I need HELP with DIY ideas for my tired worn 70's kitchen!

[bonitaxjxmarie]

Hi all,

First let me start off by saying, thanks in advance, as I am drawing blanks all over the place lol.

My partner and I moved into this rental not too long ago, mainly for locality, it is dog friendly and the rest of the house is fairly good.

We really need some budget DIY ideas to fix this old worn kitchen, could we paint the tiles? any ideas would be so helpful. Pictures at the bottom.

(backstory)

Our realestate agent got us this place for a cheaper price as the last tenant didn't look after it and left it in a mess and we had been in a rental prior to this for 4 years and took extreme care and pride with it, paid rent on time and always kept it spotless inside and outside, so the realestate agent was desperate to keep us with them and the landlord was eager to have us move in asap.

We have had rent inspection and the landlord and real estate were over the moon with what we have done with the place and the gardens we have installed. Our realestate agent said she would ask the landlord if we could paint the walls, pull up the 35 yr old carpet up and re buff the flooring boards, install a security door, and even fit a stainless steel oven at our own expense as our current oven is way too small, we'd be happy to do this. Our only ask was that she chip in for the tiles and backsplash for the sink as the board is weathering bad.

The realestate agent told us she responded with :


She replied with, this is only an investment property for her so she doesn't believe that she needs to do any maintenance and she stated that she wasn't here or there about us making changes to the kitchen her response was "yeah you can make some changes i guess"? I am a bit off put by this as for the most part we are willing to put in the time money and effort to renovate most things in the house, we really take care of our home. Am I overreacting?

Thanks so much guys, sorry for the long story and vent.

Kitchen Picture 1

• bonitaxjxmarie
• 17 Oct 2011
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Kitchen Picture 2

• bonitaxjxmarie
• 17 Oct 2011
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Kitchen tile upclose

• bonitaxjxmarie
• 17 Oct 2011
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Tiles + Kitchen Sink

• bonitaxjxmarie
• 17 Oct 2011
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Wallpaper disaster

• bonitaxjxmarie
• 17 Oct 2011
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Kitchen 3

• bonitaxjxmarie
• 17 Oct 2011
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[JohnD]

the owner does not care about the house, so don't put too much money or time into it. As a rental you won't be there indefinitely. Only buy stuff that you can take with you when you move, or do work that does not cost you a lot. You are thinking like a homeowner.

If you want a nice home, see if you can find a better one.

 

[skotl]

Jeez. I'd love tenants like you!
The owner is clearly not interested in the property, so the rent should be correspondingly lower because of the state of the property, not because you are good tenants. I'm with johnd; do nothing you can't take with you because only the owner will reap the benefit.

To be honest, with no general maintenance going on, both you and the owner are going to have a rocky time of it. Unserviced boilers are going to break down, leaky roofs will cause damp, worn carpets will be a trip hazard, etc.

I know it seems as if you have bagged a bargain, but it's probably going to end up in misery for you. I'd look for a property where the owner either a) cares or, failing that, b) understands the necessity for routine maintenance.

Good luck
Scott

 

[NewOrder]

You can get slightly textured tile paint which actually produces a good finish, though its not that cheap. We tarted up a 1950's fireplace using it and it looks so much fresher.

The cubboards can be painted if you use a roller and can do it neatly, or they could be sprayed.

Dont't spend much on this though.

 

[bonitaxjxmarie]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, I really appreciate it. I agree, I won't spend a lot due to the circumstance but I'll spice it up with things that are cost effective and that I can take with me.

 

[iandandav]

you could do some things to the place and negotiate some reduced or free rent for your efforts. then you wouldnt have lost out when you leave

 

[zebredy]

Know this is a week old but here goes..

My gran lives next to a house that the old tenant got permission to tart up. Now the rent has gone up and he no longer lives there (think he had to move for what ever reason anyway but...)

All I'm saying is watch you don't make the place look to much better that the house/flat could end up costing you more per month after say your first years up..