Operation Enduring Home Build

[NastyStang113]

As many of you know I bought a house last week. I'm pretty pumped about it since it went to all sorts of highs and lows during the process. I was pretty sure I was getting it, than it fell apart, than it came back to life.

Short story. The previous owner was a LEO so his loan was through the VA. It was a short sale so the price had to be approved by the bank, the VA, and they thought the house was worth about $50,000 more than market value. Regardless of what the comps showed in the actual subdivision. After the house sat on the market for two and half years, 5 offers of market value price, I was finally able to get it for fair market value and closed last Wednesday. The mortgage held was actually 300% more than I paid for the house.

The condition of the house really went down in those two and half years. The previous owners moved to GA and the house was vacant. It really takes a toll on a house. I'll be posting updates with new pictures, etc as it goes along.

Anyways, here are some photos of what the house looked like at the time of listing and at the time that I got it.

Exterior

I didn't get a picture of it before I started working on it but the grass is completely dead and was about a foot tall. The outside needed to be desperately pressure washed, yard debris every where, etc.

Living Room

Dining Room

Kitchen

Family Room

Unfortunately there was no picture of the Family Room from when it was listed.

Continued..

 

[NastyStang113]

Master Bedroom

Master Bathroom

Second Bedroom

Third Bedroom

Second Bathroom

 

[alloy6ix]

Looks bad ass!!! Congrats! And what's the back yard look like?

 

[GrnBullitt08]

That's a nice house.... Nice purchase man. Very Jealous

 

[mikeysgt]

nice looking house man! I know the process is a pain but it's all worth it bud. enjoy the house and the ongoing projects!

 

[NastyStang113]

As requested here's a shot of the backyard.

Here are some photos of the progress today..

Pressure cleaned the exterior of the house, fascia, driveway, sidewalk, stone, etc. I had to replace a few missing pieces of stone. The stone looks like someone put a cleaner, maybe bleach, on the bottom half so I'm going to have to try bring it back to life with a color restoring sealant. I got the grass mowed, bunch of yard debris pulled, and some real nasty ass plants pulled.

I pulled most of the appliances, only the microwave left. Tore up all of the carpet, pad, tile, vinyl, etc. Removed the interior door handles since they are going to be replaced. Pulled all of the A/C vents, cleaned and re-painted them. Pulled the toilet in the second bathroom. It needs a offset mount because of the counter-top; it doesn't allow the seat to stay up. Don't even ask me why it wasn't done originally, especially since this was originally a model home. Patched random holes and re-textured the walls. I got most of the ceiling taped off so that I can repaint the ceiling with the sprayer than I'll be able to paint the walls. I pulled the lights & fan from the patio and the entry way ceilings. I'm redoing the ceiling, since it's dry wall and it doesn't exactly hold up the moisture. I'll be replacing it with T111, cedar strips, and than painting it white.

 

[mikeysgt]

sounds like fun! just take your time with everything and do it right. don't take on too much too soon and you'll be fine. look forward to seeing the progress man

 

[GrnBullitt08]

Sounds like a fun project.....looked nice before. Even got the screened in porch out back. But that is a must down in FL.

 

[NastyStang113]

sounds like fun! just take your time with everything and do it right. don't take on too much too soon and you'll be fine. look forward to seeing the progress man

Trust me, I'm too anal to do anything but perfect!

Sounds like a fun project.....looked nice before. Even got the screened in porch out back. But that is a must down in FL.

Thanks! The damn screen porch, patio, and metal roof took HOURS to pressure clean. It was so damn dirty. I thought I would never finish. It literally took two days of busting my ass to pressure clean the house.

