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UPDATE: Kitchen Counter with PIP (I think???)
So, I think you guys know that DH and I are planning to sell our condo, and we've been doing a ton (painting, floors refinished, putting half our stuff in storage, staging, etc) to get it ready.
Last week, the potential realtor (with whom we signed) came over to meet with us, and check out the place. He had very few suggestions on how to improve the place, since we'd done so much, but one thing he asked about was our kitchen countertop.
Our building is about 90 years old, and a lot of the touches of the decor are "period" to 1920's, esp the kitchen and the bath. It's one of the things I love about this place, and it will definitely appeal to buyers around here. BUT, that said, the kitchen definitely looks "updated" to the 90's or so, but not super modernized. The appliances are sleek but white, the cabinets are white with shiny chrome hardware, the uppers are gorgeous 4' tall cabinets with glass front doors -- great for display. There is even a small table in there (not quite an eat-in for four, but works for 2). The only thing is the counters. They're green formica with a brown wooden edge all around. It's not offensive, but it's certainly not modern.
To make matters worse, there is a 10' backsplash on the sink wall, and a 6' one on the dry wall perpendicular. While the walls have a white subway tile with black rim around the whole room at about 4', for whatever reason, the 10' wall has, instead, a 6.5" white formica strip glued (seriously glued) to the tile. We are assuming it is hiding something... because why the hell else would someone do such a thing?
So, I knew I would at least do SOMETHING with the backsplash, but when the realtor mentioned replacing the counter, for whatever reason, it seemed SO overwhelming to me, to try and get something high end looking done and installed in less than a week (we're listing before the first weekend in April so that we can get some open houses in before easter).
We went to Home Depot, and priced counters, but (a) they got pretty expensive pretty quickly and (b) they couldn't get them installed for almost 4 weeks.
Of course, there are probably other places to go, or hire someone to do tile work ( not standard 24" depth, so a bit of trickiness involved in that!) and the one thing I don't have is TIME to go all over timbuktu, invite people over for measurements and consulting, get a variety of quotes, etc.
Basically, by Friday night, I was in tears, stressed out about the whole thing. Really, a mess. My poor husband didn't know what the heck was wrong with me, and really, neither did I.
So, Saturday, I just gave up. I decided that, instead, I'm just going to tile over the backsplash, on both sides of the L, and give it a shot. If we get feedback that "the place is great, except for the countertops" and it's really preventing us from getting a sale, I'll look into it. But I just found my breaking point, and had to give up.
Fortunately, DH went on a biking trip over night and was gone for 2 days. When he came home, he found a gorgeously tiled backsplash! I did it all myself, and I am so happy with how it came out! Plus, I used brown accent squares for a few tiles inset in white tiles, and it coordinates will with the brown edge of the counter, and the brown dishes in the glass front cabinets, and really helps to tie the room together.
Thank god I have a decade of HGTV obsession under my belt and new exactly how to do it.
So, we'll see. I hope it adds enough of a "we give a crap" look to the counters that people overlook the formica, or think it has a bit of charm. I know we'll have to bite the bullet, maybe even with cash back at closing, but it was this last thing I hadn't planned for, hadn't budgeted money or time for, and it just put me over the edge.
No real action here, just thought I'd share with you my meltdown and stress... I'm sure you'll get a lot more of it from me as this selling story unfolds!
(BTW, know anyone who wants a 2 bed condo in Boston? :-) )
Re: UPDATE: Kitchen Counter with PIP (I think???)
Oh the joys of home renovations, since I just gave our future first born to our local tile and bath design place.
I'm sure the backsplash looks great and hopefully you'll get it sold soon!
Where are you guys moving to? Bigger place?
Wives Unscripted
Thanks! We're looking to move about 15 miles northeast of where we are now... Looking fort a single family home in the towns of Melrose and Wakefield.
We'd like something a little bigger (3 beds instead of 2, 1.5 or 2 bath instead of 1, and parking, preferably a garage), and we don't want a big lot that we have to take care of. And we'd like to be a half mile or less from a commuter rail station.
I expect any place we buy will need renovations, too... DH asked me today if I felt confident now to do a tiling job in the new house, and i said I did! :-)
Cool!
I will say tiling our fireplace once we were done was definitely a confidence booster. We're still hiring out for our bathroom, but when it's water and on the 2nd floor, better safe than sorry with the membranes and shower systems, etc that have to go in.
Wives Unscripted
Kathy you poor thing, I am so glad that the weekend ended on a higher note for you. I think we all need a meltdown every now and again and the reason for it is not even always a major deal, $hit selling a house is stressful enough on it's own.
Would using one of those 'paint on' faux kits be an option for you guys?
PS totally cracked up at "we give a crap" look
Kathy, I TOTALLY get your breakdown. I was like that right before I decided to just do my kitchen because my husband's time is about 2 years slower than mine. One day, I went to Home Depot, bought a wet saw and did it while he was gone. I, too, got my contractor's license by watching HGTV.
I'm about to pull the trigger on hiring a landscaper to come do our front yard because I'm sick of waiting on L to do it.
I LOVE DYI home improvements and would love to buy and old house and re-do it. L, on the other hand, still hasn't installed the ONE (yes one) piece of door frame from my bathroom re-do TWO EFFING SUMMERS ago. I love that man, but his time-lines drive this type-a insane.
We need pictures of your craftsmanship!!
We didn't have someone do the planting, but we had someone come out and give us an idea on flower bed design and suggested plants and that was totally worth it. Then we bought the plants at various nurseries and then DH and I planted them.
I've found with DH I need to make a list or he makes a list, so things get done.
Reminds me that I need to still get him to change the lightswitch in our guest room closet, it's still the beige color and not white!
Wives Unscripted
Thanks, guys... My husband tends to be a bit more gunshy, but he knows who wears the carpenter pants in the family. :-)
One things I saw is this product to paint formica to make it look like granite (http://www.gianigranite.com/DetailBlack.html) and wanted to try it. DH thinks we should just leave it alone for now and see how the first open house goes... Not sure why, but I know it means either do it myself and overrule him, or play nice and let it go for now.
Oh, and "get electrician to fix wall sconce in stairwell" has been on DH's list for weeks and weeks. It's driving me INSANE. He has a guy, he just hasn't arranged it yet.
Stacey, this is me EXACTLY except its our front door. Two years ago in February Nick put a new front door on and it's missing a piece of the frame that is sitting in our LIVING ROOM under the couch that he just hasn't put up.
AND ditto. I want pictures of this backsplash handiwork Kathy!
Melrose is a nice town. I lived there for 5 years before moving to CT. There's some nice single family houses not too far from the Fellsway/Rt-28 right across from the Stone Zoo.
Oh that is exactly the stuff I was talking about.
Oh Kathy
Do you want to email them to me and then I'll post them for you? I'm dying to see because the way you explained that condo, I think I will love it. I love the historic feel of something from 90 years ago!
Alright... i'll give the PIP thing a shot here...
(EDITED: OBVIOUSLY a PIP fail. I'll keep trying)
YAY Kathy!!
That looks great!!! You did an awesome job!!!!!
Also, I cleaned out the cabinets a ton since I took these pictures -- much less stuff in them, no wire shelves for stacking extra things, etc.
When the place finally lists, I'll send you guys the listing so you can see more pictures!
Looks awesome!
FWIW with PIP, if you are in IE, you can just right click copy and then right click paste into a post. Then just click on the pic and adjust the size at the corners.
Wives Unscripted
LOL!
The tile looks awesome!
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