Community Chat

[sabatini]

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@hckynut wrote:

(thread title)

@sabatini

No, we have spent since last November "demodeling". When I was in the hospital in Nov., our 2 toilets overflowed dumping huge amounts of "sewage", not just water, over most of our upstairs, and also our whole "completely" finished basement.

Finished some of the "demodeling" around January. Twice in May, 10 days apart, toilets overflowed again. These times I was home and shut the water off, but?

Still once again filled our "now unfinished basement", with water, not sewage. Because of heavy rains in our city I could not find a company to come out to remove the water. It took close to 2 weeks to get this done?

During those 2 weeks there was mold on all of my many electronic components/many of my high $$$ exercise machines/100's of LaserDiscs/CD's/DVD's/Vinyl records. Long story short short? Lost all of our furniture in a 3,200sq.ft. finished basement/many pieces of exercise machines. Total, still working on inventory of loses.

It will more than likely be at the very minimum, $50,00 worth of personal property. Still waiting on contractor to put back up removed drywall and repaint all of the basement once again.

Remodel? Nope, but thought I would give you a reverse story.

hckynut(john)

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John, how AWFUL! I'm so sorry to hear about that - especially considering everything else you've been through lately.

There's nothing worse than water damage, and the resulting mold.

You certainly have my sympathies, as well as my prayers.

Keep us posted!

[sabatini]

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@151949 wrote:

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@Melania wrote:

I hope you got it for a really good price. Yikes.

Those items will have to replaced at some point...like appliances etc. I agree that the older items were made much better than they are now but when you go to resell it, you have to make those upgrades.

My family member did not do the upgrades they could have gradually done when they had to move due to health issues and they got150,000 less they than they could have.

Enjoy your new home!! 

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First of all - not everyone is looking to sell their house and move. Some of us - most of us - buy a home to live in a long long time. Second of all -- you have absolutely no idea what so ever someone may have gotten for their house if it was remodeled. Not to mention the tens of thousands of dollars that it costs to do those upgrades.

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EXACTLY!

[JeanLouiseFinch]

Yes, we've said no.  Last year, DH and I wanted to update our kitchen.  We didn't really want new cabinets, but thought maybe fronts would be a good compromise.  Holy moly, were we wrong.  We had someone here to measure and show us what they offered.  Our kitchen is not huge, but not tiny either.  The sales person gave us a number that was so high (but she could shave a little off if we committed right then and there), we could have purchased all brand new for less $$.  I mean, it was ridiculous.  In the end, we said no to the cabinets.  We washed our current cabinets and polished them with some Old English and they really look great.  Our money was better spent getting a new quartz countertop and DH redoing our backsplash.  We're very pleased with the result and happy that we didn't have to go into debt to accomplish it..  

[IamMrsG]

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@sabatini wrote:

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@Kachina624 wrote:

The one that gets me are the "outdated" white appliances.  Right up the street Lowe's and Home Depot are selling white appliances brand new but home buyers can't use them because they're outdated.   You'd think they couldn't cook a meal unless they had stainless steel.

I'm shopping for a new fridge and it will be white as I dislike the other choices, especially the new dark steel gray.  Ugly, ugly, ugly.

I desperately need new cabinets and counters but can't face the chore of emptying the old ones.

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LOL, kachina! I'm the same way. Back when I was very young & had been renting a little house in So CA, the landlord decided to sell it. I bought it - mainly becuase the thought of having to move was too exhausting.

I AM going to buy a new fridge - and like you - it'll be white, freezer on bottom. Nothing fancy!

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Count me in on this issue, too!   Never one who needed to keep up with the fads, I chose all white appliances, too.  My refrigerator is fancier than any I've had before, but it's white nonetheless.  

[sabatini]

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@SilleeMee wrote:

There used to be a show on HGTV called "DESIGN ON A DIME". I thought the show was really good at showing how to make the most of what you have. As I remember, there was a $1000 budget to make over a room and some of the results were phenomenal!

I like to recyle and reuse stuff. I also like to bring some things back to their original. I wouldn't call this "remodeling"...call it preservation.

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SilleeMee, talking about that show & others in an HGTV thread over on the TV Forum is what prompted me to start this post!

[JustJazzmom]

My kitchen which was original to the house had knotty pine cabinets with varnish that oxidized to an orangey shade over time when we purchased this house. There was no D/W and very little counter space. The plumbing drain pipes below the sink ran through a base  cabinet rendering one cabinet useless. A huge pantry closet was useless as you couldn't find a thing. The fridge and range were harvest gold, the wallpaper was greasy and a weird 60's style flower pattern. Linoleum floor was in the orange family. 

We remodeled our kitchen with stock wooden cabinets (Merillat brand). The wall between the kitchen and junior dining room got removed to enlarge the space. Sitting in a small 9' X 12' kitchen with 3 small children and 2 adults for dinner was ludicrous! I did get a D/W and the drain pipes were rerouted so they went to the basement and over to the waste line. Electric redone with recessed lighting over the sink, D/W where there is now a counter and over the range. I even requested 2 switches for the recessed lights because sometimes you are at the sink and sometimes you are at the range! An L shaped peninsula got created so one person could sit at the counter and work or have a snack if desired. The microwave got moved off the kitchen table and onto its own shelf with a dedicated outlet to our circuit panel! 