 

[VTXFrank]

Yeah, Florida is very hard on a vacant home. Two years of no maintenance can really take its toll. But you've got a great place on your hands and you obviously have the knowledge and determination to make it a nice place. After having rebuilt our home after an F4 tornado took it apart, I can give you some very valuable advice. If you feel like you need to take a break and go fishing for a couple of days, DO IT! You don't want to get burned out on the job. Otherwise, you could finish up with half the house looking perfect and the other half looking slapped together. I've seen that too many times while the area where I live rebuilt their places. Mine still isn't completely done, but that's because I HAVE to make it right the first time. All I've got left is the screened porch in back.

 

[Tre06GTP1SC]

Nice grass.......I love grass....I miss my grass.....

 

[NastyStang113]

I got the rear fence cleaned up since all of that brush was overgrown all over it. It filled two 16x8 trailers of debris. Don't mind the jacked up fence and yard, both are being replaced!

The most current project has been hardly enjoyable, painting! I'm good at it but I hate it! I sprayed all of the ceilings including closets and the garage with a high quality moisture resilient ceiling paint.

I got just about the whole house primed with Killz. There are some walls that didn't need it so not the whole house. I'm using Behr Premium Plus Ultra which is a paint and primer. Behr used to suck donkey balls a couple years back but I feel they've really stepped up their game with this paint from previous projects, etc. It's kind of expensive which is the downside but I really think you get what you pay for with painting. I don't think most people realize how much paint is but in the end it'll cost you like ~$800 in supplies. I mean good quality brushes are $13/ea!!

Here's some pictures from this morning before I started painting the color. I've got the living room and spare bedroom completely done. I'll get some pictures of that in the next few days.

And here's the ceiling that I'm going to be redoing with T1-11 and than painting.

 

[mikeysgt]

nice start bud. but what's up with the trees in the background behind your yard??? haha. was it really windy during the pics or what?

 

[NastyStang113]

After I finish painting the walls I'll paint the doors, baseboards, and door frames. Next will be the patio and entry way ceilings with the T1-11, etc. Than comes the tile! I'm going to be installing 18" x 18" travertine marble throughout. The master shower was renovated and has pretty nice tile so that's staying. The second bathroom shower/tub tile might have to wait until after we move in. Pretty much the only thing I won't be doing is the carpet. I'm going to be getting Shaw carpet that's ~53 ounce. Upgraded 7/16" pad for a good fit that is roughly 7 lbs pad.

nice start bud. but what's up with the trees in the background behind your yard??? haha. was it really windy during the pics or what?

It's getting there. I only get a couple hours a night there. Ever been to Florida, at least to an area with pine trees? That's what happens when hurricanes come through! I hate damn pine trees. The two in the very center are getting cut down because I'm not chancing it that they fall on my new fence!

 

[Fake_Snake]

i like your thread man keep up the work. i just bought a brand new ocntruction house i didnt come across anythign that i liked that was already built. so i wen tthe easy way out for a first time home owner

 

[Shotokan1509]

Lookin good!

 

[NastyStang113]

I've stumbled onto some freebies. I feel like Jesse James on Monster Garage! I just got two 5 gallon buckets of some badass garage floor coating. It's a color sealer that is resistant against anything you throw at it; oil, fuel, coolant, even battery acid. This stuff would of cost $80 per gallon. I don't even need all of it. I'll only end up using 3-4 gallons doing my garage floor. I also got a 5 gallon bucket of some stone sealant that should bring the stone back to life. Than, I was just informed since I spent so much at Sears on the appliances I've got some cash back bonus rewards super duper bullshit so I'll be using that to buy an air compressor or something. Good stuff!!

Here is the travertine marble that I'm going to be installing soon as the painting is done.

Some new pictures..

Living Room

Guest Bedroom

Master Bathroom. Definitely the hardest room in the house to paint. Beyond taking down all of the shelving in the closet I had to cut in so much shit; counter tops, lights, baseboards, ceiling, shower, windows, tub, around the toilet. It was rough!

 

[HOLYWD]

bad ass man , gratz !

 

[NastyStang113]

Finished the Master Bedroom and started cutting in everything else.

 

[SUHleen]

Its lookin nice man! Keep up the good work