our cupboards and cabinets into our latest rental project. All was going fine until the quarantine and our governor stating non-essential construction must stop.

The cabinets and countertops are being delivered Monday. The pro contractor (my bro in law) is no longer coming. The drywaller? Nope. Electrician? Plumber? Yeah, right.

Here are some pics of a bad handyman stretching his skills. Share your stories and pics. Forced to stretch during the quarantine?

Instructions? People read those?

Remove these uppers and let there be light!

Remove coat closet for big fridge with ice maker.

Respect for tapers. Simple but not easy!

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Most Popular Reply

Mark Vannasdall

Member since 2019 · 5 posts · 7 votes

6y

No contractors so trying to finish as much as I can

See this reply in the discussion

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Steve Vaughan
OP
Rental Property Investor · East Wenatchee, WA · Member since 2014 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
6y
Originally posted by @Brian Ellis:
Looking good Steve!!
I Just wrapped up a side job:
Updated my duplex kitchen Last week:
And finally trimmed out some windows (6 months procrastination):

That bathroom and kitchen look great, Brian.
Side job. Mr Modest up in here 😎

3 Reply
Karissa Sampson
CO · Member since 2020 · 63 posts · 40 votes
6y
Newbie first time investor here. Purchased a duplex and living in 1/2 while renting out the larger side. Mandatory quarantine due to illness earlier in the month morphed into mandatory work-from-home orders and equals us getting the renovations completed ourselves and we just signed a lease with a tenant today. We managed to complete the kitchen renovation for both sides (2 kitchens) for $1,400 total. We debated stone counters but being conservative with our money on our first investment property and not wanting to overspend versus comparables in our neighborhood ( yet still wanting a nice look), we ended up going with marble-look laminate counter tops from Ikea. We like how it turned out and have received compliments at all our showings. Just the hardware is left to install...
3 Reply
Brian Ellis
Rental Property Investor · South shore, MA · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
6y
Originally posted by @Steve Vaughan:
Originally posted by @Brian Ellis:
Looking good Steve!!
I Just wrapped up a side job:
Updated my duplex kitchen Last week:
And finally trimmed out some windows (6 months procrastination):

That bathroom and kitchen look great, Brian.
Side job. Mr Modest up in here 😎

Just working my way up to nap status!

2 Reply
Steve Vaughan
OP
Rental Property Investor · East Wenatchee, WA · Member since 2014 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
6y
Originally posted by @Karissa Sampson:
Newbie first time investor here. Purchased a duplex and living in 1/2 while renting out the larger side. Mandatory quarantine due to illness earlier in the month morphed into mandatory work-from-home orders and equals us getting the renovations completed ourselves and we just signed a lease with a tenant today. We managed to complete the kitchen renovation for both sides (2 kitchens) for $1,400 total. We debated stone counters but being conservative with our money on our first investment property and not wanting to overspend versus comparables in our neighborhood ( yet still wanting a nice look), we ended up going with marble-look laminate counter tops from Ikea. We like how it turned out and have received compliments at all our showings. Just the hardware is left to install...

Awesome, Karissa. Looks great and on a budget, too. Love it! This will take you far.

it's not all gloom and doom, folks. Karissa (and I actually) just placed new tenants. Get some!
0 Reply
Steve Vaughan
OP
Rental Property Investor · East Wenatchee, WA · Member since 2014 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
6y
Originally posted by @Mark Vannasdall:
No contractors so trying to finish as much as I can

Looks great, Mark. Total transformation. Your returns in value should be 5x+ and a nice rent bump if a rental

Did you change the ceiling? I've just left the popcorn in all mine but one. What are you doing for lighting? Please share updates when you get there 👍
0 Reply
Mark Vannasdall
Member since 2019 · 5 posts · 7 votes
6y
@Steve Vaughan. We painted the ceiling grey same as the walls.
It really looks good and doesn’t stand out as white popcorn ceilings Changed all lights to led
1 Reply
Steve Vaughan
OP
Rental Property Investor · East Wenatchee, WA · Member since 2014 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
6y
Originally posted by @Mark Vannasdall:
@Steve Vaughan. We painted the ceiling grey same as the walls.
It really looks good and doesn’t stand out as white popcorn ceilings Changed all lights to led

Nice! A good clean-up and paint job returns like 20x vs dollars invested. Well done!

