[ArkOuFan]

After visiting the last several years we’ve finally reached the magic retirement date and are moving to the Villages in April. We’ve decided to rent long term for 9 months to give us time to really explore neighborhoods. With my career we moved at least 7 times and had a lot of luck buying homes that we could live in but remodel over time. We are capable of doing most of the works ourselves or at least knowing when it makes more sense to bring in a professional. So I’m looking for insights or experience with regards to remodeling the interior of your own home. It looks to us that there are a lot of homes in great neighborhoods that just need some updates but are concerned if a do it yourself project is feasible in the Villages?

[bluedivergirl]

Our home is 6 years old, so no major renovations. We've had no problem doing backsplash, floors, adding pantry cabinets. We hired the crown molding; the mitre cuts were complex enough DH didn't want to fight with them.

I would be concerned about any project that might require a dumpster for debris. You might need a permit and understanding from your neighbors.

Don't pay for anything in full before work begins. We like to pay first, middle and end of project. You have more control that way.

[JohnN]

if you've got experience in renovation, you'll have no problem. seems it's about the same as anywhere else.

[John_W]

I went the extreme route in 1980, the home below came completely out of my brain. I drew the floor plan and took it to a residential designer, you don't need an architect's seal in Florida unless it's commercial property, also since it was one story I wasn't worried about load bearing. He gave me 7 sets of blueprints for $265 with a spec sheet of all the items needed to build the house. Then I bought a lot in a subdivision that had underground utilities and was in the section of Pensacola I wanted to live, it was $15,000 for a 120' x 150' lot.

I took the blueprints to a building supply company and the salesman gave me an estimate for everything I needed. Drywall, windows, 2 x 4s, sliding doors, roof shingles, fireplace, etc. Got appliance estimates, cabinet estimates, plumbing and electric estimates. Then I went to a job site where they building the most expensive homes in Pensacola. I found one that was being framed and asked for the supervisor. He agreed to do the job and gave me an estimate of $2700 to dry in the home and he gave a referral for a slab crew.

I took everything to my bank and I requested a construction loan for $50,000. I had a job with the Federal Government as a GS 13, so I had good income and I was able to get on straight 2pm to 10pm shifts at work. The bank approved my loan with 4 draws and to be able to inspect the home before each draw.

To make a long story short, I went to the job site everyday from 7am to about 1pm. We broke ground and 11 weeks later we moved into the home. I did all the inside painting, including the woodwork and doors. Did all the outside landscaping, going to a commercial nursey and picking out shrubs is fun. I also put in a 18 x 36 pool and a privacy fence. The home construction came to $52,000, pool was $8,000, lot was $15,000, fence was $2500, total cost $77,500. I lived in the home for 18 months and then sold it for $129K. In Florida you don't need a contractor's license if you don't sell the home within the first year.

Other than framers and slab work, many of the jobs are no different than a person remodeling their home. I was able to get referrals or drive around and look at other job sites and find craftman. If you know the order in which every job has to be performed, then you can be a general contractor of your own home. You can do so more without big money being spent. I had 5 ceiling fans, central vacuum, a trash compactor, wallpaper in the kitchen and baths, cast iron plumbing fixtures, intercom with radio. I was able to walk around with a foam can and fill all the corners and T's with insulation before the vapor barrier went up. When you do everything yourself, it's so much nicer.

Here's the home just after completion. I bought a 100 yards of sod and plugged the entire yard front and back for the cost of one pallet of sod. Within a couple months it's solid beautiful grass. I kept every tree that wasn't where the foundation or driveway was going to be built. I hate it when builders strip the land of all trees before building.

[villagetinker]

OP, if your home is in Sumter county and less than 10 years old you should be able to get your actual house plans from the Sumter County Building department, this may help you in your remodeling.

[mulligan]

My guess is you could probably be successful with the only caveat that you have to be aware of the "hurricane/wind mitigation requirements " before you get too far into it. They vary by county.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

let me get the question perspective correct: poster states that he has done many remodels, and now moving to a relatively new retirement community, and asking others who have retired, if he can do remodels? asking retires who generally being retired, don't do remodeling, and because they custom built their house, by someone they don't know, if the newbie can do remodeling?

reads like a strange question to me. . . but I might be considered strange.

