What I Learned While Flipping a House

My sister has always been bitten with the construction bug. She's that girl who asks us all to get her tools for Christmas. She is a Post Master by day and a construction diva by night. She never turns down a chance to build or remodel something. So, when my niece got a new job and needed a place to live, my sister instantly thought about my grandmother's old house. Of course it would need just a wee bit of remodeling. (I personally thought bulldozing it was the better choice, but she saw potential.)

Kitchen before. 

Kitchen after cabinets out and sheetrock up.

Like all construction projects, this one started out as a small facelift. Pulling off the paneling and painting the sheetrock was goal number one. Replacing the kitchen cabinets, goal number two. Then, resanding the old wood floors, goal three.  And finally, a little paint job to freshen up the outside of the house, last and final goal number four. 

Stripped walls all the way down to the 2x4s.

Same wall after sheetrock went up. 

The paneling came off with no problems. However, the sheetrock she discovered underneath was in terrible shape. Due to past roof leaks, the majority of it was crumbling. The result? A total sheetrock tear down! Luckily, the house is small; however, the first thing we all learned: There were a lot of nails holding that sheetrock in place! Pulling nails took a couple full days, then we continued to find them for days after. Small children think pulling nails is fun! So, remember that on your next project. 

The cleaning, and the cleaning, and the rest of the cleaning seems to never end. I'm not sure why there is so much sweeping, but it's best to give one person a broom and just make that their primary job! 

Once the nail pulling was over and we sent the drunks home (that is a blog for another day!), the real work seemed to begin. My sister and great nephew hung sheetrock during the day, then after 5 the second shift arrived. It consisted of her husband, two son-in-laws, myself (I'm the baby sister!), and her mom. With all of us working, we cranked out some major work! While two hung sheetrock, two of us taped and bedded. My sister would go to the next room and "prep" for sheetrock. Her mom would come through periodically (she lives next door, and no, we don't have the same mom) and sweep and pick up scrapes. It was great! 

As it stands tonight, the sheetrock is almost complete. Only one wall left to go. All walls have been taped, bedded and sanded with just one layer left to go! 

Two excellent nail pullers that worked great...
for one day! lol

While I have become a proficient "mudder" in just a couple of days, the real lesson I've learned during this flip is teamwork. It reminds me of the scripture ...

No one has to be told what to do, we all just find a spot and go to work. None of us are paid professionals. We are merely rookie, volunteer carpenters.  We have come together for the unified goal of getting this house finished before school starts on August 27. 

Regardless of how the house turns out when it is finished, we have made a great team. Not to mention it has been fun to hang with the family. And, we have made memories that will last a lifetime. 

Of course, none of this would have been possible without our fearless leader! :)  She pushes us all to do things we probably would not have done otherwise!  

~  Stay tuned for the final makeover! ~

All the white spots you see are little nails
holding on to what is left of the sheetrock!