Qs on updating home before move-in! (Irving: wood floors, rental, countertops)

[MovingtoDFW]

Sorry for the long list of Qs, but as a new home buyer, I have always found input from this forum very helpful in making decisions!

We are in the process of purchasing a 1998 built home in the Las Colinas area of Irving. We will close in the 3rd week of April, and will have about 2 weeks before we move in. We have a wish list of updates we want to make to the property, and we want to make the most disruptive and/or pressing ones in the 2 week window between closing and moving in.

Below is our list of updates. Our budget is ~20k.

1/ Replace about 800 s/ft of carpet in all the upstairs bedrooms with hardwood (not laminate, engineered or real h/w).

2/ Update / refresh master bathroom - we require at least installation of a new frameless shower, some associated tile work, changing all lighting & fixtures and putting in a granite countertop

3/ Some minor refresh in the 3 smaller bathrooms, including granite countertops, change in lighting & fixtures, etc

4/ Replace ~ 200 sft of old carpet with new in the media room.

5/ Replace doorknobs and similar fixtures all across the property


Some questions reg. the above:

a/ Are all-hardwood bedrooms considered a negative at time of resale in DFW?

b/ This property already has medium toned (?oak) wood floors downstairs in the living areas. Our preference for the new floor installation upstairs is slightly lighter toned planks.
Is a color and/or style mismatch between hardwoods in the two floors considered a big style no-no?

c/ I know we will need formal quotes and it also depends on specific materials we choose, but are we being too optimistic with our 20K budget for the above?

d/ Any tips or inputs about the contracting process and specific contractor and/ or store recommendations for the above is greatly appreciated (pls PM).

Btw, the above excludes another 8-10 k we need to spend to install an 8 foot privacy fence along ~200 sft.

Thanks for reading!

[fndmom]

I think your bathrooms might take longer than 2 weeks, but the others are doable in a shorter time frame. We did similar projects last year and our cost was double your budget, but as you said a lot depends on the materials chosen and contractor used. Also size of the rooms factor in and we have a very large master bath. Since you have specific start dates you should start meeting with contractors as there is often a delay in getting started.

[TurtleCreek80]

1. 2 weeks to do the work is unrealistic based on my experience with two remodels. Even the small stuff takes more time than you would think! Especially when work has to be done in a particular order - ie, bathrooms.

2. If you don't have a contractor lined up already, there is almost no way you're going to find a good one who is available to start with 2 week's notice. I did a remodel job at a rental property last year and had to wait about 5 weeks before my usual contractor was available. Contractors and their subs are VERY busy right now!

It can take a week or two just to get bids lined up. They're going to want to walk your property to bid - not sure what access you'll have to the house before closing...

[BigDGeek]

What TC80 said, plus:

Don't pay someone to change doorknobs. You can do it yourself. Once you do the first one, the rest are easy. Same with cabinet handles and drawer pulls, assuming the spacing on the holes for the handles is the same...which it should be. Most cabinet handles fit a 3-inch span.

(Also, you can pay hundreds to replace all of the handles and drawer pulls in a kitchen. I recently estimated the cost of replacing mine at around $400 with cheap hardware. Doorknobs also add up if you're doing the whole house at once. And door furniture for exterior doors is $$$ and I'd recommend getting a pro to do those if you have to drill new holes.)

[MovingtoDFW]

Thanks for all the feedback.

I was hoping to meet contractors early next week - seems it is already too late.

How difficult is it to have your bathrooms updated when you already live in the home?

Also, please PM any contractor recos you may have.