Tub and Tile Restoration: Fixer-Uppers in Atlanta
Why I bought a fixer upper – Part One
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New homes are great but who can afford them? I know I certainly can’t. But I wanted to be a homeowner. As a single woman, I could easily buy a condo or townhouse. Problem solved. New development, low maintenance. But what about character? New homes whether single family, condo or townhomes are cookie cutter. They don’t have dimension or stand out above the rest. No, I wanted to be a homeowner but I wanted to actually own a home. So I bought a fixer-upper just outside of Atlanta. And then I learned how to fix things and how to enlist help when I couldn’t figure it out on my own, like tub and tile restoration. It was more than worth it and here’s why:
Affordability
Probably the biggest reason first time and single person homebuyers buy fixer-uppers is price. We want to own a home but what we can afford is either a great house in a not so great neighborhood or an eyesore in an up and coming area. I chose the latter.
Character and charm
Older homes were built to last. They were also built with small details that new homes just don’t offer. Those little details can be anything from the detail on the fireplace to original tin ceilings in the kitchen to the original chandelier in the dining room.
Putting your own mark on something
Buying a fixer upper means that you aren’t only buying an older home with a lot of charm, you are putting your own stamp on it. Since you have to fix it up, you get to fix it up as you wish.
One of the things I did find when I bought my little fixer-upper, was good, reliable people who could help with the things I couldn’t. Sure, I can paint the walls and hang drapes and even dabble in a little of the electrical work, but I can’t replace the windows, repair the old bathtub or even redo the kitchen on my own. I needed help. One contractor I hired was a resurfacing company.
A resurfacing company (or refinishing, depending on who you ask) can pretty much make tubs, tile, cabinetry, and countertops look brand new. I knew I didn’t want to replace the bathtub, tile, and cabinets in the kitchen or bathrooms, but they couldn’t stay as they were. One bathroom had a tub and tile in that lovely 1970’s avocado green. Definitely not my style!
I hired Top Gun Applied Surfaces, an Atlanta tub and tile resurfacing company. If you have an older home, you need people who are experienced in Atlanta home restoration and these guys certainly know what they are doing. When they came to resurface my tub, I had no idea tile could be resurfaced as well. I ended up having them resurface the tub and tile and what I got was a beautiful, brand new, white bathroom.
Next up: The 1980’s kitchen!