I ran into a client today who was asking excellent questions. Her family has just purchased a home and has a small to-do list before moving into their new home. I had similar experiences in home renovations compared to their plan, and I wanted to share some tips:
Change all toilets
I do this myself and highly recommend it. Replacing a toilet from the 50s will:
(1) save on water since the older toilets use a lot more water to flush (some of them will most likely get flagged because they do not pass energy requirements
(2) save on hassle in calling the Plummer. With my favorite Toto toilet and proper use, I never had plumbing issues.
(3) above all, it will feel personal to get your own toilet and it’s a great way to start this journey with your new home
Home Depot and Lowe’s do not carry this specific model most of the time. I always purchased mine on time die delivery. You will need a qualified plumber to remove the old toilet and install the new one. For recommendation on a local plumber, feel free to leave me a message on my website OverTheMoonHomes.com
For luxury: TOTO Washlet and Toilet on Amazon
New kitchen cabinet and counter
East Star has selections in materials and patterns/colors in stock. Chances are you will find something you like there. However, after repeatedly checking the status and stating my pickup date, they would often not have a piece of the cabinet that I needed to finish the project. Their system is probably not good enough to track what items have been picked up and then alert the salesperson to stop selling. This incident occurred three times in 2020 for me; each happened in agony. While there are tons of surprises during a renovation project, a supplier failing me is one that leaves me the most chilling.
East Star Building Supply (415) 467–2388 https://goo.gl/maps/H3hjgqbx7jwDn2Z87
The next shop has similar items as East Star but without its extensive collection of bath hardware. Although it has fewer selections in all products, its customer service was excellent. There are sales representatives available to answer all of my questions. Placing an order was a breeze, and items are available on pickup day!! General questions or changes in the order, staff are happy to accommodate as long as the product has not been assembled.
Uni Stone & Cabinet (415) 282–3388 https://goo.gl/maps/eWEpP4oRFZA5JZ248
Home Depot and Lowe’s are also great stores. However, many of their cabinets and stones are not in stock, so you need to consider the project timeline.
Paint
Paint shops will tell you that they are better than others. There are so many choices: Behr, Kelly Moore, Sherwin-Williams, etc.
I used to be very confused about which brand to use and what TEXTURE:
(High) gloss
Semi-gloss
Satin
Eggshell
Matte
Flat
Are you prepared to select your desired paint? I’ve spent extensive time at the paint counter. Fortunately, my favorite painter taught me a simple rule of thumb is to use flat if the walls are over 20 years old. If you have brand new walls, and you would like to show off the shape lines and corners, then use between eggshell and gloss.
Your painter should know how to select a paint color and texture for you. If not, be sure to interview some more paintings as it is a very specialized skill. It is best to select the proper surfaces and colors as they will not go unnoticed.
You can also find the article here.