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gmp3

Low budget makeover for a rental

gmp3
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago

We are purchasing a rental Victorian. The first set of pictures shows the main house which is my concern. The living room with the fireplace is visible from the kitchen. The flooring in the living room/dining room will be replaced with laminate, but I am not sure what color. (suggestions?) The house has white walls and trim in the dark maroon/purplish burgundy as shown. I don't want to paint the rest of the house, but need the kitchen to blend with it. I need to keep the tile, counters, appliances and cabinets. I need to do something to the cabinets to make them work with the rest of the house without blowing my budget. Paint, gel stain, ???? Obviously the walls need to be painted, but what color? Bring me your inexpensive, creative ideas!


Comments (19)

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    With no pics and not even a link (yours just goes to the main zillow map page), it's impossible to make any kind of sensible suggestions.

  • gmp3
    Original Author
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Ugh! sorry. i couldn't get pictures to load for some reason. Now I am able to post pics, so they are up.

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    6 years ago

    Thanks! That helps a lot, but do you have even a rough sketch of the whole first floor? It's hard to tell how isolated the kitchen is from the rest in the picture, or if it is at all.

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    6 years ago

    Are the cabinets wood or laminate?

    gmp3 thanked writersblock (9b/10a)
  • gmp3
    Original Author
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    You enter in the front room (with the fireplace), then a dining room (or family room depending on what the renter wants to do, then the kitchen, all in a straight line. You can see the kitchen from the front room and family room. House pics

    Cabinets are wood.

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    6 years ago

    It's a very cute house. As a budget move, I would paint it to match the rest of the house and gel stain the cabinets, although that is becoming a bit passé now.

    gmp3 thanked writersblock (9b/10a)
  • User
    6 years ago

    Will you be renting it out as well? If so, I would second the gel stain darker so you can use a good topcoat (I am a fan of General Finishes). Although gel staining is on the way out, I think for this style of home a darker finish on the cabinets might work. You don't have to go super dark as what was popular a few years ago with the Java Gel. The walnut and other medium brown stains are very nice. You could you GF oil based topcoat as it is the most durable, but will yellow slightly. With a rental I would not paint the cabinets.

    Are you sure these are wood or perhaps laminate? If they are indeed wood, you could go a step further for durability and strip off the old finish entirely to re-stain and poly. The gel stains are a bit more like a paint. Good luck.

    gmp3 thanked User
  • nosoccermom
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    What a cute house! Try General Finishes milk paint. There's also a custom mix chart for tens and tens of colors.

    Some pictures and feedback here from a thread: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3485219/cabinet-paint-rave

    I'd probably go with a white that matches the appliances. I'd probably invest in some cabinet hardware, if only to cut down on wear and tear of the paint. Of course, you could also go with a light blue/green. And just for fun, I'd see what it looks like if you remove a few doors to have open shelves.For whatever reason, it doesn't let me upload pictures. https://i.pinimg.com/736x/cd/b6/c4/cdb6c46645b24789e4d0e4f76ab8280e.jpg


    Wall paint --- it would have to be something that goes with the floor, which reads a bit pinkish on my monitor. Check www.kylieminteriors.com to tone down the pink, if it reads indeed pink.

    Behind the range, you could attach a tempered glass sheet (with mirror clips) or a few tiles in a pattern.


    gmp3 thanked nosoccermom
  • gmp3
    Original Author
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    A friend suggested dark brown lowers (which would disguise the doors a bit) and white uppers, perhaps removing some upper doors, as Nosoccermom suggested, painting inside dark to match the bottom cabinets. The house has lots of storage, including a pantry, so covered cabinet space isn't at a premium. Like this but with brown not gray.

    Good idea Nosoccermom about wall paint, the floors have a bit of a pinkish cast as does the counter. I will need to be aware of it when I replace the carpet in the adjoining areas.

    beanie: I never saw renovate to rent. So many of the shows now have a replace all mentality (probably using sponsor's products) and frankly many people cannot afford to do so, or in this case, it doesn't make sense to spend new cabinets and counters

  • rantontoo
    6 years ago

    I like the two tone picture you linked...is there a reason that color combo will not work? I am not so sure about the brown...maybe a dark grey with brown undertones???

  • beanie1922
    6 years ago

    SW Likeable Sand, Classic Sand or Sand Dollar might tone down the floors. I like the idea of a grayish brown. After playing with the color visualizer, SW dry rock might be a good cabinet option. Polite White may also work on the walls.

    From the pics, the cabinets appear to be in excellent shape. Seems wasteful to not keep them. As for flooring colors, bringing a sample or pic of the trim to a flooring store may help. I would something deep like a walnut would be appropriate for the age of the house.

  • gmp3
    Original Author
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I like Dry Dock a lot, it has a hint of pink, maybe the shade darker Tiki hut would be worth trying too, and something similar but more gray. I would love to go more gray if it works. Maybe with marshmallow on the walls and white uppers? Need to see what works with the tile too.

