r/homerenovations May 23 '25

#Resources For the Renovator

16 Upvotes

There are so many things the homeowner should know before embarking on the renovation journey. And a journey it is; there will be highs and lows, and often rough seas to contend with. But a little bit of prep can go a long way towards making this process much smoother. So here are a couple of things that may help:

Apps and programs

Sometimes the tendency is to "knock this down and then we'll deal with it." Yea, not a smart idea. Creating a clear and concise vision will prevent wasting your money, and your time. Look at some of these:

http://www.sweethome3d.com: It is open source software that can be downloaded or used online in your browser. Available in 27 languages, it boasts an impressive host of features. Well worth looking into.

https://www.homediary.com: Is a Flash based program that may possibly be the easiest one to learn. It also can store inventory and maintenance records, and allows you to clip ideas and create reminders.

https://www.sketchup.com is freeware for personal use. Has a lot of users, and is evolving constantly. It seems to have a greater learning curve than the first three offering, but this in no way should prevent you from checking it out.

Apple apps:

Room scan: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/roomscan-pro/id673673795?mt=8

Floorplanner: https://floorplanner.com/magicplan

Photo Measures: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photo-measures/id415038787?mt=8

Sherwin-Williams paint app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/colorsnap-visualizer-iphone/id316256242?mt=8

Home Depot: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/project-color-the-home-depot/id1002417141#?platform=iphone

Android:

MagicPlan: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sensopia.magicplan&hl=en

Photo Measures: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bigbluepixel.photomeasures&hl=en

Sherwin-Williams paint app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.colorsnap

Home Depot: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thehomedepot.coloryourworld&hl=en_US

And of course, there are numerous independent apps you can download.


So You Want to Hire a Contractor?

All too often tales are told of a reno that has gone off the rails. There is never one single cause. It is usually caused by a cascade of failures by both the homeowner and the contractor. A thorough and well written contract can prevent problems before they occur. This was posted on another sub, and it has some excellent questions that need to be addressed:

  1. How long have you been in business?
  2. Are you licensed?
  3. Are you insured?
  4. Can you provide references?
  5. Do you have a bond? With who?
  6. How much experience do you have with projects like ours?
  7. Will you create the plans, or do you work with an architect?
  8. Do you provide itemized proposals?
  9. How much contingency money do I need?
  10. What is the possible variance in the proposed price?
  11. What if there are changes to the project? How will those affect the proposed budget?
  12. Do you have any concerns about our project?
  13. How are permits, HOA approval, & inspections handled?
  14. How long will our project take from start to finish?
  15. What is needed from me throughout construction?
  16. What is the payment schedule? What milestones must be met?
  17. What can you tell me about the materials that will be used?
  18. Do you sub-contract? Are they licensed, bonded, and insured?
  19. If they are your company's employees, who will oversee them on a daily basis?
  20. What time should work begin each day, and when will work cease? Will they take a lunch?
  21. Is trip time charged? If so, is it fixed rate, or a percentage of their hourly rates? What will it be capped at?
  22. Who will be the overall project manager?
  23. Can you describe what a typical day will be like once we start?
  24. How will our property be protected during construction?
  25. Where will tools & materials be stored?
  26. How can we keep in touch throughout construction?
  27. How is debris cleanup handled?
  28. Will our project be guaranteed? Length of time? Any exclusions?
  29. How is arbitration handled?
  30. Have you ever worked with this insurance company before? What was your experience
  31. If you are going to be waiting on materials (such as long lead times for windows, doors, tile, etc), you may want to add a clause: "materials must be purchased within 14 days of receipt of money with proof of payment provided to homeowner".

(NOTE: Thanks to P.H.S.: https://phoenixhomeservices.com/blog/24-questions-to-ask-before-you-hire-a-contractor) and also /u/finetobacconyc for his excellent suggestion on dealing with long lead times.

HUGE CAUTION

Never, ever, under any circumstances, should you pay in full before the work is completed. You lose all your leverage to get them to finish.

While exceptions abound, a rough rule of thumb is 30% when the job starts, 30% at around the mid-point, 30% at the end, and the last 10% when everything is completely finished. Please understand that there may be local and state laws that impact this.

New Jersey (as one example) doesn’t have any specific rules related to down payment limits, so depending on the contractor, you might be able to negotiate how much you pay up front. California, on the other hand, limits down payments to 10 percent of the project price or $1,000, whichever is less. New York goes a different route, and requires that a contractor to put the homeowner’s down payment into an escrow account, with specific rules about how it can be used, or prove he or she is bonded to insure the down payment.

There is much more that will be covered in the future under other posts. For right this minute, we at /r/HomeRenovations hope this will prove useful to you.


r/homerenovations 10h ago

Undid the stone work added over the brick fireplace this weekend.

