The Condo Conversion, RTA Cabinets and So Much More...

[SpinWave0704]

Still admiring the condo! @Dicey, if you had to outsource all the work you and Mr. Dicey did in the past ~9 months, how much do you do think the labor cost would have been, had you gone with a contractor? Especially because a lot of the work required skilled labor.

[monarda]

Speaking of skilled labor, I need to talk about LVP installation. Trying that this week. We click them together and down the row, they unclick. We are getting VERY frustrated. . . . .

[Dicey]

Speaking of skilled labor, I need to talk about LVP installation. Trying that this week. We click them together and down the row, they unclick. We are getting VERY frustrated. . . . .

Yes, it is essential that you buy a product that clicks together perfectly...and that you go slowly and click every single piece together...perfectly. There is definitely a knack to it. It took us the better part of a week to do slightly less than 700 sf.* One uses a scrap piece of the flooring, clicks it to the board being installed, then taps the scrap piece with a hammer or mallet until it the board being installed firmly locks together with the adjacent board(s). Oh, and it needs space to breathe, so you must shim every row at the wall, otherwise all the tapping will result in product jammed up against the wall. Without room to breathe, the floor will buckle. This is true of many types of flooring, not just LVP.

In our case, we discovered the product we were using only had a few distinct patterns and every single board was chosen with great care to avoid repeats. This involved opening and sorting the material before a single piece was laid. We also do not like "random length" placement, so every board is placed at exactly a 1/3 interval, even under the fridge, wash tower and closets. It's just how DH rolls. Oh, and many products say you can "score and snap". Nope. We cut every piece with the correct saw. It created a ton of plastic shavings. Luckily, this place has a patio, so we could do the cutting outside, and clean up all the shavings for proper disposal. Not every product we've used has been so "dusty". We think it's because this stuff was very thick.

We love LVP, but there is a learning curve. We took our time and it paid off.

@SpinWave0704, I will definitely address your questions in the near future. My purpose in continuing this thread after I'd received the original answers I sought about RTA cabinets was to show how unrealistic "reality" TV is. There are so many decisions and so many stumbling points in every project. I wanted to give people, especially people considering buying a fixer upper, a true sense of what they were in for. It really is a three dimensional jigsaw puzzle.

If anyone has additional questions,  please ask and I will do my best to address them fully.

*708 sf, minus the space under the cabinets and the shower pan. DH prefers to put the cabinets in first, then flooring.

[couponvan]

I am typing this on my phone, so it will be brief (maybe). The condo was so well laid out. I was blown away. It does not look like a DIY in any way shape or form. It looks like Coming to America hidden swanky condo in an unassuming complex in an ideal location. Once you open the door you feel like you are in a luxury hotel! The floating living room TV area with the quartz top was my favorite “looks elegant and provides much needed storage” item. Along with the wallpaper walls that visually extended the front living space, there were so many little details that made it a timeless design I am sure BK will love. It was so fun seeing everyone, one day and Sandi and especially Dicey. It gave me lots of ideas on how to maximize every inch of space in a smaller footprint.

[Dicey]

I am typing this on my phone, so it will be brief (maybe). The condo was so well laid out. I was blown away. It does not look like a DIY in any way shape or form. It looks like Coming to America hidden swanky condo in an unassuming complex in an ideal location. Once you open the door you feel like you are in a luxury hotel! The floating living room TV area with the quartz top was my favorite “looks elegant and provides much needed storage” item. Along with the wallpaper walls that visually extended the front living space, there were so many little details that made it a timeless design I am sure BK will love. It was so fun seeing everyone, one day and Sandi and especially Dicey. It gave me lots of ideas on how to maximize every inch of space in a smaller footprint.

Thanks for the kind words, coup. It was great fun to share it IRL. DH says there has been a steady stream of neighbors wanting to see the final product. He's having fun showing it, too. We got our first inspiration from one of the neighbors, so we hope we can pay it forward. It's amazing how many ways people are modifying the identical floorplan. One neighbor just closed on Friday and had the whole thing gutted by yesterday. DH got to see it. He said it was amazing how much easier it was going to be for them, because it's an upstairs unit.

[ysette9]

It looks great.

I agree that meeting forum-ites in real life is a treat. I’ve met a few now and formed friendships that I value. I always hoped in the back of my mind to meet up with Dicey one day. That is complicated by me no longer living in the Bay Area, but you never know what the future may bring.

[Dicey]

It looks great.

