Cath, my DH is a master plumber so worked construction all his life. 99% of it of course was new but we have done lots of rehabbing of our own home and our two duplexes----you know, tearing out walls, insulating, painting, refinishing cupboard and closet doors, laying tile both ceramic and vinyl, installing windows, installing patio doors, building decks, cleaning up landscaping, putting in landscaping, roofing, wallpapering, pouring cement, plumbing of course, and of course scrubbing and scrubbing. Funny thing is that even though his expertise is plumbing and mine is scrubbing. Never have we been trained or had much experience in the rest but you can be sure it gets done, maybe not as perfect as we'd like but certainly not sloppy and ends up looking more professional than if we paid somebody. The difference is that we care, for one thing, and the other is that because we're not experts, we are more careful and picky. I have used gallons (well maybe not gallons) of Goof Off to remove old paint where previous painters slobbered it years ago on surfaces, including carpet where it didn't belong. I have patched drywall, wood surfaces where dogs or cats have scratched, window sills where people left windows open and rain ruined the wood surface, caulked gaps where woodwork doesn't fit right or where there's cracks, used paint remover to get down to the surface of a fiberglass laundry tub (they had painted the house and when they cleaned their tools, they never rinsed the paint gunk off), holes in woodwork where each new tenant puts up new curtain rods or blinds, and it goes on and on. I have no idea who did the work years ago but they all were pretty sloppy. We wonder if because they are rentals that noone cared. But because we do, we're proud to show the units when they come up for rent.
Hang in there Cath. I think I've said that before. Next year this will all be a bad memory.
