It's tough out there!! And quite frankly, it's overwhelming! 😳
Prices of homes are still just out of touch for most people. It's more important than ever now to pay close attention to the repairs that may be needed when buying a home.
My goal is to help you PLAN, LEARN & BUILD your dream bathroom. Being able to DIY and put the sweat equity into a home is in someways the only reasonable way to buy an affordable one 👊
This is a bad sign 😳
This kitchen is below the main bathroom on second floor
Chances are that this is pealing lead based paint. Most homes built before 1978 were primarily using oil lead based paint
Every good renovation starts with a good PLAN 👍
A great way to create bathroom layouts & designs is to use a program like Chief Architect Design Software
With a bathroom this large 7ft x 10ft, you have a lot of opportunity to design the features you want in a bathroom 😊
Plenty of space to install a double sink vanity 👍
I personally really like the existing layout. Plenty of room for storage
It’s hard to see all of the existing plumbing in an old bathroom, but you can typically see signs of bad and corroded plumbing. This sink trap was simply shoved into the wall drain 😄 No signs of a trap adapter. Looks like its all rusted away.
Galvanized drain lines were commonly used in older homes. You will definitely want to replace all galvanized piping during a bathroom renovation 👊
I highly recommend replacing all horizontal plumbing in a full bathroom renovation or at least account for it during the estimating process 👍 Check out the converting a tub to shower course for full details on running new plumbing
Existing drain lines can still last a long time 👍 Just be sure to fully inspect. If you have slow draining tub or shower drains, its often times from corroded & clogged piping at connection point to main stack and/or drum traps.
Drum traps are notoriously slow draining. Often times you can simply replace with a new P-trap and solve slow draining issues
99% of the time in an old 1940s home, the wiring is outdated. And especially in a bathroom!! Seeing a 2-prong outlet above a bathroom sink is not a great indication of the condition of wiring and method of installation. In a full bathroom renovation, I highly recommend replacing all the wiring. Run dedicated circuits to panel. Check out the Complete New Layout Bathroom Course for a full rewire installation of a bathroom.
Old electrical fuse box 😳
This will need to be updated in order to properly remodel the bathroom 👍
Ventilation is super important in a bathroom!
A bad vent fan can cause a lot of harm in a bathroom 😩
Mold & cracking/flaking paint being the most common!
Be sure to route the exhaust to exterior of home 👊
Pay attention to the quick fix solutions by previous home owner…..
Having a super big caulk joint at tub to floor with a weird side splash adhered to tub, tells me that leaking has been a problem!
With old bathrooms like this…you have to expect water damage!
Waterproofing is often skipped or not existent in these older homes.
One feature that is helpful to ensure a water tight seal to tub is to allow wall alcove to extend out past the tub area. This allows tile to be set alongside the tub & prevents future water damage
Be aware that older homes can have some fairly difficult tile substrates to remove. Its difficult to determine how tile was set in many circumstances
One of the toughest bathroom remodel projects is tile set over mud bed walls & floors. Check out this Youtube video of demo process 😳
Replacing existing water supplies with PEX is cheap & well worth the effort 👍
It’s typically very easy to run new electrical and waterlines alongside waste stack
Not all plumbing needs replaced most of the time
Be sure to check the condition of existing caste iron or copper waste stacks. If there’s signs of cracking or excessive corroding, I would plan on replacing
Often times attaching new plumbing for bath to existing caste iron stack is sufficient 👍
This was a surprise to me 😃
New water line to meter! This is an awesome thing to see. No worries of having a bad water supply to home 👍
Create a spreadsheet of materials needed in remodel
Check out this bathroom material list for this bathroom renovation
Know what it costs to hire someone to do all of this work!
Check out this contractors estimate for a full bathroom renovation
Here’s a full estimate of repair of this home
This is why I say, “Everyone needs to DIY to have nice things” 😃
I hope this blog helps you determine the value of a home and gets you a better price
Thanks, Steve