I agree that meeting forum-ites in real life is a treat. I’ve met a few now and formed friendships that I value. I always hoped in the back of my mind to meet up with Dicey one day. That is complicated by me no longer living in the Bay Area, but you never know what the future may bring.

I hope it happens! Thanks in part to the size of last year's Moab Meetup, I've met at least 40 Mustachians IRL. It's been a blast and I highly recommend the experience. Totally worth the effort.

[Cassie]

Monarda, besides the Dicey tips I also used myself as a human weight which prevented the pieces from popping out. When I was married we installed pergo in 6 homes. The more you do it the better you get.

[monarda]

Thanks, Dicey and Cassie!
We finished the kitchen, have just a few tiles left in one bathroom (back of linen closet is all that remains), and then have another bathroom left to do. And there's a front entryway.

We are going to take the LVP tiles up in the front entryway and re-do the floor leveler. It's much better than it was, but there are still a couple of dips we need to fill. All the planks are cut and laid in place now, we needed to do that in time for the carpet installation, so they could butt up to the vinyl.

We are getting better at it! I think we've done about 300 sf now. The carpet installer gave us a few tips last Weds. He said to really get the first three rows set perfectly. The old vinyl that we went over had a pattern in it, that was convenient for aligning the LVP.  That seemed to do the trick. We could easily find the 1/32" that we were off. Then after the first 3 rows, the rest went much faster!

[Dicey]

Sorry for the radio silence. Been busy doing stuff we didn't have time for while we were working on the condo. BK hasn't moved in yet, because he's working a zillion days in a row. It will happen.

Here are some close-ups of the wallpaper. I posted before that the LR wall was not true. We installed the paper, trimmed it and DH caulked the edge, so it looks perfect. Paging @Shinplaster. It was a rainy, gloomy day, so there are a lot of shadows, but still better close-ups than the ones I posted before.

[Shinplaster]

Thanks for the bat signal.   It looks exactly as I hoped it would.   Fingers crossed I do as good a job as your DH did.   Luckily I will be doing a much smaller area (powder room) so not too much room to screw it up.

Did you find the paper shrunk at all at the seams?   I seem to remember using that brand once before, and having to be careful about that.  Hopefully they have fixed that issue, but if not I will be forewarned.

[Dicey]

Thanks for the bat signal.   It looks exactly as I hoped it would.   Fingers crossed I do as good a job as your DH did.   Luckily I will be doing a much smaller area (powder room) so not too much room to screw it up.

Did you find the paper shrunk at all at the seams?   I seem to remember using that brand once before, and having to be careful about that.  Hopefully they have fixed that issue, but if not I will be forewarned.

No issue with shrinkage. What was weird about it was it matched easily in one direction but not in the other, so make sure you keep it all in the same direction. Also, in one place it matched perfectly 3/4 of the way down the wall, then inexplicably went off a bit. It's so randomly abstract that we can't even remember or see where it happened. Hmm, we also had better luck getting it wet for longer than they advised and increasing the "book" time (where you let it sit folded in half).

[Shinplaster]

It's good that I'm doing a powder room then.  There are places there won't be full lengths around the vanity and door, so if there's a pattern glitch, that's the place to accommodate that.    I always precut and match the wallpaper before I start applying it, (I number each piece on the back in pencil so I don't get confused), so I will definitely do that with this one.    I also have a tendency to not book it for very long - never been an issue (yet!) for over 30 years of wallpapering, but I will pay extra attention to that too.    Thanks!

[Dicey]

It's good that I'm doing a powder room then.  There are places there won't be full lengths around the vanity and door, so if there's a pattern glitch, that's the place to accommodate that.    I always precut and match the wallpaper before I start applying it, (I number each piece on the back in pencil so I don't get confused), so I will definitely do that with this one.    I also have a tendency to not book it for very long - never been an issue (yet!) for over 30 years of wallpapering, but I will pay extra attention to that too.    Thanks!

Sounds like you've got it figured out. Compared to the olden days, it still doesn't need much booking time, but an extra minute or two really helped.

[Dicey]

Please forgive me, this is totally off topic, but tangentially related. This is the opposite end of the spectrum:

https://www.sfgate.com/realestate/article/bay-area-tech-exec-estate-17760558.php

[couponvan]

But did he lovingly install wallpaper in the tiny kids' play cabins>>>???

[Dicey]

But did he lovingly install wallpaper in the tiny kids' play cabins>>>???

OMG, coup, that's where I put the link! The full listing is in your journal, lol!

