I would say the step before involving the pros, is remember YOU are the boss. Be confident and get what you want. You write the checks, you will live in the house. I just did a full second floor teardown reno for $30k because, just like this video says, I am my own best contractor. Listen to experts but be firm if you don't think they are working for your best interest.
I don't know what was more addicting: you talking and spitting gems on reno, or the immaculate paint job. Also, I started doing my own drywall. When I had a contractor come over to fix a hole in my ceiling from an HVAC ceiling, he was speechless on the work that was done by some non-drywall pros. Thanks for not gate-keeping! Cheers.
I and my husband have done a number of home remodeling projects in our current home. One thing we learned is to work with city inspectors. I found out they are thrilled and more then happy to work with you and answer questions. So all major work done on our house (alot of it we did ourselves)was done with permits and signed off on by city inspectors. I have neighbors and co-workers that have said you don't need to have all work permitted. Especially when you want to add say bedrooms in the basement. Well don't listen to them. When the market settles down and a home gets assesed... You can bet they will look to see if the work was permitted and meets code. If you just slap up some studs, put up only a little insulation, and leave a little tiny basement window in your new bedroom(closet or no closet) you can bet it might not get classed as a bedroom and the room can be a liability as a living space. In case of fire that window needs to be large enough for someone to get out and large enough for a fireman to get in. Do you really want kids to sleep in that kind of room and have them get trapped in a fire? Not to mention what the insurance company would say... Just one example. So just be careful and become familiar with city codes and state regulations. The information is easy enough to find online. And insulate a basement properly. More people are likely to use it if it is comfortable. And don't forget the smoke detectors, and carbonminoxide detectors(change batteries regularly if they are not wired in). Stay safe out there! 😊
Hey Jeff just wanted to say thanks for all the videos and the knowlage. My wife and I take possession of our new (to us) house in October and are looking forward to slowly doing some remodeling with a ton of help from your videos and I've binge watching them to get ready. You have an amazing knack for inspiring confidence and for me personally helping me define the line on a project I can reasonably expect to be able to finish myself before I get started and what I might be better off calling a pro about. Luckily for me as someone who usually hates dealing with contractors my wife is a project manager for a major general contractor so bringing in a pro means letting her deal with it hahaha.
Been looking for videos to guide me (kept looking for how to renovate after a tornado). Just got hit by the tornado in Little Rock. This is a pretty good guide.
Great video Jeff. I am not going to the length your actually talking about but all my jobs do involve a bit of demo! Kitchen cupboards etc being removed, door being blocked up and bathroom being done. It makes sense to demolish everything at the one time. I realise now you're not going back and to. The plumber and electrician situation is the problem I had. Neither seem to know who should be doing what... It ended up the electrician was charging more money because he came back and the plumber hadn't finished his job on time. Nightmare!!! Thanks again for a great video... 🥰
Hi Paul from England , carpenter for 40 years . Glad we have no termites here . I admire the usa type of build . Here in England w3 have houses . Mainly you seem to have bungalows ? Why do you guys not plaster walls ? And not much brick built homes there ? Might consider coming out to work to show you boys how it’s done ? Great video indeed . Keep making them . Many thanks paul
I agree with everything you said. I would add: move in when the job is done 100%. Rent a storage unit and go to a motel if you have to. And stay out of the way !
Thank you for your videos. We are hoping to do a bit of renovations on our home in the next couple years and your videos are making me feel more confident about getting involved (my wife is not as excited)
You are so good at conveying information and instructional processes and you have a charismatic way about you. I live on the East Coast of the United States and have been watching”This old house” for over 30 years. You have a way about you that is very pleasing and intellectually outright conveying! Have you ever thought about or pursued your own commercial television program in Canada? I’m not stroking you, but I wish I had the funds and knowledge to back you because you definitely have a place in the commercial syndicate market! Keep up the good work!
We just bought our first real home, and your library has been invaluable! Question: We had to forcibly tear out shelving from a walk-in closet, which left the drywall looking like swiss cheese on all sides. We're tempted to replace the walls entirely but if we didn't, do you have a video on drywall repair for holes ranging from pencil-gauge to golf balls? (maybe mesh tape?)
