Startup Diaries: Remodeling

[Startup Diaries is a new original series of articles from Yahoo! Small Business Advisor that chronicles the day-to-day and week-to-week struggles of a variety of startup and new small businesses.]

Business-owner-to-be P. Query is in the process of starting Angels' Rest, a small private-care residence for the elderly who seek an alternative to a nursing home. 

Time and tenants ravaged the home that my parents built 25 years ago. Having recently purchased this house with the vision of making it a private-care residence for the elderly, my partner and I are doing repairs and minor remodeling before we can begin accepting live-in patients. 

I believe, should time allow, that we should do all the repairs and remodeling ourselves. We will save money, and putting our faith in home-repair services has failed us in the past. We have done countless repairs and remodeling jobs to our own home and always ended up satisfied with our efforts. You-Tube always provided helpful do-it-yourself videos for unfamiliar work. In addition to learning as we went, we saved money that helped us purchase this house and pursue our small-business dream. Fortunately, the only work I foresee hiring out will be installing new carpet. Most home improvement is common sense. We’ve learned that reading directions and taking our time are two key factors to successfully completing any project. We are also not afraid to fail the first time, set our minds to it, and try again. It's not rocket science. 

Right now we're working on the large screened porch, replacing screens and painting the framework before we lay down the porch carpet. As we work, I imagine our patients sitting in the cool air while enjoying the view of our 1.5-acre lot. Pine trees and palm trees dot the landscape, which is open and carries a breeze through the porch into the house. 

My mind drifts back to the years I cared for my mom, stricken with Alzheimer's, in this home. We spent many mornings on this porch while I fed her breakfast and my daughter played out back. During those years I realized how important it was for elderly people to live in a home environment and the peace it offered their spirit; I realized that my calling in life was dignity in human care. And now, the goal I've been working toward is coming to fruition. We plan to officially open for business in April 2013.