You know, the "experts" tell you to hire someone knowledgeable to do the repairs quickly and efficiently, however, does that really make sense? If you do not know how to do the repairs yourself, and how to shop for materials, then how do you know if the contractor is not taking you for a financial ride? He (or she) might tell you that you need something to "bring it up to code", but do you really need the item(s) or service(s) that person is telling you? Do they even know? The code book is so large and cumbersome, that even the code officials have not read it in it's entirety! Wouldn't you like to be informed in the whole process of buying, renovating, flipping, renting, maintaining, and selling? Wouldn't it be a much better idea to actually "know" the terminology, and the technical know-how of installation? Why not go to one of the big box stores, and get the information on how to install floors, ceilings, finish drywall, lay tile, carpet, and laminate? They generally have flyers that you can pick up, that will give you some of the basics of installation, and also the tools that you will need. Then, go back and price the materials, even if you are not going to do the installation yourself, at least you will be a little bit more knowledgeable when a service provider comes to you and submits an estimate for the job.