[couponvan]

But did he lovingly install wallpaper in the tiny kids' play cabins>>>???

OMG, coup, that's where I put the link! The full listing is in your journal, lol!

Thanks.  That house doesn't do much for me TBH.  The kitchen seems too closed off from the rest of the space and I'd have 50 people in the kitchen and no room to work around.  DH and I both agree that you need room for two+ butts to move freely in the kitchen, and that doesn't work for most small houses/kitchens.  I mean, Livermore?? Williamson Act?  Ouch.

[Embok]

Just catching up here @Dicey.  The condo photos look gorgeous.

Have you and your DH ever laid carpet tiles, like the Flor tiles? If so, do you have any tips?

[Dicey]

Quick $$ update: I think I mentioned the appliance refund of ~ $200 somewhere upthread. Last weekend DH sold the excess flooring for $800 to a nice guy who was building an ADU. That brings us back to about $25k, comfortably under budget, woo-hoo!

DH has now become an HOA board member, and BK has taken up residence, so while the renovations are complete, our connection there continues. We look forward to creating a solid reserve fund for the benefit of BK and all of his neighbors.

I have a few more photos I'll post at some point. Thanks for following along!

[Dicey]

Just catching up here @Dicey.  The condo photos look gorgeous.

Have you and your DH ever laid carpet tiles, like the Flor tiles? If so, do you have any tips?

Hi @Embok, unless I answered this in your journal and forgot about it, I missed this. DH has some experience with carpet tiles. He says people install them on the premise that tiles can be replaced, which technically, they can. However, the extras get stored somewhere and stay pristine. If they're ever needed, when installed they stick out like a sore thumb. Meh.

[Dicey]

I was just perusing this thread before linking it elsewhere. I mentioned DH is on the HOA board, and it's been...interesting. Bonus Kid has fully moved his person in, but all 97.2% of his stuff is still at our house. Sigh. Baby steps, I guess.

[lhamo]

Interested in hearing the HOA board tea.  My sister in on her board and they have had a string of bad luck.  Their latest property manager (who was not following up on things) has left the management company so they are hoping for a better one this time after a string of duds with two different companies.  In spite of all that I am strongly considering trying to rent or buy in her building just because at least I KNOW the problems.  Such a crap shoot even if you thoroughly comb the board notes and reserve study.  It isn't in my preferred location, though, so will depend on if anything is available closer to my move date.

I still am getting Bay Area listings popping up in my Redfin feed from when we were thinking we might need to establish CA residency if DD got in at Berkeley.  Gotta admit the weather down there looks pretty perfect.  There are a couple of nice complexes near the Richmond ferry dock that seem surprisingly affordable, though the monthly fees are on the high side.  Might point SO at one of those.  He could buy down there to be close to DS and I could buy up here to stay close to DD and we could swap back and forth ;)

[Sandi_k]

@lhamo - you do not want to buy in Richmond.

The biggest trick that the Bay Area pulls is real estate that looks AMAZING on paper, but with decades of crime and dysfunction underpinning it. Richmond and Oakland are the poster children for the syndrome.

[Cassie]

I am on the condo hoa board in northern Nevada and we are just getting rid of an awful management company that basically hasn’t done anything for the past year despite us having some major problems. Our new company came highly recommended and we really like the person that will be our manager. I have a friend that lives in Oakland and I have been there many times and I wouldn’t consider living there because of the crime, etc.

[lhamo]

@lhamo - you do not want to buy in Richmond.

The biggest trick that the Bay Area pulls is real estate that looks AMAZING on paper, but with decades of crime and dysfunction underpinning it. Richmond and Oakland are the poster children for the syndrome.

Yeah, I kinda figured there was a catch.  But thought that maybe some of these complexes close to the water might be upscale enough to be somewhat insulated.  My zip code is like that.  There are certain blocks that I definitely would not buy on.  I would not buy on the arterial that my street branches off of.  But once you get away from the heavily trafficked areas, streets like mine are actually really nice.  Aside from mail theft (which you get pretty much anywhere in Seattle these days), we don't really have issues on my street. And we have a lovely view of the lake and close proximity to one of the best trails in the country.

Sigh.  I wish this house were more age in place friendly and not so expensive so that I could afford to stay here long term. Gonna miss it....

[SpinWave0704]

Hi @Dicey, hope you don't mind that I'm bumping this thread up. My family is planning to remodel my parents' house in the Bay Area, including new hardwood flooring, a kitchen remodel, and adding a new bathroom. The main goals are making the house safer for senior citizens - leveling the 1st floor and removing the sunken living room (a major trip hazard), and also updating the house. Do you have store recommendations for materials, or specific brands?

