Adventures in Home Remodel!

When I was looking for condos I kept telling myself that I didn't want to get anything that required more then maybe some paint to move in. When I found my place that is about all that it needed besides a ceiling scrape, a few new light fixtures, and a good cleaning. Wow has it been an adventure!! Hopefully by telling all this I won't curse myself and have more issues then I already have had! But as I have started to laugh at all that happens I feel like I can now share the issues! I started with scrapping the ceiling! It was an ugly ceiling and I had a few friends who said that they had done the same thing themselves and I could do it too! It was quite easy but totally messy! It only took about a day to get it done and cleaned up. Then it was on to texturing the ceiling. This too was something that I had friends tell me I could do and so I ventured into it. It was also easy! It took me about a night to complete with some assistance from friends. At this point the condo looked awesome and I was feeling pretty good about what I had done!

On to painting and the nightmares!!! I thought painting would be easier and less stress then the previous things that I had done......oh not so!!! We had to prime the ceiling first since I had scrapped it down to the sheet rock. This wasn't too bad. Then we had to paint it also not too bad but very time consuming. At this point I am already off the time schedule that I have created in my head for move in date. (More like a good fantasy!) I can do this I tell myself as I spend every night after work and every weekend working on getting things done. All the while getting hardly any sleep! So I tape the ceiling and baseboards to paint the walls, making sure that everything is taped perfectly! We paint the walls in the front room/dining area (okay my dad does) and it looks awesome! At this point I am super excited cause it is getting better looking and things are going well. That is until I take off the tape from the ceiling and the paint from the ceiling comes with!! Why is it that when you want it to stick and not let paint through it doesn't and when you want it to leave the paint on the wall it takes it off??? Oh boy, this means that I have to paint the ceiling again!! Okay I can handle it! Move onto the bedrooms get them painted and then go back and fix the issues.

Well I have friends come and bust out the walls and as we are getting the second coat of paint on in my room we run out of paint!!!! Okay I can get another gallon and we can get it finished another day! We get it done the next night and then I don't get over there for another day or two. When I go back and look at the spare room it needed a few touch ups and so I do it. 1st mistake! Why am I OCD???? A few days later I go back and look and it is horrible! You can tell where I had touched up cause it was a darker color!! How do this happen when it is the same paint??? Oh yea I had to get a new gallon! Except for wait that was in my room not the spare room!! How in the world??? Who knows! So I repaint it and hope for the best!

I begin painting my kitchen and things are going well! My dad comes to help with the doors and looks at the room and says this it horrible and needs to be done again.....after a closer look I agree! Totally different color! I get half my kitchen done and figure that I can finish the following week while my friends (bless them) come and help finish the room! That is put on the 4th coat!!! On Monday I get there to work with my trusty crew! When I tell my friend Tyler where I want him to paint he says okay, I can see we need another coat of paint it looks horrible! And it is a different color!! We then look at my room just to make sure that was okay and lo and behold----- IT ISN'T!!! Totally different colors on all the walls......used the same paint can on all the walls!! What!?!?!?

I am about to have a nervous breakdown at this point!!! I have to get another can of paint and paint both rooms again as well as fix the trim everywhere in the house where the ceiling paint came off with the tape!! I don't think so!!! I am ready to cry and scream at the same time! Thank heavens Tyler was there!! He first got me to calm down! (That was a job in and off itself) Then we talked about what needed to be done to fix the issue! And then he had me laughing at what was going on! We proceeded to the store to get more paint and see if they could help us with the different paint color issues!

Tyler was awesome!!! He did all the talking which was very much needed in my highly stressed state! He talked to the manager who totally took care of us, got us what we needed, and gave me money in my pocket! We then went back and fixed one room and finished the kitchen! I am going to have Tyler come with me from now on when I need something fixed! He was awesome!

My bro-in-law John and his friend Ken fixed a few electrical issues for me as well. I helped Ken move a light over a few feet since it was in an odd place (I can now put electrician on my resume!) They installed new lights in all the rooms, and fixed a couple of bad outlets and switch. And will soon install the microwave above the range! Thank heavens for an electrician in the family!

At this point it looks like things are going to all be okay. I have a little bit more touch up of the ceiling to do and paint a couple doors and I am done! I may just be able to move in Saturday after all! Boy have I learned a great deal though about myself and new skills through out all this! I have also been VERY BLESSED to have so many friends and family help me! I could never have done this alone! And very soon I will have more photos!!

Oh and from now on.....NO MORE HOME REMODEL PROJECTS!!!!!!!!!!