I purchased my condo in Los Angeles in 1986. When I moved to New York, I rented it out to friends. Big mistake, as they are no longer friends, and I found my condo in need of lots of repairs. Some of it was normal wear and tear. If I had been living there, I would have made repairs as the problems occurred. But other things I still have no idea how they happened.
With my condo being over 20 years old, I was going to have to do some remodeling anyway. It was about time to replace the carpeting. So prior to moving back, I had a contractor install tile in the dining room and kitchen. After moving back, I've slowly been working on the rest of the house myself.
First thing I did is gut the back bathroom, ripped out everything down to the 2x4s. It had a fiberglass shower/bath, which had been cracked. I took a jigsaw and cut the fiberglass into pieces that I could carry out and put into the trash. Then it was wonder-board all around. Here I discovered that not one of the walls were straight, or perpendicular to another. Fortunately, the wonder-board bends. Then I poured some concrete for a base, and with the help of a couple of day-laborers who hang out in front of Home Depot, I installed a cast iron tub. This also required new PVC pipes for the drain. I also installed a new shower valve, epoxying the copper pipes instead of sodering. Then I tiled the floor and walls, installed a new pedestal vanity, and medicine cabinet. After about three months of weekends, it looks great. And by doing it myself, I probably saved $3000 in labor.
Then it was on to the back bathroom, where I ripped out the carpeting and installed a hardwood floor. The floor is real wood strips glued to each other, but just floating on the concrete underneath. I was able to do the floor in two ten hour days, again, all by myself.
I still want to replace the painted hollow doors and frames, staining the wood to match the floors. Then it will be on to the front bedroom and bath.