I'm a late bloomer.  59 years old and just bought my first house.  Closed on it July 26, 2012.

My wife, Lori, and I had to vacate our apartment at the end of August or pay September rent plus our first mortgage payment.  The pressure was on.  We had four weeks to gut the house and move in.  

Did we drink champagne in the muted glow of the television that night?  No!  My wife, Lori, and I immediately went to the house and began to rip up the carpet.  We liked what we saw of the hardwood floor beneath when we sneaked a peak at it during the sale process.  Couldn't wait to tear off that greasy, smelly orange floor covering.

That was only the beginning.  There was "popcorn" acoustics to scrape off the ceilings.  All rooms had to be repainted.  The washing machine resided in the bathroom of the house.  The dryer in the kitchen.  With the help of a plumber and electrician, our new washer and dryer would be installed out in the sun room.  Old floors would be replaced with tile.  Kitchen and bathroom cabinets were torn out.  The master-bathroom fiberglass shower was torn out and replaced with a beautiful tile shower.  Laminate floors were installed in the master bedroom and the upstairs studio.  Baseboards removed.  Baseboards reinstalled.

With the exception of the plumbing, the re-wiring, and the tiling, all the work was done by Lori and me.  She sanded and urethaned the hardwood floors, taped/painted all the rooms while I demolished the kitchen and bathrooms then installed the new cabinets and flooring.  And I've never considered myself much of a handyman.  But give me a hammer, a jigsaw, and a deadline ... suddenly, it's amazing what can be accomplished.

You're welcome to check out the photos!