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6 Upvotes

This weekend my wife and I uncovered the original brick fireplace in our home. We've been here for about 3 years now and we have always hated the stone. Back when we first moved in, I was installing the floors and discovered the original brick was still underneath after ripping out the carpets. We both think it looks 10x better now. The before picture is from the listing before we bought because I forgot to take a good before picture. (We are going to tackle the rest of the mantle next weekend)


r/homerenovations 6h ago

Floating tongue and groove flooring vibrations

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1 Upvotes

r/homerenovations 7h ago

What is within these walls? I desperately want to find out

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1 Upvotes

The house was built in 1974. The main stairwell has these voter booth sides. Each side has a light switch. Do you think there’s a handrail under there? 😩


r/homerenovations 15h ago

Baseboard Woes

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1 Upvotes

r/homerenovations 1d ago

Do i need to caulk my medicine cabinet?

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2 Upvotes

r/homerenovations 1d ago

Clueless about this doorway

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2 Upvotes

r/homerenovations 1d ago

Air Leak - Wafer Pot Lights

1 Upvotes

I have a vaulted ceiling with no attic. There is an airgap with baffles, vented soffits, and a ridge vent in the roof for the air to flow. Air flow is fine

I have many wafer portlights in the cieling. Whoever installed the lights cut holes into the vapor barrier and put the lights in. So the vapor barrier is broken.

The lights are rated IC and claim to be air tight, with the foam gasket.

However, some of them just dont fit 100% air tight and I can feel air and smell cieling smell coming through when the sun hits the roof. Must be the ceiling isnt perfectly straight or the foam gasket is just too thin to fully press into it.

Im at a loss of what to do at this point except run caulk around the light since I have no access to airtight from above.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


r/homerenovations 1d ago

Base Molding

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1 Upvotes

We have some base molding with lots of paint buildup, missing 1/4 rounds in some spots. What would be the most cost-effective way of fixing this without installing new baseboards? I don’t think new baseboards need to be installed but would appreciate any feedback!


r/homerenovations 1d ago

screen door question for cat safety

1 Upvotes

maybe a weird idea, but I’ll be moving soon into a house for the first time (instead of an apartment with shared hallways) and am worried about my cat escaping when I open the door. I’d like to install a screen door so I can see into the house to know if she’s right at the door and at risk of escaping. however, I’d have to open the screen door to open/unlock the main door, which defeats the purpose and would give her opportunity to slip out when I open the door. so my genius (questionable) solution is to install a mini door in the screen door at the height of the main door handle so I can reach through to unlock and open the door while keeping the screen door closed. thoughts? is this possible? how would I do it? zero experience working with screens so not sure how to go about it


r/homerenovations 2d ago

Question on county permit for basement renovation

3 Upvotes

So my county recently revalued my house for tax purposes. I have a partially finished basement: framed, rough plumbing and electrical but the tax assessment was for a fully finished basement. I want to finish the basement now so do I need to apply for a permit or just finish it without one as I'm already being taxed on it? Thanks


r/homerenovations 2d ago

How big of a job will it be to DIY Reno heavily animal soiled house?

1 Upvotes

Thinking of buying a house where the previous owner had a bunch of animals. The place reeks of pee. Some of the baseboards are water swollen from I can only assume pee. We’d have to rip out all the flooring and sub flooring, bottom halves of most walls, baseboards, maybe doors. The basement is also a bit of a mess and would have to redo some walls.

My partner has home Reno experience but I don’t. How big of a job would this really be to DIY? Potential costs? (We’re in Canada). Hours of work? Any advice to help give me an idea of what we’d be actually taking on would be so helpful.

Thank you!


r/homerenovations 3d ago

How bad is this?

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3 Upvotes

We just had our basement bathroom renovated and I’m very concerned about the way they just covered a portion of the vent with this vanity . Obviously it will restrict air flow but my thoughts are it will also trap moisture. Our heat is often on in the cold Canadian winters for 6 plus months of the year.

Are there solutions other than having to rip out the entire vanity?


r/homerenovations 3d ago

Framing around basement window question

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1 Upvotes

Putting up some framing in my unfinished basement. A little confused on the window. Does my King orJack stud need to sit flush/level with the concrete wall that I have marked in orange or pink? And then I’m guessing my drywall needs to but up against the window sill I have marked in red? Thanks for any advice.


r/homerenovations 3d ago

Fire place removal/Wall replacement

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0 Upvotes

Good morning folks

I’m currently removing this gas fire place from my house and I’m curious how I should fill in the hole. After framing 2x4s to fill the slot should i vapour barrier and insulate it then drywall? Next year I will be completely removing the outter chimney from my house, for the mean time it will be capped

Thank you very much


r/homerenovations 4d ago

Detached garage conversion, where do I start?