    Has anyone tried the faux tin backsplashes at lower/home depot? http://www.homedepot.com/p/Fasade-24-in-x-18-in-Rings-PVC-Decorative-Backsplash-Panel-in-Brushed-Nickel-B61-29/202823729 maybe a different color... or white, this would be a little more modern but still a nod to the age of the house.

  • rantontoo
    6 years ago

    Are you opposed to cheap white subway tile? I am having a tough time visualizing that backsplash material in the kitchen paint combo you linked to.

  • kaismom
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I would paint the cabinets in creamish/egg shell color to go with the floor. Stark white screams out cheap. White is a tough color to pick right. You need a slight amount of color to blend in with the floors that are there.

    White/light cabinets brighten the room. The cabinets there are not good enough cabinets to stain. They look like cheap cabinets and they will not look any better with a stain. All of my rental houses have painted cabinets. They hold up fine. We have had to repaint the cabinets on some of the rental houses over the years (20-30 year old paint job??). Painters we hire paint the cabinets also. (we do not do any of the work ourselves)

    The easiest thing to do is the paint the cabinets and the walls the same color. It looks great. (You can use the slightly glossy finish in the kitchen/bath and cabinets)

    Get pretty knobs and pulls. It will add a little charm to the cabinets.

    I would rethink about keeping the appliances. I don't know how much life your appliances have left, but if they are at the end of their lives, I would get a cheap stainless set and replace them all. The DW looks pretty old to me just looking at the pictures but I am not sure.... Appliances help you to rent out for top $. You get a lot of bang for the buck when you get good looking appliances. You can get a new set for$1000 to $1500 if you find a good sale. Another way to do appliances is to buy them on craigslist if you are willing to risk them not lasting a long time. DW can be installed pretty easily if you or your family is handy.

    https://www.ajmadison.com/b.php/%241%2C000+-+%241%2C499%2C%241%2C500+-+%241%2C999%3BKitchen+Appliance+Packages/N~2038+18+19

    http://nowappliance.com/index.cfm?type=Kitchen%20Appliance%20Stainless


    If you buy them new, you have to amortize them for the taxes.

    What we have done with rental houses is to place a sheet of stainless behind the stove as a back splash and heat shield. Go to a SS fabricator and have them cut you a sheet to exact size, then you glue it on the wall. (ask them for the glue recommendation) When you have SS appliances, it looks great and it does not cost that much.

    I would not do the glue on back splash only because I don't think I would trust the adhesive to last and work well. It definitely won't last around heat. It is just the nature of the adhesive.... If you start having peeling adhesives, you have created yourself problems with tenants/up keep etc. None of my rental houses have back-splashes and it has never been an issue to rent my houses out at top $.

    Two things that help you to rent quickly and get top $

    1. CLEAN CLEAN and CLEAN. Hire cleaners if you have to and clean everything. Blinds, drapes, closets, oven, carpet, wall switches, refrigerator etc. I leave the refrigerator unplugged with the doors open when the house is empty to reduce the odor. You only have one opportunity to make first impression. (Go look at other rentals and see what your competition is.)

    2. new paint job. We almost always paint egg shell/ivory cream color but never white. I have done light taupe. Pick the latest popular neutral color. I would pick something that goes with both the tile on the fireplace and the vinyl in the kitchen. I know that you don't want to paint but again, this can make or break the way the house shows...

    The interior of the rental houses get painted every 3 to 7 years. Basically, if it looks dingy, we paint. Sometimes, we don't paint the ceilings. Some tenants are just hard on the house.

    Good luck.

    gmp3 thanked kaismom
  • THOR, Son of ODIN
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    If it could still open wide enough to remove the shelves for cleaning, reverse the opening on the refrigerator door.

    How to Reverse a Refrigerator Door

    gmp3 thanked THOR, Son of ODIN
  • gmp3
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Kaismom, good tips, I have other rentals and usually do pale gray/white trim, this was just painted by the seller, and is fairly large, it would cost several thousand to repaint the whole interior, so just the kitchen and maybe a bathroom that is all white and really blah. Everything but the dishwasher is new, so we'll leave the appliances in this one, I have SS in some of my rentals, and agree that people love them, but I think this will rent fast and at a good price because of the Victorian charm and a hot market (I had 70+ inquiries on my last rental). The tile floor needs a major scrubbing, but all the other flooring will be new, so between fresh paint and new floors it is super clean. I do like the idea of the cabinets and walls the same color.

    What kind of flooring do you put in your rentals? I put LVT in my last one and it looked amazing, everyone thought it was wood, and it supposed to hold up better than laminate.

  • kaismom
    6 years ago

    gmp3

    In one house, we replaced the old carpet with nicer sheet vinyl in the walk out basement bedrooms and rec room. I am not sure if the vinyl tiles were an option back then. I think it looks better than carpet.

    Most of the houses have hardwood floors because that's how we bought them. We generally get houses that has had a complete remodel.

    gmp3 thanked kaismom
  • beanie1922
    6 years ago

    I had medium brown lvt in a rental. They looked and held up great.

    gmp3 thanked beanie1922