Interior Projects for 1980s home: where to start? (fireplace, Home Depot, Lowes)

[Autum1031]

Hi there,
First time poster in this forum. I have little experience with home renovations, so hoping to get some advice from people with more experience!

Backstory: Husband and I purchased a 2,000 sq foot, split level home in 2007. 2 bedrooms upstairs, 2 bedrooms downstairs, bath on each floor. Home was built in 1983. At the time of purchase, very little had been updated within the house. For a variety of reasons, we've also been unable to do any interior updating, with the exception of replacing some lights and all of the windows.

In essence, the kitchen, bathrooms, all interior doors, closets, trims, railing on stairs, etc. is vintage 1983, with one big exception: The previous owner had a carpenter brother, who did projects throughout the home, using oak wood. So for example, the downstairs bath has an oak medicine cabinet. Or, the downstairs fireplace has an oak mantle, and some of the downstairs windows have the oak trim, but all of the rest of the trim in the house is original 1980s dark wood.

We plan to chip away at various projects over the coming years, and since these interior projects are done more for cosmetic reasons, it's hard to know where to start.

Here are some of the projects we need to do, in no particular order. (I'm not including the kitchen because I know that will be a huge project). I'm not certain if it makes sense to do one before the other, or if it really doesn't matter. We have about $8 - $10K carved out for this year.

• Replace 9 interior doors (hollow, dark wood) with new doors
• Replace 4 closet doors (same hollow, dark wood) with new doors
• Build closet door for 4th bedroom, which is lacking a door completely
• Replace all/ most trim throughout the house - floor, door, windows, etc.- with new
• Replace broken front screen door
• Replace original dark iron stair railing with new
• Completely gut and redo upstairs bathroom (original)
• Lighter updates to downstairs 1/2 bath (added by carpenter brother??) - new vanity, tile, etc.
• New carpet on both levels (I assume I'd do this last?)

I know ultimately, it's our decision, but I'm curious to know how others would approach this. For example, is it more economical to hire someone to replace ALL of the interior & closet doors and trim at once? Is it better to tackle the upstairs bath first, which is a big job, and do the interior doors/trim another year? (or, the opposite?) And a real headscratcher; what to do about the patches of oak work amidst all of the 1980s wood. I'm not a huge fan of oak, personally, but it's solidly built and probably done around 2005-2006.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions/advice!

[K'ledgeBldr]

Let's start with- what's wrong with the doors that they need replacing; and not just a coat of paint?

And for that matter- what's wrong with the trim that it needs replacing?

[Bamaman1]

Replace 9 interior doors (hollow, dark wood) with new doors $150 average cost each with the doorframe. Time: 30 minutes each to tear out last door and install the new one.
Replace 4 closet doors (same hollow, dark wood) with new doors Same
Build closet door for 4th bedroom, which is lacking a door completely See above
Replace all/ most trim throughout the house - floor, door, windows, etc.- with new Why not paint the trim with gloss oil base paint?
Replace broken front screen door--$200 for a full face glass door. Nobody uses just a screen door.
Completely gut and redo upstairs bathroom (original) ? ? ? Start by replacing the toilet--1/2 hr. and $200 max.
Replace original dark iron stair railing with new ? ? ?
Lighter updates to downstairs 1/2 bath (added by carpenter brother??) - new vanity, tile, etc.
New carpet on both levels (I assume I'd do this last?) Cost depends on the room size. Find an independent carpet store that buys overruns from Dalton and has carpeting in stock in a warehouse. Home Depot & Lowes are twice as expensive.
When it comes to reconditioning any property, a little paint goes a long way, and it will get you started.

[davebarnes]

Hire a designer.
Create a master plan.
Then, implement.

[Autum1031]

Originally Posted by K'ledgeBldr

Let's start with- what's wrong with the doors that they need replacing; and not just a coat of paint?

And for that matter- what's wrong with the trim that it needs replacing?

We have tried repainting both. We were able to repaint the trim with a coat of white paint, and that looks OK. The doors just really don't take the paint that well. I think it would look nicer if we just replace them, at this point.


[quote=Replace broken front screen door--$200 for a full face glass door. Nobody uses just a screen door.[/quote]


We have a solid wood front door, which is in great shape, and a screen door, which has a broken latch and some other issues. Only the screen door needs replacing.

[Autum1031]

I should also mention, (and I can't seem to edit my original post to add this), that my husband and I both have some health issues, so we aren't able to do most of this work ourselves, including any painting (like the trim, etc).

I would think at some point in the future we would sell the home, so I'm OK with investing in upgrades now.

[Oldhag1]

I’d replace or fix the screen door first since you want to keep one and it is visible from the outside, along with it having what I assume are some function issues from what you’re saying. I am always one for addressing function first, form second. Next I’d tackle the upstairs bath. It’s your biggest job, is most likely your highest budget item, and will give you your best return for your remodeling dollars. .

[markjames68]

Originally Posted by Bamaman1

Replace 9 interior doors (hollow, dark wood) with new doors $150 average cost each with the doorframe. Time: 30 minutes each to tear out last door and install the new one.
Replace 4 closet doors (same hollow, dark wood) with new doors Same
Build closet door for 4th bedroom, which is lacking a door completely See above
Replace all/ most trim throughout the house - floor, door, windows, etc.- with new Why not paint the trim with gloss oil base paint?
Replace broken front screen door--$200 for a full face glass door. Nobody uses just a screen door.
Completely gut and redo upstairs bathroom (original) ? ? ? Start by replacing the toilet--1/2 hr. and $200 max.
Replace original dark iron stair railing with new ? ? ?
Lighter updates to downstairs 1/2 bath (added by carpenter brother??) - new vanity, tile, etc.
New carpet on both levels (I assume I'd do this last?) Cost depends on the room size. Find an independent carpet store that buys overruns from Dalton and has carpeting in stock in a warehouse. Home Depot & Lowes are twice as expensive.
When it comes to reconditioning any property, a little paint goes a long way, and it will get you started.

If I were replacing interior doors I’d spent a bit more and use solid wood.

[K'ledgeBldr]

Originally Posted by Autum1031

I would think at some point in the future we would sell the home, so I'm OK with investing in upgrades now.

You haven't mentioned any "upgrades"- you've just talked about "replacement". There's no "investment" in replacement- not to mention ROI.

I strongly suggest getting a local GC to look at the house and have the "broken parts" fixed or replaced, the missing/non-existent installed, and a lot of paint- then some carpet.

[photoman_6]

1. doors-easy to do-sand doors down, use filler to make doors smooth, add simple trim to make squares on the surface and paint a neutral color to match the trim.
2. trim- just repaint a color matching the doors
3. Add a door to the closet.
4. railings-what would you replace them with?
5. bathroom upgrades next

you never mentioned budget. A handyman should be able to do the first three cheaply (1k including materials) bathrooms should be both doable for 10k unless you decide to retile.
6. screen/glass door
7. you might think about replacing some of the windows if they are original. this could save you big bucks on heating/ac bills that you could then use on the other projects.