Linoleum went from orange to a neutral shade and the orange laminate countertops became a butcher block laminate!

I'm amazed I didn't get a headache every time I sat in that kitchen before we remodeled it! 

[proudlyfromNJ]

I like to remodel and I like rearranging and making the house different. When we first moved in 35 years ago we made due. House was built in 1958 and kitchen and baths were original. 

Stained kitchen cabinets then tired of that and painted white. I think we got some new appliances. 

15 years ago husband redid the kitchen. Luckily he knows how to do this kind of work. Cabinets are light maple, no grain running through them. A few years ago we had granite and new sink installed. New appliances. White. My choice. I had 2 different tile floors over the years and last decision was vinyl. Love it.

He he also did the bathroom, half bath and put a bath in downstairs in the basement turned family room. Lucky for me he is so handy.

[sabatini]

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@IamMrsG wrote:

First, @sabatini, congratulations on your new home!  I sincerely hope you and yours will be very happy there for many years to come.

I respect your common sense thinking about unnecessary remodeling, and suggest you live in the house a while to see how you use it, move around in it, and what you like, or conversely, don't like about  it.

DH and I moved into this house in 2012. I began planning during the winter of '14 about revamping the kitchen, then we began the project last summer.  

The house is twenty years old, so the cabinets are not the hot trend so prevalent on HGTV these days.  That said, though, they're in excellent condition and have nice features, i.e., slide out shelves in every one.  My friend with high-end burled maple cabinets sniffed, "Mine don't even have that."  So why would I ditch them just because they're not the newest / flashiest model?  What I did do, though, was take the largest doors to a furniture maker and had the center panels replaced with decorative glass (for about $300, total).  It made a major difference in the whole room.  New hardware helped, too.

We did replace the Formica countertop with leathered granite (which was not my first choice, but I've come to like it), the stainless steel sink with a Blanco granite composite (love, love that sink!), a fancy-shmancy faucet and new flooring.  Oh, and I put Formica on the wall as a backsplash from the countertop to the bottom of the cabinets.

The project took longer than we anticpated (don't they always?), but we stayed on budget while accomplishing a whole new look. It can be done.

Good luck with yours!  I'll be watching for updates on your progress.  

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OMG, G!! So happy to hear from you about your kitchen! I remember back when you were in the planning stages, and wondered what you'd finally decided on.

IF I were ever to replace the kitchen floor, your flooring choice would be right up my alley. It's perfect: not only attractive and durable, but easier on the legs, and safer w/ a butter-fingers like me. A glass or dish might stand a better chance.

I LOVE your choice of sink too. In my old house, I had a huge, cast iron/porcelain single-bowl sink, and I miss that thing. I'd bought it for $80 at a discount builder's store, as it had a tiny chip in the enamel. If new, it would've cost a fortune.

Anyway, I'll definitely keep you posted!

[sabatini]

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@SeaMaiden wrote:

I have to admit I am guilty. We bought out home in 1992.   The house Was built in 1980. Over the years we have painted the outside, put on a new roof, built a new deck, replaced the front door.......but.....

We have updated NOTHING inside Since moving in.  Original carpet, paint, flooring, the stove is still working so it is the original. Only replaced the fridge because it died.  And the water heater BUT It does not bother me that things are old. As long as they work.... And are clean, I am fine with it. I hate redecorating! I hate change.  I could care less about new, updated this or that.  I never change out my furniture. It looks like new. Why would I? I like my home comfortable...could care less what anyone else says. That is just me. 

I plan to move to a new home for our retirement years here in about 5 years. I will just move out, clean the house spic and span and sell AS IS. The new buyer can get a deal and renovate their Hearts content.  

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SeaMaiden, the things you chose to do were important ones. God knows you need a solid roof!, and you've got to keep up the outside of the house to withstand weather, etc.

But as for the rest, I'm w/ you.

I don't want any of you to think that I'm some kind of uncaring slob, because I'm not!

I love beautiful things, and to have a lovely home.

I'm just talking about getting rid of stuff that doesn't need to be gotten rid of.

[IamMrsG]

I just thought to share a tip I used in this house right after we moved in.  The former owners had a guest room and its bath done for their young granddaughters.  If you can believe it, the bathroom counter (single sink, thankfully) was pink Formica.  

Right after moving in, we had three separate sets of guests coming to see and share in the joy of our new home.  I could not abide by that pink countertop, so I painted it as a temporary, quick fix.

It turned out so well we decided to keep it.  We even had a contractor ask if I could do his for him!  If at all curious, go to Giani Granite.  Watch the video tutorials and follow the instructions carefully.  If so, I'm confident you'll be as pleased with the results as we are with ours.