DIY Kitchen Renovations ~ Appliances

Craigslist, eBay, Ikea. That gives you a snapshot of our budget.

That’s where we PhilBillPaul shopped for appliances, parts to fix the appliances and new light fixtures.

We started with the new refrigerator last November. New as in used on Craigslist when Everett saved the house from certain fire.

$300 on Craigslist.

It’s a shiner even though the icemaker has crapped out again.

Next, it was definitely time to get rid of our 20 year-old double oven that barely got to 350 degrees when I wanted to bake.

I prayed over it each holiday as I started my baking frenzy. I didn’t dare to imagine an oven that preheated to the correct temperature.

Not to worry, PhilBillPaul found a used and exciting stainless and black Frigidaire gas stove.

Better picture of stove and all appliances coming tomorrow so check back.

$75 on Craigslist. $50 in gas because it was 90 miles away.

Exciting as in it made a loud boom noise while preheating that sounded suspiciously like a gas explosion. PhilBillPaul assured Roger Leroy and I that it was nothing as we ran screaming from the kitchen. Call us crazy but we are scared of fire and explosion.

Our friend Google said common, slight/minor gas leak because of worn out ignitor and gave him repair advice. Mr. Handy said he wouldn’t endanger us and after $50 in parts on ebay we now have a lovely, working range.

Can someone keep track of all the money we’re saving? I hate math.

What would we have done without Everett and his friends to help PhilBillPaul get the old oven monstrosity off the porch?

The move began in the dark and I heard an enormous crash.

I only wish I had a picture of the oven laying on its side with me frantically asking “Where’s your dad?” while Everett and his stunned friends stared at me and said “Who?” as if PhilBillPaul might be smashed under the oven on the sidewalk.

Not funny.

Instead I got a picture of them picking up the bent racks and pieces of the stove/oven while PhilBillPaul aired up the flat tire on the hand truck in the garage that perhaps should have been done prior to loading the giant double oven on it. Just sayin’.

Look how helpful they are supervising PhilBillPaul as he moves the giant appliance on his own.

Always nice to have strapping young men around to help with heavy lifting.

I was just excited he was finally getting the burned up refrigerator out of the garage. He drove both to the scrap yard the next morning and they actually paid him $65!

The double oven left a hole in wall and cabinet area so the next search was for an under the cabinet microwave.

Back to Craigslist for an amazing score of a $50 broken microwave he was sure he could fix.

He kept telling me it was a GE Profile and it was worth a lot more than $50. After working feverishly during the month of June and spending $42 on parts he finally conceded defeat and searched for two weeks until he scored another bargain.

New in box, bought in a shady warehouse where a tiny Asian man gladly took his cash and loaded the microwave into his truck for him. $95.

In the midst of this, the dryer broke.

I’m now living in appliance hell.

Everett to the rescue again.

Not.

The darling twins were at drill so PhilBillPaul had to rely on his not-handy son to help him.

Which consisted of holding a flashlight and getting yelled at.

I know you are all jealous of PhilBillPaul’s handyman skills. Let me assure you that no one here ever volunteers to be his helper.

Phew, glad we aren’t on a tight timeline to renovate the kitchen. Eight months later, all the “new” appliances are in place. We knew our next jobs would include resurfacing the existing counters, removing the 20 year-old wallpaper and updating the honey oak cabinets.

Tomorrow I’ll show you what we did with the 1991 almond laminate countertops.