MadClark's Profile

My brother and sister-in-law refinished their bathroom by having a contractor use an epoxy paint on their out-of-date tile with beautiful results. Basically, any grout is repaired and the tiles are prepared with a bonding agent or an acid etching. Then an epoxy paint, like what is used on bathtub refinishing, is sprayed over the entire surface. It's self-leveling and creates a very hard, durable attractive surface. Doing it yourself for a small bathroom seems completely doable and affordable. Research the right products and it should be a perfect DIY project. This looks like a good article on it. http://www.house-painting-info.com/article-simon_phillips-painting_bathroom_tiles.html

Decide what neighborhood you want to live in first and foremost.

The big brokers will show you crap all over Hell's half acre and, if you're like me, I'm not going to be one of their big ticket items and what they usually have in your price range is junk anyway. See if you can find a local broker or real estate agent in the area you want to live. They will have a lot more information and properties in the general area than the big firms and nicer private listings. There are also discount brokers that charge much less because they deal with buildings that are easy to fill. That's how I found mine. I chose a neighborhood and then went to local realtors' offices.

Use one of the yearly neighborhood guides you find in the bookstore too help decide what seems right for you (the Not For Tourists guide is good). Spend a few weekends getting to know potential neighborhoods.

A lot of times the turnover is so consistent that building owners don't need to advertise or list. Find properties in your preferred area that are likely to have some turnover and talk to the super or the doorman to see if the property generally lists with a particular broker or if they have a property open already. On the street, look for posters about properties. Do Craigslist and the free papers for classifieds. BE SPECIFIC but flexible. Be prepared to deal with many, many stupid and uninformed people and realtors more interested in your money than your happiness.

Mostly, start looking well before you move. It will be easy to get swept up into applications for places that aren't quite right because you get desperate. And you'll either give yourself lots of time or you will be desperate - that's the way it works in an overcrowded market. Make sure your credit information is as clean as you can make it. For private placements, references from previous landlords never hurt either.

If you have vacation time, take it and use it so you can concentrate on finding a place during the week. It's nearly a full time job and there's more competition on the weekend. If you have friends in the city, see if they can scout too. And be prepared to spend time on someone's couch while you store your stuff. A great place could open up but not be immediately available.

I moved in 2000 at the height of the housing boom here right before 9/11 brought things back to reality. I started 2 months in advance with searching and making weekend trips to house hunt and even that was much too little time. I ended finding a place that I'm still in. It's not perfect nor was it available right away but it's still a decent place to live in a good neighborhood. Look for 80-85% of ideal. If you find it, GRAB IT!

Good luck.

I think the easiest thing to do is take the blue paint and either lighten it with white or darken it with black and paint the panels the new color. It would tone down the vibrancy of the blue, plus give the room some extra depth.