In the getting-the-house-fixed-up realm, we're getting to the smaller things.
The big things have mostly been taken care of, and they all have been so worth it, because these fixes make the place look better. The first stage was to bring in the professionals for the really big stuff. We hired some people to remove the 25-year old linoleum from the kitchen floor (that was damaged and stained when we moved here 22 years ago); they also replaced the counter and backsplashes with stuff that, I dunno, looks nice. We had the pink bathtub re-ceramic-ed so that it's white. The repair guys installed bedroom doors where bifold doors had been. All of this has made the house much happier for me to live in, and I'm glad I get to experience it briefly before we sell and move.
Where the repair guys left off, I've taken over. I've laboriously patched holes in walls, prepared and painted three bedrooms, and fixed lights and closet doors. Everyone says a new coat of paint makes a huge difference, and it was gratifying to see the transformation: from Teenager terrible to something . . . actually kind of nice. Possibly even terrific. Huzzah for paint.
And then I started in on the small stuff -- touch-up paint on trim in the hallways and stairwell. And I just have to say, man oh man, I wish I'd known long ago what an amazing difference touch-up paint is! I am just amazed at how nice it looks. That dinged-up baseboard looks . . . so clean. I swoon.
I am totally not going to wait ten years and a house move to do touch-up paint projects in the future. It's easier and better than spring cleaning, almost!
So here are three things about touch-up paint that I am taking with me from this project.
The big things have mostly been taken care of, and they all have been so worth it, because these fixes make the place look better. The first stage was to bring in the professionals for the really big stuff. We hired some people to remove the 25-year old linoleum from the kitchen floor (that was damaged and stained when we moved here 22 years ago); they also replaced the counter and backsplashes with stuff that, I dunno, looks nice. We had the pink bathtub re-ceramic-ed so that it's white. The repair guys installed bedroom doors where bifold doors had been. All of this has made the house much happier for me to live in, and I'm glad I get to experience it briefly before we sell and move.
Where the repair guys left off, I've taken over. I've laboriously patched holes in walls, prepared and painted three bedrooms, and fixed lights and closet doors. Everyone says a new coat of paint makes a huge difference, and it was gratifying to see the transformation: from Teenager terrible to something . . . actually kind of nice. Possibly even terrific. Huzzah for paint.
And then I started in on the small stuff -- touch-up paint on trim in the hallways and stairwell. And I just have to say, man oh man, I wish I'd known long ago what an amazing difference touch-up paint is! I am just amazed at how nice it looks. That dinged-up baseboard looks . . . so clean. I swoon.
I am totally not going to wait ten years and a house move to do touch-up paint projects in the future. It's easier and better than spring cleaning, almost!
So here are three things about touch-up paint that I am taking with me from this project.
- I can take a small scrap of existing paint -- something I scraped off a door, or a painted light switch cover -- to the paint store. My new bff* who works there has a machine that can scan the scrap and to an exact color match. So cool. The match is good enough that I really can just paint over one smudge, and not redo the whole (say) window sill, and it looks good.[* I don't actually know my new bff's name, but I feel like I see her
just about every week now, which is almost more often than I see
any of my non-running friends. And she is as up-to-date on our
home painting progress as anyone on the planet.] - About the only good use for a plastic newspaper bag**, as far as I'm concerned, it to bag up a paint brush or roller. The brush/roller stays wet and usable for weeks that way, and so I don't have to wash paint down the kitchen sink every time I dabble in a paint job. Environmentally and time-wise, a win, I figure.
[**I use newspaper, not the bags it comes in, to pick up dog-poop;
see this post. I've asked my carrier not to give me bags at all,
and he mostly complies. But every once in a while when it's raining,
he gives me a bag anyway. I roll them up and when I have a few,
I give them back to him. Well, I give him all except for the three that
I've used this spring for painting projects.] - I think I forgot what the third thing is. Except, SO NICE! For example, below is a corner by the front door. It's accumulated grime and dust for years, and although I vacuum and even spray and wipe down with a damp rag, it just looks grungy.
. . . but . . . not . . . now.
 |
| Used to be one of the dirtiest corners in the house. |
Touch-up paint, man. It's kind of amazing.
So casual with the "and they replaced the counter and backsplashes"! That's a huge production at Casa Grumpy (or at least on our blog...) and we're STILL waiting to start with the counters. (We did finally get rid of the ice maker and replaced it with a custom-made cabinet from a local person.)
ReplyDeleteThis countertop was 22 years of ugly, with 22 corresponding years of thought about what ought to come next. So actually at the end, super easy. And fortunately, very straightforward in execution!
DeleteIn comparison, fixing the damaged plaster and drop ceilings (ooh, which I didn't even mention above) were a huge deal with a lot of decision making. And these might have made even a bigger difference in making the house look sell-worthy.
I think maybe we'll need to contact Home Depot to tell them we need to switch our point person.
DeleteYeah, we did a NextDoor query to find people that our neighbors recommended, and actually interviewed a couple of crews, because the job was big enough and we wanted a long-term relationship. That has worked super well for us; they've come back to touch up minor things since. It's nice having a go-to team to call when, say, a woodpecker makes a hole in the stucco on the second floor.
Delete