0 Reply
Karissa Sampson
CO · Member since 2020 · 63 posts · 40 votes
6y
Originally posted by @Mark Vannasdall:
@Steve Vaughan. We painted the ceiling grey same as the walls.
It really looks good and doesn’t stand out as white popcorn ceilings Changed all lights to led

What has been your experience (and others?) with LED light fixtures? I like the idea of them but I have found that many LEDs burn out or malfunction over time just the same as regular bulbs, which makes me a bit hesitant to install them. Also, nice work on your kitchen! We also have popcorn ceilings and I have no intentions of removing the popcorn anytime soon. Renters don't seem to care in our B neighborhood and if we sell wayyyy down the road, I don't think I'll find it worth my time or money (perhaps it will be worth it and I'll re-evaluate then?!)
0 Reply
Gordon Starr
Rental Property Investor · Dayton, OH · Member since 2015 · 312 posts · 273 votes
6y
Hi steve, don't use the main screw at the bottom. You will need free slots dedicated for your range, all three wires. If you can free up space by pulling your old kitchen wires, go for it. But to me, It looks like your board may be overloaded already. What ever you do now, when things get back to normal, have an electrician or gc look over your work to be on the safe side. You may need to upgrade the panel before expanding further.
1 Reply
Dan H.Pro Member
Investor · Poway, CA · Member since 2015 · 7k+ posts · 8k+ votes
6y
Originally posted by @Joe Splitrock:
@Steve Vaughan I don't have a project as ambitious as yours, but I did make a cork frame for my dart board and cleaned the garage over the weekend. I am probably going to do some painting and other things that are not an emergency. My wife is making a list, haha. We are one of the few states that doesn't have a mandatory stay at home. Our Governor says our state constitution would not allow it. That means construction is still moving here. My state has 10 people per square mile, so you could say we have social distancing covered.

I would rather take on both of Steve’s kitchen projects than my garage. Unfortunately, I am being serious.

So far I have had the boys strip a roof (used contractor to put on the roof) - resulted in boys in landfill jail for not having the cash (I did not know no credit cards) - boys claim there were 7 layers, take down 2 large trees, add 3 sister boards to a garage rafter, build 2 fence segments including an 8’ high fence, add dumpster stops to concrete to prevent fence damage, add privacy screen to a chain link fence (took surprisingly long - hog rings really do not work well), remove and rebuild a privacy partition on to a wall, rehang a gate with better hinges, weed an abandoned yard (unit caught fire in oct and due to Corona work has stopped - slightly wet winter and weeds were 4’ tall), plant a new citrus tree. Hopefully today they paint a garage. Of course being boys, they require a lot of guidance. Sometimes it is funny to see how they do things, other times not so funny.

Wife is stealing them tomorrow hopefully for just one day. I have a gazebo to build, a house to paint, and a sewer line to replace (only referencing the large tasks).

2 Reply
Steve Vaughan
OP
Rental Property Investor · East Wenatchee, WA · Member since 2014 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
6y
Originally posted by @Max T.:

I saw your list of things you're doing / have done in Nathan G's what are you doing thread. No wonder dad and little one are tired 😎
We visited Philly last summer for the first time. So grateful now for all the travelling we got to do these last few years. Cool town👍

1 Reply
JD MartinBusiness Member
Moderator
Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
6y
Originally posted by @Karissa Sampson:
Originally posted by @Mark Vannasdall:
@Steve Vaughan. We painted the ceiling grey same as the walls.
It really looks good and doesn’t stand out as white popcorn ceilings Changed all lights to led

What has been your experience (and others?) with LED light fixtures? I like the idea of them but I have found that many LEDs burn out or malfunction over time just the same as regular bulbs, which makes me a bit hesitant to install them. Also, nice work on your kitchen! We also have popcorn ceilings and I have no intentions of removing the popcorn anytime soon. Renters don't seem to care in our B neighborhood and if we sell wayyyy down the road, I don't think I'll find it worth my time or money (perhaps it will be worth it and I'll re-evaluate then?!)

