Tools and Reviews

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Reviews and information on tools and products that we use. We cover the shopping experience, where to find a good price on a tool along with our feedback after use.

A Tiny Sink for a Tiny Bathroom

By |May 7th, 2012|Cottage Project, Interior Projects, Tools and Reviews|

I know that this is an issue that arises for many people when you try to renovate a space, or try to squeeze in an extra bathroom or powder room.  Often, we find ourselves constrained by the space and a typical bathroom vanity is too large for the space.  Some will go with the small [...]

A Cheap Sjoberg Workbench $170!

By |December 14th, 2011|Tools and Reviews|

Auction currently at $170. Ends at 7:30PM I occasionally view listings at a local auction site (auctionsinternational.com) and came across an auction from CIL Asset Recovery. The location is nearby (Hamburg), so I decided to have a look at the items. Turns out there is some great stuff including a Sjoberg workbench.  If you are [...]

Renovation Software – Simple Recordkeeping

By |November 2nd, 2011|Tools and Reviews|

A number of people ask what the best method to use to track expenses during  a flip.  There are many methods, some good, some bad, and some downright ugly. The following lists a few methods with the most complex at the top. Quickbooks Utilize Quickbooks, categorize every expenditure, create sales accounts, link credit card and bank account for spending. Provide your Quickbooks file to your accountant at tax time. Relative Degree of Difficulty: 10 Cost: 6 There is a learning curve to Quickbooks and if you want to do things properly, there will be a number of hours put in for the initial company, vendor, account, and category setups.  I peg the cost at a 6 out of 10 due to the cost of the software.  Done properly, your accountant will thank you. Hire a book keeper/accountant to do the work for you.  Schedule a regular meeting time during the renovation. At that time you can have receipts recorded properly by your bookkeeper while keeping your work on the project. Relative Degree of Difficulty: 1 Cost: 9 The level of difficulty on your end is minimal. Keep every receipt, provide it to your bookkeeper during your scheduled meetings, and provide fast answers when questions should arise.  You will certainly be paying a decent buck for this service, but you will probably sleep better at night knowing that you are prepared and up to date. […]

My RTA cabinet Experience

By |October 4th, 2011|Tools and Reviews|

For many, the search for inexpensive kitchen cabinets draws them to the Internet. If you are like me, you LOVE a bargain (don't we all). I had some idea of what I wanted when I started searching for my project. I was happy to hear that one of my favorite suppliers of RTA cabinets had [...]

Allure Floor Installation and Review

By |January 4th, 2011|How To's, Tools and Reviews|

Well, our Trafficmaster Allure floor installation is complete.  If you aren't familiar with this plank vinyl flooring product you can find it at Home Depot.  The product is a fantastic alternative to a peel and stick vinyl tile.  At the end of the installation, the product acts as a sheet vinyl would rather than free [...]

TrafficMaster Allure Plank Vinyl Floor Review

By |December 30th, 2010|Tools and Reviews|

We decided to us a plank vinyl flooring product for the entry at a fixer project.  The product is TrafficMaster Allure and is available at Home Depot.  This is a floating vinyl installation where the vinyl planks adhere to one another.  In theory, this is a better method than your traditional 12x12 vinyl tile installation. [...]