To create holes, use a brace and bit to drill through the flooring, and then a keyhole saw to widen the entrance. Make sure that the holes are not exactly above a floor joist when you drill them. In fact, the joists & studying must be spared as much as possible while installing the water heater equipment.
Having a paint sprayer when painting the outside of your stucco home can save a ton of time and can actually make the job look a lot better in the end because of how quickly it goes on and the manner in which it is applied.
So you live in an older home and in an established neighborhood. You might be noticing that your neighbors are making improvements on their home and leaving your home looking rather dated.