Last year, we window-shopped at:

• Granite Expo
• KZ Kitchen Cabinet & Stone
• Bullnose Tile
• Porcelanosa
• Bedrosians Tile & Stone

Basically, we went to most all of the stores near Brokaw Rd & Junction in San Jose. It was overwhelming - the paradox of choice. In addition, if you liked a cabinet, it was hard to find a countertop slab that matched. Now we're restarting the process all over again :-(

Looking for: 

• Nice but not expensive, top-shelf materials
• Simplified / bundled choices: If we pick a countertop, which cabinet and floor tile should go with it? Or do I try to find a few bathroom pictures on Houzz and try to replicate their design choices?
• Wishful thinking: I would love to choose everything needed at ONE or two larger stores. I don't want to spend countless hours at the stores (although I suspect that will not be avoidable.)

Thanks for any advice you can share!

[former player]

If you are starting from scratch you might take a look at Maria Killam, there's lots of advice on her blog about choosing things like countertops and splashbacks so that they work together.  Or you could even look at one of her edesign packages where everything is chosen for you: it sounds like it might be worth it for a project like yours.

[Dicey]

Hi @Dicey, hope you don't mind that I'm bumping this thread up. My family is planning to remodel my parents' house in the Bay Area, including new hardwood flooring, a kitchen remodel, and adding a new bathroom. The main goals are making the house safer for senior citizens - leveling the 1st floor and removing the sunken living room (a major trip hazard), and also updating the house. Do you have store recommendations for materials, or specific brands?

Last year, we window-shopped at:

• Granite Expo
• KZ Kitchen Cabinet & Stone
• Bullnose Tile
• Porcelanosa
• Bedrosians Tile & Stone

Basically, we went to most all of the stores near Brokaw Rd & Junction in San Jose. It was overwhelming - the paradox of choice. In addition, if you liked a cabinet, it was hard to find a countertop slab that matched. Now we're restarting the process all over again :-(

Looking for: 

• Nice but not expensive, top-shelf materials
• Simplified / bundled choices: If we pick a countertop, which cabinet and floor tile should go with it? Or do I try to find a few bathroom pictures on Houzz and try to replicate their design choices?
• Wishful thinking: I would love to choose everything needed at ONE or two larger stores. I don't want to spend countless hours at the stores (although I suspect that will not be avoidable.)

Thanks for any advice you can share!

Ha! I know that area very well. It's gotten so big, we, too, found it overwhelming the last time we were there. I love the selection (OMG, every kind of Shluter known to man + incredible vignettes) and service at Bullnose. On the project before this one, we got most of our tile there, but this time, nothing struck us at a price we were willing to pay.

For us, budget was the primary concern. We got the shower tile on clearance at Bedrosians in Sacramento (we swung by there on our way home from a trip). The backsplash came from Floor & Decor, but we didn't spot it until the third visit. The countertops were tricky. We looked at all those places, but we needed non-standard sizes, so we went with a local guy we've used for custom work before. Our flooring was from LL Flooring, purchased via Craigslist.  Cabinets were RTA from Mega Cabinets in Fremont. The best thing about using Mega was that as more storage ideas occurred to us, it was easy to go back and buy more cabinets that matched the first ones we bought. They have a huge inventory, ready for pick-up.

The biggest money saving advice I can give you is to be flexible. We create a general vision, then we search hard for deals, then choose complimentary items to complete the package. For this project, we knew we wanted to lean into taupe shades, not gray. We knew we wanted the overall effect to be clean and light, but we weren't more specific than that.

This is only possible because we do most of the work ourselves, and we have a large garage in which to stockpile supplies. For one project, we had a full suite of appliances in our garage for almost a year!

I'm curious about "new hardwood flooring". Unless the style of the house absolutely demands it, it's probably the worst option for seniors and it's crazy expensive. The term for what you want to do is "Universal Design". There's a ton on YT and the internet. I went to a seminar by this person recently, and it was very interesting. https://robineveinteriors.com/universal-design/

[SpinWave0704]

If you are starting from scratch you might take a look at Maria Killam, there's lots of advice on her blog about choosing things like countertops and splashbacks so that they work together.  Or you could even look at one of her edesign packages where everything is chosen for you: it sounds like it might be worth it for a project like yours.

