Bathroom Makeover Part 2: The Great Wall

After several months of work, our master bathroom is finally done. (or at least close enough to blog about it!) If you missed the first part of the bathroom remodel, you can read about it here.

The biggest thing we had to tackle next was the outdated style of the vanity/sink area- it was completely open to the rest of the bedroom. Just like the popcorn ceilings, this style is best left in the 70s. And that meant wall building time! 

The goal: enclose the bathroom from the bedroom and install a door in the wall. It definitely wasn't a fast-moving project. And also one that we will NEVER tackle again. Here's a condensed version of the play-by-play:

1. Measuring. I thought this step would be easy, but you'd be surprised how many times you have to measure the opening to get the correct figures for all the pieces that go into the wall. And of course, factoring in the space for the door.  


2. Building the frame. This went well until we realized that we measured slightly off even after thousands of tries. Thank goodness we only live a couple miles from Home Depot! (and they are INCREDIBLY helpful) After much toil, we finally got the frame assembled and ready to install.

3. Removing floor tile. Turns out that to build an interior wall, it needs to be anchored to the foundation, not the tile or flooring on top of the foundation. This means we had to remove a couple tiles. It may sound easy, but this took almost as long as the wall building itself!

3. Installation and anchoring. This part wasn't as challenging. We left .25" for drywall and then nailed the frame into the side walls and the foundation. To anchor into the foundation, my dad let us borrow a contraption that uses a bullet to shoot a nail into the concrete foundation. WHOA. That's when we should have known we were out of our league. But like all first-timers, we gleefully pressed on.  

   

4. Drywall. Thank goodness the steps started getting easier after the frame building or we may have thrown in the towel. Measuring and cutting the drywall was a little time consuming (again with the multiple measuring), but at least the installation was easy. Drywall, check.

5. Joint compound and tape. I definitely didn't even know this step existed until I started wondering what filled in the cracks between drywall pieces. You guessed it, joint compound and drywall tape! The compound is like thick putty and can make a huge mess if you're not careful (oops...). The tape goes on after filling in the cracks. Then two more layers of compound and on to the texture.


6. Texture. This part was tricky and involved a lot of YouTube searching. Basically there were two options for getting the knockdown texture that we needed to (somewhat) match the original surrounding walls.  A) Buy a $200 texture sprayer (NOPE). or  B) Figure out how to DIY (winner!). I used the "Target bag" method. I know, it sounds so professional. Basically you spread on a medium layer of compound and then smash a target bag into it and pull it off to form peaks in the compound. Let it dry for approximately 35 minutes (time varies by compound thickness) and then go back with a trowel and scrape off the top of the peaks. Wall-ah!

First Time Home Buying: {The Crash Course}

As recent first-time home buyers, there were many things we wish we had known before starting our house search. And as much as we wish there had been a required Home Buying 101 course in college, we got through the process with some valuable lessons for years down the road when house number two shows up on the horizon.

So here are a few words of wisdom for anyone who is approaching the home-buying phase of life.

1. No Credit is Bad Credit

• As much as I hate debt of any kind, you will have major trouble getting a home loan unless you have some type of credit history. My husband has always been extremely good with money and has avoided debt and credit cards altogether (Dave Ramsey would be so proud!). Not inheriting debt on our wedding day was an added bonus, but it turned out to also be a thorn in our side when we started applying jointly for home loans. If you are looking to buy a house and have never had an open line of credit before, consider getting a credit card so that you will have some type of credit history when you start the loan application process.

2. A Good Mortgage Banker

• Having gone through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace Course, we knew most of the basic home-buying lingo. "Adjustable-rate mortgage, fixed-rate mortgage, etc." And we thought we were doing pretty good. But boy were we wrong! There are more loan options out there than hairs on my head. I really think we would have just thrown in the towel if it wasn't for our amazing Mortgage Banker (if anyone wants a recommendation, just ask!). She knew that we were new to the process and answered all of our seemingly stupid questions in ways that we could understand. She got us a great interest rate and went to bat for us several times to keep it when rates went up. Basically, she was a life-saver and we couldn't have gone through the process without her help. Ask friends and family for recommendations before you start the process and it will be one of the best decisions you'll make!

3. A Good Real Estate Agent

• For as long as I can remember, I always thought a real estate agent was just the one who let you into the houses so you could look at them. Wrong again! We got lucky and had an agent who had been in the business for years. She knew all the neighborhoods, school districts and areas to watch out for. She showed us how to look for water damage, foundation problems and roof problems. It's my first instinct to just wander through a house and admire the floor plan, pretty cabinets and wood floors, but apparently there are many other things to be on the look out for. It may not be as fun as my way of looking at houses, but it sure saved us from some lemons. When the time came to negotiate on things like price and additional repairs, our agent turned into our personal assistant. She handled all the negotiations for us and made sure all the loose ends were taken care of. As much as I hate real estate fees and trying to find a good agent, it is 100% worth your time. 

4. Base Your Budget on You, Not Them

• If you want to know how the housing market went bust, just go apply for a loan. If you calculate what monthly payments you can safely afford, I guarantee you'll be approved for a house that will absolutely max out your monthly income. DON'T FALL FOR IT! Know your monthly income and base your total home loan amount on what you need your monthly payments to be. Sure, you can get approved for more, but that's how people overextend themselves and forget about all the other monthly expenses. Banks make more money if you borrow more money, so it's no surprise that many people take the bait (after all, who wouldn't want a bigger house?!). Sticking to your budget will free up enough monthly income to let you continue to live your life and enjoy it. Moral of this story: own your house, don't let your house own you.