But I’ve found a great one! Our amazing clients (and first time home buyers) Lauren and Rob decided that they would try to tackle some DIY projects in their new home. Now what I LOVE about their story is even though their first DIY project didn’t work out so well, they weren’t scared to try again!
Their first project was “refinishing” their kitchen countertops. Here is a picture of their original countertops. It is taken from the MLS listing, so sorry for the bad angle. What you can’t see is that the sink sits caddy-corner to the left.
So Lauren did some research (a great first step) and found a product called Giani Faux Granite Paint that she thought looked relatively simple and cost-effective. And without Rob’s help since he was away for work, she began! Now, I’ve got the story in Rob’s words, so Lauren, if your reading this and the story is false then speak up!
In Rob’s words: “It's basically a primer, three different colors of paint and a sponge, plus a finishing sealant. She went out to a place that sold it and got what she thought would be a nice color. Now, we've seen a host of pictures of other people using this product successfully, and it really can turn out to look amazing -- just like granite. However, I think what happened with Lauren is every time she stepped away, she thought it needed a touch-up, and as soon as she started to touch-up the finished-product, it started to look blotchy and didn't quite flow. And once we got to that point, it was just time to step away, realize it might be a job for the professionals. So like Lauren said, it could really be a good project for someone who has a good eye for detail and is more artsy-fartsy than we are -- we just couldn't seem to get the colors to look right after that first go-round.” So Lauren claims this project was a “utter failure” but I disagree! Anytime someone steps out of their comfort zone to do something challenging, it is always good for the soul! But what the project wasn’t good for was Lauren’s DIY self esteem! So after the debacle, they decided to call in a professional! Here are the picks post professional! 
As you can see, by getting a professional to do it, they also had the ability to move the sink! Which brings me to their next DIY project….and now it’s Rob’s turn! Dun Dun Dun…. No, not really. Basically the professionals moved the sink, but the rerouting of the drain pipes was left up to the lovely home owners, Lauren and Rob! I think God wanted them to take another stab at DIY-ing to regain confidence!
So after about 99 trips back and forth to Lowe’s to figure out just what kind of PVC, what size, the shape, the connecting pieces, the P-traps, the garbage disposal, etc. Rob began. “I managed to get everything I needed and really didn't start the job because I was terrified that something that I see as so important (proper drainage) might not turn out perfectly.” Rob explained. “That being said, YouTube and Lowe's (and often both -- Lowe's has GREAT do-it-yourself step-by-step videos on YouTube) really helped me get through the process with ease. I only ruined two shirts with the purple PVC primer! It ended up being kind of a Man-victory for me, to do the job myself, even though it took a little longer (or, a LOT longer) than it would have a professional. Either way, we've had the countertops and new sink for almost a month & a half and no issues yet!!”
In fact, I’m sure this last success with the sink motivated them to do more because they also stained their deck on their own! See before and after pictures below!
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