Thanks for the Maria Killam tips, @former player. I've browsed her website before, and I like it, but her packages are pretty expensive - too much of a sticker shock for my parents. But I will check out her blog for design ideas. Maybe we can try to replicate a picture of a kitchen we like or something. (Another challenge: decision/design by committee is never a good idea. Add in the family dynamics, and we're guaranteed for a hoot.)

[SpinWave0704]

Hi @Dicey, hope you don't mind that I'm bumping this thread up. My family is planning to remodel my parents' house in the Bay Area, including new hardwood flooring, a kitchen remodel, and adding a new bathroom. The main goals are making the house safer for senior citizens - leveling the 1st floor and removing the sunken living room (a major trip hazard), and also updating the house. Do you have store recommendations for materials, or specific brands?

Last year, we window-shopped at:

• Granite Expo
• KZ Kitchen Cabinet & Stone
• Bullnose Tile
• Porcelanosa
• Bedrosians Tile & Stone

Basically, we went to most all of the stores near Brokaw Rd & Junction in San Jose. It was overwhelming - the paradox of choice. In addition, if you liked a cabinet, it was hard to find a countertop slab that matched. Now we're restarting the process all over again :-(

Looking for: 

• Nice but not expensive, top-shelf materials
• Simplified / bundled choices: If we pick a countertop, which cabinet and floor tile should go with it? Or do I try to find a few bathroom pictures on Houzz and try to replicate their design choices?
• Wishful thinking: I would love to choose everything needed at ONE or two larger stores. I don't want to spend countless hours at the stores (although I suspect that will not be avoidable.)

Thanks for any advice you can share!

Ha! I know that area very well. It's gotten so big, we, too, found it overwhelming the last time we were there. I love the selection (OMG, every kind of Shluter known to man + incredible vignettes) and service at Bullnose. On the project before this one, we got most of our tile there, but this time, nothing struck us at a price we were willing to pay.

For us, budget was the primary concern. We got the shower tile on clearance at Bedrosians in Sacramento (we swung by there on our way home from a trip). The backsplash came from Floor & Decor, but we didn't spot it until the third visit. The countertops were tricky. We looked at all those places, but we needed non-standard sizes, so we went with a local guy we've used for custom work before. Our flooring was from LL Flooring, purchased via Craigslist.  Cabinets were RTA from Mega Cabinets in Fremont. The best thing about using Mega was that as more storage ideas occurred to us, it was easy to go back and buy more cabinets that matched the first ones we bought. They have a huge inventory, ready for pick-up.

The biggest money saving advice I can give you is to be flexible. We create a general vision, then we search hard for deals, then choose complimentary items to complete the package. For this project, we knew we wanted to lean into taupe shades, not gray. We knew we wanted the overall effect to be clean and light, but we weren't more specific than that.

Thanks for the suggestions, @Dicey. We're also leaning towards taupe (with blue/gray undertones) or beige (with yellow undertones). Bullnose has the nicest stuff, but probably the most expensive - I'm not surprised that you couldn't score a deal there. We'll check out the other stores you suggested.

This is only possible because we do most of the work ourselves, and we have a large garage in which to stockpile supplies. For one project, we had a full suite of appliances in our garage for almost a year!

We are basically the opposite to you: No time to shop or look for deals. No time to slow-roll the project (Ideally, the project starts and ends in Nov.) Limited storage area to stockpile supplies. ZERO handyman skills (not just me, we're talking about several adults across multiple households). I mean, really, zero. I can assemble an Ikea Billy bookcase, and that's my max effort.

I'm curious about "new hardwood flooring". Unless the style of the house absolutely demands it, it's probably the worst option for seniors and it's crazy expensive. The term for what you want to do is "Universal Design". There's a ton on YT and the internet. I went to a seminar by this person recently, and it was very interesting. https://robineveinteriors.com/universal-design/

re: Universal Design: Geez, I wish I know about all this 10 years ago. OTOH, I suppose it wouldn't have mattered; we wouldn't be ready for a remodel then. Thanks for sharing, it's a good resource.

re: hardwood floors: Hard to explain, exactly. Part of the floors (dining room, etc) are already hardwood, so we were hoping to match the same color and add the similar new hardwood everywhere else. My parents hate laminate and vinyl flooring (even though I think the quality and variety has increased substantially in the past decade). Maybe they are open to manufactured / engineered hardwood? Carpet is not an option, for mobility reasons. I don't know what other options we may have? I checked out this page: https://robineveinteriors.com/2018/11/23/new-materials-worth-knowing-when-remodeling-house-flooring/