Getting the House ready to sell!

[steinjef]

Fortunately we had started downsizing as our children left the nest. My latest is a modest size home that was in need of some TLC. We have spent the last ten years doing some minor remodeling.

Such as: We tore out the entire kitchen and put in all new cabinets and appliances. I believe this was year 2 and 3. The first year was getting rid of 9 really large messy pine trees and getting the outside landscaping in order.

Year 4 and 5. We tore out all the carpeting to let the beautiful Oak hardwood show. Yeah right! Some idiot took a belt sander to it and "finished" it for good. So instead I ripped out ALL the windows (single pane) old style like in a mobile home type. I replaced them with vinyl double pane, low E, easy to clean (they tilt inward for cleaning) windows.

Year 6 and 7. I then removed a wall to make the kitchen living rooms bigger. Of course we painted all the walls. Then i installed floating, strand bamboo engineered flooring through out. Except for the bed rooms. They are still carpeted. Except for one!

At this point, I feel obligated to impart to you (especially you younger parents) the commandments that I wish someone would have given to me.

One - Never, ever allow a cute teenage girl with long eyelashes and blinking eyelids influence your perfectly sane rational decisions to NOT paint her bedroom room Purple with a wallpaper border of pixies and fairies. That is unless you never intend to re-do the room. Of course the Realtor says, paint in a light neutral color. After you remove the border. RIGHT! Soft White does not cover purple until after 5 or 6 coats.

Two - Never, ever allow the cute wife/mother with the long eyelashes and blinking eyelids help your teenage daughter convince you that you are wrong.

Three - Never, ever allow the cute teenager look at the room that you are re-doing. You most definitely will hear "What have you done to MY room?"

Four - Never, ever allow the cute wife/mother see the room that you are "done" with until after the house is sold.

Five - Never, ever think for a minute that the cute teenager is still your long eyelash, eye blinking little girl. She has grown to be a female viper with 6 inch stiletto heels, and will not stop tormenting you until you return the room (that she no longer uses) back to her prepubescent days.

Six - Never, ever think for a moment that you will just use that couple gallons of paint that have been sitting around for years. You will run out before you are done, and the cute wife/mother will instruct you to get "extra paint" so you can now do the last bedroom that you had no intention of touching.

And last but not least - Never, ever think for a moment that you will be allowed to take the motor home, by yourself, and park it someplace quite.

It just ain't gonna happen!!!

[OrngTrillium]

Sounds like you had fun. Did you use the thickest primer you could find before the neutral went up? Did you learn 1 coat paint really needs the tag line before you apply the second coat? Are your walls smooth or textured? Textured means lots a paint. Did the previous owner paint the walls seems like the longer you wait the more paint it needs. Now the good news is as the master tradesman you know every square inch of the house and you know every imperfection. Those looking at it will see the overall beauty of your work. You,all see the wood filler isn't 100% level on the finishing nail on tour baseboard in the far corner they will think baseboards come pre attached to the drywall. You will know when you installed the bamboo that the room is off square by a quarter inch, they will ask you where you keep the koalas-