$12,000 House - Full Renovation - Plumbing Waste Lines

Has this house been more work than I originally intended? Absolutely! Am I glad I purchased it? Absolutely! While it has been a good deal of work, it has been rewarding in a number of ways and it's not even pulling in rent yet.

I decided to use this house as an experiment of sorts. First off, I'm documenting the entire process on one of my Youtube Channels, Homemade Home. This allows others to see the process in detail, including seeing the fact that plans, ideas, and expectations change throughout the project. Some have said I talk too much, and that is probably true but these videos are meant for people who want to hear the behind the scenes stuff that goes into it all. If you want to see a house get gutted and renovated in less than 30 minutes, watch HGTV. Another aspect of the "experiment" is hiring people to help me as well as hiring tradesman to do certain portions of the labor, drywall for example. The house is small and the bills are in keeping with its size, so I am able to use this house to develop a template for future renovations. In the past I have simply done things as cheaply as possible, that can be slow and pull me from my day job, making and selling furniture amongst other things.

Featured Video

I focus on plumbing in the waste lines. This is the system of pipes in your walls, under your floor that direct the wastewater from your drains to the sewer or septic tank. These lines also include venting which allows air to move through the plumbing. This does two things, it keeps the water from being sucked out of plumbing traps as well as vents sewer gases out of your roof, instead of into your house. Most of my plumbing is in the bathroom wall with the remaining lines under the house where they all join together on their way to the sewer.

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What's Next?

Next up will be running all the water lines that will carry clean water to your sinks and other fixtures (toilet, washing machine, etc.). I use PEX which in my opinion is a superior option compared to using CPVC, copper and other traditional pipes. It is great for renovations, where you need to snake it through walls, around corners and work in areas you can't glue or solder. You can also run long runs without any joints due to its flexibility and the fact that it can be purchased in large rolls hundreds of feet long. Unless I am repairing existing pipes that are otherwise in good shape, I exclusively use PEX, it's fast and almost foolproof.

If you are new to my videos, here's a playlist so you can watch them all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEvS8ft2j3c&list=PLv1hfAP6jOb5clZM1rWw20fuDg40x54P-

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