All Forum Posts by: Raven Parmer

Steamer has by far been the best for me. Tried downy, the scorer, scraper, soap, vinegar, hot water, etc... If the paper is vinyl-y and the moisture from the steamer wont go thru, use scorer first. Steam, then use scraper to help lift the paper as you are pulling up. After paper is removed, use vinegar and hot water on remaining glue, run scraper along wall and glue will glob up and drip everywhere. A couple passes of that, then should be good to prime. Use good primer. It can handle the left over glue. Good as new.

Also, work in small sections at a time. Less overwhelming.

Please don't paint over it. Short term, short sighted fix, in my opinion. Do it right the first time and move on! Good luck!

Resurrecting an older post here, but I am wondering the same thing. I believe I understand what the commenters are saying - don't factor in your living expenses because that may make a deal look more attractive, and you may pay more than you need to on a house...

We are wrapping up a slow motion live-in-flip, which will have ended up taking 3.5 years. (We have 2 small kids, and everything has taken twice as long as we expected). I'm looking back at what our profit will be after subtracting realtor costs, the money we put into renovations, etc... It looks kind of sad - especially for how long it has taken us. But I sit here thinking that we will have whatever of our principal that we have paid down back in our pocket. I guess that's not a profit because it was our money to begin with? But if we were living somewhere else, we wouldn't have gotten that money back. I feel like it should count for something. A little column on the side, a number with an asterisk...

The weird thing about it is that when we are done, assuming we sell for what I am imagining, we will have a lot of money in our pockets, but such a small amount will be actual profit. Most of it will be what we put into renovation costs. It's like a little savings account. I still feel good about what we have done. We learned so much, and are excited to do it again. This time in 2 years, of course!

Welcome! I am in Louisville as well, also a beginner. We are doing a live-in flip at the moment, and it feels like we are going in slow motion! Would love to hear about what areas you are interested in!

Awesome! I'm so glad it worked out. I was actually thinking of this post the other day when I passed a house with a blue door. I was wondering what color you went with. It looks great!

My only issue with it is that it is so trendy. I'd be worried that in a couple of years you'd just want to roll your eyes at it. That said, I did consider it in my own home, but for the reason I mentioned above, I decided against it. There are some tiles I have come across at work that mix concrete and wood patterns, which makes it more subtle and abstract. I would consider one of those. I do like the idea of wood look tile over a traditional tile (like a 12x12) because the proportions aren't so dated, and it offers visual warmth. I definitely agree that running the same flooring throughout the living area is a good idea.

I agree with the others that you definitely need at least 2 more bids. I work in commercial architecture, and all bids are broken down. I.e. windows are $x, doors are $y, total is $z. Add in a % contingency and a % mark up, and it's all fairly transparent. Now, they could be inflating the window number and showing a smaller profit percentage, but overall, it is helpful. Especially when comparing bids. If contractor A bids $10K for windows, and B does $2K, you know someone got it wrong (did B miss some windows, or did A use top of the line when you wanted standard) . That's where the 3rd bid becomes helpful.

I would not feel comfortable taking a bid that was not broken down. And I would not feel comfortable only getting one bid.

I have been disillusioned with the architecture profession since I started it. I disagree with the bureaucracy involved with becoming licensed and the fact that I cannot call myself an architect because I am stubborn and refuse to take the exams. I went to school for 5 years, and went back for more. I have worked. I even maintain an NCARB record. But I only do that to appease my boss. I currently work in an architectural firm, and for the first time ever, I am actually enjoying it. For once I am not working on tenant fit-up. Sadly, this project will end, and I will be back to the routine. I can't see myself doing this forever. There was a time when I thought I wanted to be a developer. But the experience I am having in my current project is that it is definitely political for them. I can't/won't deal with that. I want to use what I have learned to fix and flip. To do something more than the average flipper. To use good design and creativity to produce a unique product on a budget. I love the idea of making something better.  Good luck to you!

I agree with Andrew S. If there is/are other tub(s) in the house, I would say a master would benefit by an excellent shower if you don't have room for a separate shower and tub.

I've never dealt with one, but if it's in good shape, I'd leave it. Slate roofs are expensive, and I would consider it a great asset. I only see them on high end homes around here. There's a reason asphalt shingle companies make a "slate look" shingle - many people can't afford slate, but like the high end look.

Gag. I hate new paint smell. I only use low VOC paint.... I like the smell of fresh drywall :)