Pulled up brand new bamboo floors once because the homeowner “forgot” about the ancient knob-and-tube lurking underneath. You haven’t lived till you’ve seen a grown man cry over baseboards. Always, always do the wiring first, even if it means staring at subfloor for a month.
That’s a classic—nothing like demo day turning into “let’s rewire the whole house” day. For budgeting, wiring and plumbing surprises are always lurking, especially in older beach houses. I’d pad your budget by at least 20% for those “uh-oh” moments. Are you thinking full gut or more of a facelift? Materials and labor can swing wildly depending on how deep you go. And don’t forget, salt air eats everything, so factor in extra for corrosion-resistant fixtures and fasteners.
“salt air eats everything, so factor in extra for corrosion-resistant fixtures and fasteners.”
No kidding—my neighbor’s doorknob basically turned into a science experiment after one summer. I’m leaning facelift, but every time I peel back a wall, it’s like, “Surprise! More rust!” That 20% buffer is starting to look optimistic...
every time I peel back a wall, it’s like, “Surprise! More rust!”
That’s the beach life tax, right? I thought I was being clever using “marine grade” everything, but even that stuff seems to get pitted after a couple seasons. I started with a 15% contingency and blew past it before I even touched the bathroom. It’s wild how quickly those little fixes add up—sometimes I wonder if I’m just feeding the salt monster.
I hear you on the salt monster—sometimes it feels like you’re just patching holes in a sinking ship. Did you end up doing most of the work yourself, or did you hire out? I’m trying to figure out if DIY actually saves money in the long run, or if it just means more headaches when stuff inevitably needs fixing again. Also, did you find any materials that actually held up better than others, or is it all just a losing battle with the ocean air?