I worked in drywall for 18 years then construction manger for 10 years then had my own business for 6 years until my back got so bad and had to be put on disability 2 years ago. I wish i was still working
This video turned up randomly in my feed; I'm so glad I watched it. You have a great style and great diction, speaking at a nice gentle pace. Anyway, a serious question and one particularly relevant to a computer site like RU-vid: what about ethernet cables and other network infrastructure? Do you do them at the same time as the electricity? TV & speaker wiring too, I guess.
I love Jeff's videos & wish I'd found them before I started renovating my first home! I work in IT & have ran miles of CAT cabling & some fiber as well. In my experience in both residential & commercial jobs is data/network/server infrastructure often doesn't become a consideration until after the drywall is up! This makes wiring much more labor intensive, especially if the client doesn't want cable raceways all over their walls & they don't have drop ceilings & other challenges we'll run into with construction materials & methodologies. My advice especially for business with server & network requirements but also for homeowners with increasingly large amounts of network, storage & home theater equipment that all end up with wiring feeding back to a central location is to plan ahead! Plan this stuff right along with your HVAC, electrical, plumbing & other core work. You'll save money, time & get a better result. I'd much rather a client call me ahead of time & we can address concerns they might not think of like avoiding putting plumbing lines over a server room or not providing adequate cooling or physical security in a network switch closet.
Hi Quentin! yes working with a plan means that all cabling can and should be installed to the proper locations and locations written on a map to find after the walls are finished. saves a lot of additional work and can eliminate the possibility of damaging the electrical while drilling all those holes. Cheers!
@@HomeRenoVisionDIY Yes! Yes! Yes! We are in the middle of a double living room reno and with forethought, we ran ethernet into not just the two living rooms but both bedrooms above and the rooms on the other side of the living rooms. And plug-ins--we live in a 1905 house. We had a total of 3 plug-ins in those living rooms, now I have a plug every 6 ft or less, new plugs in the bedrooms above, new plugs in the adjacent rooms-AND we have run wiring for an in-ceiling sound system. Sha-Bam! Do it while it is open. You should see what pre-planning did for my kitchen reno last year; just think ahead (and take lots of pictures of your wiring and plumbing before you put the drywall up). Love your channel Jeff. My Interior Design students at my HS know I have a thing for your videos!
Took out all the copper pipe out of the house and went to pex…. Best thing since sliced bread. A lot of pin hole leaks in our city recently in residential copper lines so better be safe than sorry. Easy DIY project especially if the basement is unfinished
If you have already made a video on it, my apology, but with your experience, how to pick a contractor would be a great video. you see so many horror stories, that jobs outside of my wheel house are intimidating to hire, worrying that im gonna get "that guy" who did the crap job and left your home a mess.
Just had a painter do the inside of my house and we had a different color for ceiling and walls. Very similar but different enough to notice. They didn't do the transiting correctly and their excuse was that it can't be helped, that it is just shadows because of different colors when i can clearly see the wall color on the ceiling.
Holy Wah Jeff!!! You are a really thorough with everything and thank you for that. I have always fixed everything in my house myself, yet I am now renovating my retirement home and I HATE DRYWALL!!!! So I'm going with Half Log Exterior Siding instead of Vinyl and T/G 2x6 for the interior walls. Have any experience with those applications?
Hi Jeff, love your videos!! All the knowledge you share is so empowering 🙏 What's your take on epoxy flooring for a basement apartment that will be rented?
Hi Jeff, I want to remodel my restaurant. Scope of work includes demolition, applying adhesive and install wallpaper, install FRP, and tiling. Where should I start, I am a complete ignorant but this is my chance to learn or will never have a chance or dare to work. Any suggestions is greatly appreciated.
