My 2nd remodel had a budget of $50k to update every room in a 3/2 including some big jobs like new plumbing in a concrete foundation and a garage conversion. Similar to the duplex reno I hired a Contractor (Bodie Harding - email) for the majority of the work and the design was a collaboration between Bodie, my wife and I.
Contractor work:
Master on-suite bathroom created by removing a wall and taking over a bedroom to extend the existing bathroom, move the toilet and shower and add a new walk-in closet. Because of unobstructed views to the East this room is golden in the morning at sunrise.
Garage conversion in to a bedroom. This included a deck to raise and level the floor, insulation, drywall, lighting, 2 closets, a bench under a window, and a mini split A/C.
Updated kitchen with new cabinets, counters, lighting, back splashes and appliances.
Updated guest bathroom with soaker tub, subway wall tile, Moroccan floor tile and new vanity/lighting.
Converted the master closet in to laundry room.
New flooring, trim and base boards throughout the house.
Zoysia grass turf in the back yard.
My work:
Landscaping including a new garden bed and 5 new trees. My favorite and signature tree is the Japanese Maple, this one being a Crimson Queen that has bold red foliage in Spring and a weeping habit. The placement of such a delicate tree is important because they need plenty of sun but are easily burned if not shaded in the late afternoon.
Fence around the front yard including digging the post holes! The design is inspired by both East and West to combine a torii gate of Japan with the ranch entrances I grew up seeing all over Texas. I love how the shadows play against the gate and change throughout the day!
Weekly sprints: The contractor was paid weekly based on the work complete. For example, week 1 was demo and started framing new walls; week 2 was plumbing; week 3 was kitchen, etc.
Daily stand-ups: The contractor and I met in person nearly every morning (and phone calls if needed) because we were making decisions as we went. Like what color caulk for each tile/room or when would we need materials? We didn't have a full plan to begin. We had a good understanding of the main objectives (the stories) and the budget and then filled in the rest on a daily basis.
Retrospectives: At the end of each week (and sometimes daily) we would inspect the completed work and check on the budget, timeline and general feels. Bodie and I also made a point to discuss the stakeholder feedback on a regular basis to make sure that at the end all parties involved would be happy. These regular check ins were essential because we were moving fast and without a fully detailed plan to use as a barometer.