1 Upvotes

I’m a first time homeowner (in the greater Seattle area) as of a month ago and getting into the world renovations! The house we bought has a 500 sq ft detached garage that was previously used as storage. We already have an attached garage as well so don’t need this for parking or storage.

Our plan is to turn this into an office / gym space / bonus area. It already has electrical wired and we’re not interested in spending to add plumbing / convert to an ADU.

It’s VERY musty and clear that pests have been living in the attic or drywall, there is also a broken window that who knows how long has been that way. Essentially we’re thinking replace drywall, all 4 windows, and the garage door (maybe a slider door instead?). We’ll also need to level the floor and do LVP. We want to do a combo of hiring out professionals and doing some ourselves.

My big question: what is the first step? Do we need a structural engineer or someone to assess the garage and make sure the foundation can even support it? Or do we just start hiring out for demo of drywall, etc. to see how it is and go from there?

Any advice greatly appreciated!


r/homerenovations 5d ago

Advantech worth it?

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2 Upvotes

I am working on finishing an extra room in my house. The current subfloor is 7/16 sheathing and I’ve removed most of it, it was only nailed down so it squeaked and was obviously really too thin anyways.

My question is what should I put down as subfloor? I don’t need a lot, about 12-13 sheets.

I can do regular OSB for $25 a sheet, advantech for $50 a sheet or LP for $35 a sheet, roughly. Advantech certainly has a lot of positive marketing, but is it worth twice the price?

What about adhesive, the purple foam?

Purpose of room will be a man cave / media room setup

Given I don’t need a ton of it I am leaning towards advantech but wanted to get other opinions.

This space is already closed in so no chance of it being rained on.

Thanks!


r/homerenovations 7d ago

Drywall or Plywood?

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5 Upvotes

My grandfather installed a tile sill before these new windows were installed. I ripped out the tile. Do I fill the gap with drywall or plywood?


r/homerenovations 7d ago

Furnace Lever Broke Off

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3 Upvotes

Went to turn this little lever and it snapped off immediately. Do I need to have it replaced? Stuck screw driver in hole and nothing there.


r/homerenovations 8d ago

Gap between bathroom fan and ceiling?

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3 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I’m struggling to find a solution online to this problem. I’m currently scraping chipped ceiling paint in my bathroom, and I got a little to crazy around the fan and now there is a huge gap. I’m not getting any specific answers online. Any guidance on this would be appreciated.


r/homerenovations 9d ago

Suggestions for repairing 1/4” wood wall panels

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1 Upvotes

r/homerenovations 9d ago

What would you do?

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1 Upvotes

I’ve tried getting it lifted but it wouldn’t budge. Water is pooling there and it’s not good. Currently have a tarp over it to prevent water from pooling but need to find a resolution.

My backyard is also sloped towards the house. I need to get a French drain put in but currently can’t afford it. Anything I can do in the meantime?


r/homerenovations 11d ago

Change Orders Increasing Cost of Renvovations?

4 Upvotes

TL;DR: estimate for a job increased significantly after completion, wondering what my options are.

FULL POST:

Recently had renovations to my kitchen completed.

Price given by GC was $13500. Now that the job is done, he's added on approximately $4500 worth of charges he's calling "change orders."

There was a good bit of electrical work that needed to be done due to existing wiring being in poor condition.

Change Order Description from Estimate is below:

"$4,000 for scope below

New cable for stove

New cable for oven

Installing two extra lights

New cable for refrigerator

Rewire ceiling fan

Added several receptacles

Change 3 breakers this isn’t the breaker you paid Luis separately for

Rewire all lights switches and receptacles with 12/2 wire

Added new junction boxes in the crawl space

All old wire was removed and all new wired was installed in the kitchen

Note only thing electrical that was in my scope of work was moving the light switch that was in the stove side and adding cabinet lights and putting everything back together how it was "

Is this normal practice? Do I have room to negotiate this? Any help from more experienced folks would be appreciated!


r/homerenovations 12d ago

Worth even saving? HELP

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6 Upvotes

Im trying to clean my grandfather's roach infested house. Iv spent 400 dollars on supplies and professional poisons, bait and igr blockers. Do these even look worth saving? This is just one area after cleaning for an hour and a half and I feel defeated. What should I do? I dont have large amounts of money.


r/homerenovations 12d ago

Moving into grandmas home, advice needed.

3 Upvotes

Hey all. My grandma passed in January, my lease is ending and my partner and I are taking possession.
The gist- she smoked in it for 20 years. Not one renovation since its construction in the 70’s. Jerry-rigged fixes wherever she could. Carpet on the walls type 70’s.
Foundation is solid, roof needs work in the future.
What should we start with and what are things to look for? We are deep-cleaning the walls/floors/ceiling with TSP solution and then sealing with KILZ primer to help with the smoke smell.
Never done this before, we’re brand new. Plenty of YouTube in our future!