Thank you I just bought a 1979 log home and I am wanting to rehab it. And I didn’t know where to start. I have a mostly finished basement then the main floor and then a loft area. I am assuming i need to start in the basement and now you mentioned doing the hvac first thank you!! I need this info bc I don’t I will where to start so would one floor at a time work? Or do bathrooms then kitchen etc? I am wanting to redo insulation too and swap it out with rock wool
What tier do I need to join to have you evaluate a few things in my recently purchased home, I have so many questions and nobody has been able to answer most of them or I’m getting different answers, bad work and burning money. Fountain questions, flooring, etc.. I’m in New Mexico, USA. Yes, we’re Americans too
Never, ever put 3/4" hardwood floor under your cabinets! If you get a water leak the floor will buckle and will lift your cabinets, breaking countertops. I know contractors don't want to hear this because it slows down the process, but it is true. Did a kitchen remodel for a long time insurance claims adjuster. He had us write into contract that hardwood floors go in after cabinetry. He said he had seen too many instances of ice maker, DW, and toilet supply lines breaking and destroying cabinets and countertops. Proceed at your own risk!
Hello Jeef, Congratulation for your amazing videos, you are a truly inspiration...Can I please ask you if do you have any good Contractor in Toronto looking for extra help?..I just completed a Home Renovation Course with York Construction Academy ,,,They told me about you...Thank you
My paint on the ceiling is pealing ( due to a doggy painter’s quick fix for quick sale) and like to know how to sand it properly and re paint the ceiling. I would like to paint it myself. Thank you.😊🇦🇺
Question Jeff, I’m turning my tub to a walk-in shower, what’s your take on moisture resistant sheet rock? We are on the central coast of California. Waterproofing the Sheetrock anyway so ?
As far as the permits situation and inspections they have a section where it says who will be doing the work. Have your followers found issues when you listed yourself for a diy?
truth is there are very few unknowns to a professional. I have been surprised on the job only a handful of times in my life. unknowns are for t.v. and thieves!
these "HVAC" guys did the ducts for my house and they built the return duct encasing the main plumbing line...so yes there was the floor's main sewage drainpipe INSIDE my main return duct for my first floor... after my dad pointed it out to an inspector who otherwise didnt notice it, then there was a problem and they were forced to redo the return duct elsewhere. they had to move it over about a couple feet and use a space that would have ended up becoming a hallway closet. i imagine thats where it was supposed to be to begin with but these guys probably had no idea what they were doing. and before anyone asks, no we didnt hire them. we were just present when our house was being built by the builder. these guys spent five months screwing around supposedly putting together the HVAC system and failed all their inspections and had to tear everything out and do it again. they got fired midway and another less scummy HVAC company came in and completed the job and passed inspections.
contractors are like doctors and lawyers. we are all learning on the job. Integrity is what separates us. that is unfortunately what seems to be lacking in todays trades.
As time goes by.... ive noticed that you and I have more and more of the same tools... seems one of us is copying the other... That is a nice extension pole though for real.
Please, please tell me where I can find a paint brush that can be attached to an extension pole! I never knew this was a thing and I desperately need it for a project.
Dont work with guys that just starting. They will learn mistakes on your house, but not paying for them. Experianced workers are hard to find or expensive.
Hi Alex. dricore foam plus osb still needs to be screwed down with tapcon and add a layer of 3/8 plywood. then you can tile. depending on how flat your floor is of course. Cheers!
just because it can be don e does not make it the best solution. maybe ditra xl plus tile is a better option for cost savings. you could add floor heat with the money you save. Cheers!
Going for insul-armor for the basement but restroom probably going with blue membrane and plywood concrete level is pretty bad over the aera and it will make my life easier. Click vynil over the foam, tile over plywood
On two separate remodeling areas, the workers flooded our newly remodeled basement. Didn't cap off the plumbing. Turned on at end of the day...all bathroom work and basement flooded! Second time: opened up the sink full blast in another bathroom, after I told him watch the drain. Again, basement remodel! He continued working in master with open sink in powder to empty the lines. He had plastic wrapping in the sink, unknown to him, and walked away!!! Plugged drain, flooded bathroom and it all went down the register and out the lighting downstairs. Mother Of God, help me!!
In my 10 years experience, 95%of the DIY project decrease the value of the house. Most of people over estimate themselves. Watch RU-vid is not a solution for DIY project. To do a good job you need experience, you need to fail many times to get experience.
@S M fail happen when you"practice",and you only have one chance in this case,unless you have many houses. When you have many houses, i think you should ask pro to do it. So DIY is a bad solution
Thank you for your videos. We are hoping to do a bit of renovations on our home in the next couple years and your videos are making me feel more confident about getting involved (my wife is not as excited)
