Remodeling Treat -OR- Trick?
Achieving D-I-Y Treat Was Tricky
The title of this blog is seasonal, but unfortunately, “Trick or Treat” remodeling happens year ’round. The “treat” is homemade. If you follow the “Recipe for DIY Home Remodeling Success,” you’ll end up with something very sweet. If you try to change the recipe, your treat may look like it’s sweet, but it could be face-puckering bitter — the kind of bitter that you’ll never forget. This is a true story about one family’s DIY Treat that turned into a Trick.
It Was Supposed To Be a Treat
Imagine how great it must feel to discover that you have 280 square feet in your basement that you can convert to usable space. Wow! What a treat! Remodeling is going to be a lot of work, but there are many ways to use the space. Storage? Possibly. How about a bonus room? Yes! It will require at least two of the four structural posts to be removed, to open up the room, but it can be done. Using the exterior doorway that’s already there is an added bonus, because you can build a deck for summertime inside/outside parties. And, as long as you’re doing the work, how about adding a powder room, so family and friends don’t have to climb a flight of stairs to use the bathroom? Sure! Wonderful idea!
This is the shorthand version of what often happens during DIY brainstorming, talking about all of the possibilities for a “found” space. Within a couple of weeks, you’ve purchased everything you need at the local Big Box Store, and every available minute is spent to create your special haven. Friends and family get involved, to finish the job sooner. When it’s done, there’s a big party to celebrate.