Personally, I don't like them - I'd rather have a regular fixture with a screw-in LED bulb. But I recognize that everything low-end is going that route and that you will soon either use new old stock stuff or used fixtures, or higher-end fixtures to be able to pick your own light bulb. I think it's a real pain in the *** to have to change out an entire fixture because the cheap materials burn out/start flickering early - but without using an older fixture or paying more for one we will all soon be in that boat.
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0 Reply
George W.
Investor · NJ · Member since 2018 · 869 posts · 921 votes
6y
I closed on my new shop, office and rental just before this whole covid19. during the quarantine I've done a ton of work at my shop & rental since as a plumber I do not need to work unless it's an emergency for a existing customer, I've basically done everything myself.
I hung sheetrock and taped my shop, I dug out a crawlspace, installed a foundation vault with bilco doors. Im going to put in several pilings on the exterior. Going to install some new floor joists next week. I demoed all the popcorn ceilings installed recessed lights. I sistered up a couple of walls. I'm building vaulted ceilings in parts of the house. I'm running all new plumbing, new bath, and installing central air. Some may say I'm going a little overboard for a rental, but it's on the same lot of land as my shop so I'm keeping it indefinitely and it will be a really clean rentable unit when I'm done. Plus I've saved thousands on paying someone to do all the work I did already. I plan on doing the rest of the job myself since I'm not really taking jobs at the moment.
4 Reply
Marlen Weber
Specialist · Plano, TX · Member since 2020 · 2k+ posts · 861 votes
6y
Not a bad way to spend our time quarantined. Great work everyone on your DIYs. It is motivating to get up and get my own DIY project going.
1 Reply
Steve Vaughan
OP
Rental Property Investor · East Wenatchee, WA · Member since 2014 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
6y
Originally posted by @George W.:
I closed on my new shop, office and rental just before this whole covid19. during the quarantine I've done a ton of work at my shop & rental since as a plumber I do not need to work unless it's an emergency for a existing customer, I've basically done everything myself.
I hung sheetrock and taped my shop, I dug out a crawlspace, installed a foundation vault with bilco doors. Im going to put in several pilings on the exterior. Going to install some new floor joists next week. I demoed all the popcorn ceilings installed recessed lights. I sistered up a couple of walls. I'm building vaulted ceilings in parts of the house. I'm running all new plumbing, new bath, and installing central air. Some may say I'm going a little overboard for a rental, but it's on the same lot of land as my shop so I'm keeping it indefinitely and it will be a really clean rentable unit when I'm done. Plus I've saved thousands on paying someone to do all the work I did already. I plan on doing the rest of the job myself since I'm not really taking jobs at the moment.

Excellent, George!

Even though you've spent your time doing this, you have saved thousands and earn that certain kind of pride only doing sh*t yourself can provide. Bravo👍
0 Reply
Mindy JensenPro Member
BiggerPockets Money Podcast Host · Longmont, CO · Member since 2014 · 7k+ posts · 10k+ votes
6y
My husband has installed all new windows/sliders, framed out the basement, submitted deck plans to the permit office, and we've layed out the back yard designs. Hoping to hire out the deck support hole digging, but will grab a shovel and do that too if we can't find anyone.
Flooring replacement has been tentatively moved up too, since we have literally nothing but time on our hands...
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1 Reply
George W.
Investor · NJ · Member since 2018 · 869 posts · 921 votes
6y
Amother day down of diy have another couple of weeks till my rental is all fixed up. Hopefully this corona virus slows down so I can get back to doing plumbing work full time again lol
3 Reply
Steve Vaughan
OP
Rental Property Investor · East Wenatchee, WA · Member since 2014 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
6y
Originally posted by @Gordon Starr:
Hi steve, don't use the main screw at the bottom. You will need free slots dedicated for your range, all three wires. If you can free up space by pulling your old kitchen wires, go for it. But to me, It looks like your board may be overloaded already. What ever you do now, when things get back to normal, have an electrician or gc look over your work to be on the safe side. You may need to upgrade the panel before expanding further.