[photo1902]

Originally Posted by ArkOuFan

After visiting the last several years we’ve finally reached the magic retirement date and are moving to the Villages in April. We’ve decided to rent long term for 9 months to give us time to really explore neighborhoods. With my career we moved at least 7 times and had a lot of luck buying homes that we could live in but remodel over time. We are capable of doing most of the works ourselves or at least knowing when it makes more sense to bring in a professional. So I’m looking for insights or experience with regards to remodeling the interior of your own home. It looks to us that there are a lot of homes in great neighborhoods that just need some updates but are concerned if a do it yourself project is feasible in the Villages?

The homes here are like homes everywhere else. Whether or not you can remodel them yourself is only limited to your abilities.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by John_W

I went the extreme route in 1980, the home below came completely out of my brain. I drew the floor plan and took it to a residential designer, you don't need an architect's seal in Florida unless it's commercial property, also since it was one story I wasn't worried about load bearing. He gave me 7 sets of blueprints for $265 with a spec sheet of all the items needed to build the house. Then I bought a lot in a subdivision that had underground utilities and was in the section of Pensacola I wanted to live, it was $15,000 for a 120' x 150' lot.

I took the blueprints to a building supply company and the salesman gave me an estimate for everything I needed. Drywall, windows, 2 x 4s, sliding doors, roof shingles, fireplace, etc. Got appliance estimates, cabinet estimates, plumbing and electric estimates. Then I went to a job site where they building the most expensive homes in Pensacola. I found one that was being framed and asked for the supervisor. He agreed to do the job and gave me an estimate of $2700 to dry in the home and he gave a referral for a slab crew.

I took everything to my bank and I requested a construction loan for $50,000. I had a job with the Federal Government as a GS 13, so I had good income and I was able to get on straight 2pm to 10pm shifts at work. The bank approved my loan with 4 draws and to be able to inspect the home before each draw.

To make a long story short, I went to the job site everyday from 7am to about 1pm. We broke ground and 11 weeks later we moved into the home. I did all the inside painting, including the woodwork and doors. Did all the outside landscaping, going to a commercial nursey and picking out shrubs is fun. I also put in a 18 x 36 pool and a privacy fence. The home construction came to $52,000, pool was $8,000, lot was $15,000, fence was $2500, total cost $77,500. I lived in the home for 18 months and then sold it for $129K. In Florida you don't need a contractor's license if you don't sell the home within the first year.

Other than framers and slab work, many of the jobs are no different than a person remodeling their home. I was able to get referrals or drive around and look at other job sites and find craftman. If you know the order in which every job has to be performed, then you can be a general contractor of your own home. You can do so more without big money being spent. I had 5 ceiling fans, central vacuum, a trash compactor, wallpaper in the kitchen and baths, cast iron plumbing fixtures, intercom with radio. I was able to walk around with a foam can and fill all the corners and T's with insulation before the vapor barrier went up. When you do everything yourself, it's so much nicer.

Here's the home just after completion. I bought a 100 yards of sod and plugged the entire yard front and back for the cost of one pallet of sod. Within a couple months it's solid beautiful grass. I kept every tree that wasn't where the foundation or driveway was going to be built. I hate it when builders strip the land of all trees before building.

for $51,000 , I flipped a golfcourse house for over twice that profit after 2 years and I’m a guy that if somebody finds a tool in my home it’s because someone left it lol I respect your work ethic though

[John_W]

Originally Posted by charlieo1126@gmail.com

for $51,000 , I flipped a golfcourse house for over twice that profit after 2 years and I’m a guy that if somebody finds a tool in my home it’s because someone left it lol I respect your work ethic though

When I built the home, I didn't plan on selling it that quickly but the situation had changed. I was only asking $129K because the mortgage rates in 1982 were 16%, real estate wasn't moving and nobody was flipping homes. Flipping a home in an established neighborhood is going to get a better price than new construction in a development still being developed.