All Forum Posts by: Ashly B.

 I think if the counter space is not functional where it is, the existing amount is not relevant but if you were concerned about storage you could always put a cabinet above the fridge and/or get taller uppers

Is there a separate dining room? I think you should just paint the cabinets and add some moulding to the top, replace the counters, leave the sink and DW where it is. Personally, I'd get rid of the cabinet in the corner by the door, it looks awkward and out of place, which would allow you to make the extension off the back side of the island a little bigger to accommodate more stools. 

 Glad I'm not alone :) Put in a good 4 hours on it today. A little fine grit sanding and a coat with a finishing roller and I should be about done with the painting. Then on to installing the kitchen and bath. Will be SO excited to have our first reno complete - hoping it gives me the confidence I need to dive into #2 that's already waiting!

I thought I wanted to DIY but a week in and SO MUCH TRIM later, I'm second guessing. Feel like there are so many other things that need to be done and its taking way longer than I anticipated. Is hiring out painting worth the cost? Any idea roughly what it would cost/sq ft? Is painting an area you typically DIY or contract?

On a related note, would they also stain the newly sanded wood floors or would I need to get a flooring specialist for that? I tried to get a quote on staining/poly for the floors but all the companies in town are booking into October and I can't wait that long. Def something we can handle, just seemed like one of those things that would be great to walk in and have it done.

Thanks all for reconfirming we did the right thing. He's been a great tenant and I didn't plan to hold him accountable but it just brought up the question for me of how we would handle it in the future with him or any other tenant. 

Have a tenant who a student and went home for break for a few weeks over the summer. He's been back a couple weeks now and text yesterday to explain that the toilet had been leaking and he shut the water off to it while he was gone in case it got worse but that when he went to turn the water back on the tank cracked. Its not totally clear to me what happened but I get the impression he took the tank off trying to fix the issue himself and dropped it putting it back on causing the crack which ultimately resulted in us having to replace the entire toilet. Since its an out of town property, we paid $100 to have it installed and another $80 for the toilet. 

He rents a SFH and in general we ask that he take care of general house maintenance (ie we're not driving down to change a light bulb or fix a fence picket but if there is a repair, especially one that requires immediate attention, that he contact us. I'm conflicted between being glad he was willing to look to see if it was a simple seal he could replace to being irritated because he likely turned a $5 fix into a $180 one. We've already covered the cost and the repair has been made but I'm curious what other landlords do in this situation - do you just consider it part of the job and suck it up or do you hold the tenant responsible?

 We met with a contractor about opening the wall. We can't open it (even halfway) without relocating the plumbing because there is a pipe that runs to the attic to help with drainage so we settled on resizing the window to sit above the counter height. We have extra siding left from when it was replaced a few years back so it will look seamless from outside. Windows are ordered and will be installed next week. Costing about $700 to resize the window. Not cheap but I think it will be worth it to have a functional space and still have room for a small table. I'll post some pics when its done. 

I would love to have a dishwasher but we just don't have room. As is, we're going to have the 30 inch sink cabinet, a 90 degree corner cabinet, and on either side of the stove a 12 inch with drawers and an 18 inch cabinet. There's no way to put the dishwasher next to the sink, which is the logical place for it and if we ditch the 12 and 18 inch to fit it next to the stove there won't be a single drawer in the whole kitchen. I just don't think it works functionally. 

Love the addition of local boards. Been landlording for about 5 years now but just purchased our first 4-plex that needs renovations and we don't yet have a go to list of contractors. Would love to have a thread where people can recommend reliable, local handymen, etc. 

Right now we're specifically looking for someone who will refinish hardwood floors for an affordable price and also considering buying counters from the Restore but need someone who knows how to cut and install them. Any recs??

The pantry cannot be incorporated because its under the stairs to the attic and has a sloped ceiling that runs parallel with the kitchen wall

 Because the only doors that swing into the kitchen are the exterior and the pantry, neither can swing in. The other 2 are just doorways.

4 plex cost $92k. Brings in $2k currently (less the one we have vacant right now, bringing it down to $1625.