Thanks, Gordon. I was able to find room on the neutral bar when I pulled out the existing 30A range breaker and wires. Getting the 6awg to fit in there was tight, but ok in the end.
I will have someone look it all over when the dust settles as you suggest. Appreciate the advice👍
0 Reply
Max T.
Investor · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
6y
May hit the lower level depending on how bored we get.
3 Reply
John Collins
Investor · Tx, GA · Member since 2019 · 313 posts · 337 votes
6y
Originally posted by @Matthew Paul:
Well , I am a contractor , but I have 2 bored boys and I decided they needed a project since they have done all moms requests . So I had them build a paver patio and fire pit . I used the loader to level the stone , they did the rest . They are 11 and 14 .

Sorry to Debbie Downer you but Hmmm... no torpedo sand above the compacted gravel? Were the border stones laid down in mortar/cement? Can't see the set up holding ...
0 Reply
John Collins
Investor · Tx, GA · Member since 2019 · 313 posts · 337 votes
6y
Originally posted by @Brian Ellis:
Looking good Steve!!
I Just wrapped up a side job:
Updated my duplex kitchen Last week:
And finally trimmed out some windows (6 months procrastination):

Beautiful windows, do you have pics of what they were like before? I have enough propertie swhere I would like to go from single pane to double and make them a little larger but could only justify upgrading if I do install myself (with helper).

0 Reply
Matthew Paul
Severna Park, MD · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 7k+ votes
6y
Originally posted by @John Collins:
Originally posted by @Matthew Paul:
Well , I am a contractor , but I have 2 bored boys and I decided they needed a project since they have done all moms requests . So I had them build a paver patio and fire pit . I used the loader to level the stone , they did the rest . They are 11 and 14 .

Sorry to Debbie Downer you but Hmmm... no torpedo sand above the compacted gravel? Were the border stones laid down in mortar/cement? Can't see the set up holding ...

Well 4 inches of Cr 6 and 1 inch of stone dust instead of sand gives a much firmer base . And the border stones were locked in with stone dust and cement 3 to 1 mix dry packed and rolled with a vibratory drum roller . ( packs better than a little plate tamper) Cracks filled with a 2 to 1 mic of wash sand and hydraulic cement dry packed . The patio will out last me . Not my first rodeo
1 Reply
John Collins
Investor · Tx, GA · Member since 2019 · 313 posts · 337 votes
6y
Originally posted by @Matthew Paul:
Originally posted by @John Collins:
Originally posted by @Matthew Paul:
Well , I am a contractor , but I have 2 bored boys and I decided they needed a project since they have done all moms requests . So I had them build a paver patio and fire pit . I used the loader to level the stone , they did the rest . They are 11 and 14 .

Sorry to Debbie Downer you but Hmmm... no torpedo sand above the compacted gravel? Were the border stones laid down in mortar/cement? Can't see the set up holding ...

Well 4 inches of Cr 6 and 1 inch of stone dust instead of sand gives a much firmer base . And the border stones were locked in with stone dust and cement 3 to 1 mix dry packed and rolled with a vibratory drum roller . ( packs better than a little plate tamper) Cracks filled with a 2 to 1 mic of wash sand and hydraulic cement dry packed . The patio will out last me . Not my first rodeo

=] Just had to ask
1 Reply
Steve Vaughan
OP
Rental Property Investor · East Wenatchee, WA · Member since 2014 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
6y

Quarantine kitchen remodel day 20+ update. Special thanks to my contractor bro in law, Smart Alex of Oak Harbor, WA. I didn't have to cut or join the countertops. Way above my pay grade!

The DIY quarantine struggle continues, but there is light. Crown molding and backslash majors left to do. Share your DIY projects!

2 Reply

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