Have you said 'NO' to remodeling? - Page 7

libbyannE · ‎10-27-2010

Love your approach. Keeping the kitchen cabinets makes sense if the kitchen layout works well for you. Are the kitchen cabinets good quality and classic in style but just not the finish you prefer? Then you can definitely paint them, refinish them, or have a pro do it. Are the countertops plain and simple laminate? Maybe you can keep them. If not, consider the stone overlay facelifts counter covers which can cost less than all new stone countertops. As you say, new faucets can make a big difference, with or without a new sink. I cannot see the range do I don't know, but if it is clean, classic, and working it may be just fine. If it is a slide-in range in a standard size, you can look around and replace it if and when you feel like it. I would measure it now and compare it to current ranges to be sure it the same size jusyptust do you are armed with that info before you consider any countertop change. Maybe you can splurge in replacing what you describe as a crummy old tub with a new tub or a luxury walk-in shower!

kdgn · ‎03-09-2010

When watching some of the HGTV househunting shows I will just sit and shake my head at some of the comments the prospective buyers make. "I want stainless steel appliances" as she stands in the kitchen, looking at what appears to be brand new appliances...but they aren't stainless steel. "They can be replaced." Why????

One thing I've noticed with many episodes of Property Brothers: They will salvage whatever cabinets they can, either refinish them or paint them, to save costs.

I've seen folks walk into a home that's completely tiled and say they want hardwood and would replace the tile. Tile looked just fine to me! And talk about an unmitigated mess to remove~

When things are not in good shape, replace them. You don't like the color stain on the cabinets? Sand them down and restain if they're in good shape. I'd trade my current cabinets for my old custom ones any day! When I sold my other house the fridge was included in the sale, it wouldn't fit in the new kitchen. That Amana was huge, never gave me a problem and was at least 12 years old. Did the new owners replace it? Not until it died a sudden death 7 years later....

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

Just a few days ago, my sister pointed out that the family home we lived in through HS and college, is now on the market. It's a standard split level of which there are thousands in the Philly area.

The house has been extensively remodeled and is gorgeous. I'm so sorry our parents aren't around to see it. The enlarged the small rec room into the garage so now it has no garage. They added a fireplace. Took down the wall between dining room and kitchen. Beautiful cabinets and granite counters. All closets have built-ins. Hardwood floors are georgous. There is still only 1 1/2 baths and no master bath.

Our parents paid $14,000, for the place in 1957 when it was brand new; the asking is just under $400,000. Quite a difference.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

JustJazzmom · ‎03-09-2010

@sabatini One more thing-- those original kitchen cabinets -- we kept the cabinets over the fridge, range and on either side of the kitchen window for use in our unfinished part of the basement (utility area) as additional storage for pantry stuff! The cabinets on either side of our kitchen window were so small, dinner plates could not lay flat inside!

We finally replaced those cabinets when we redid the utility room 2 yrs ago and I finally got enough storage space and a 5' laminate countertop! In that area I used white HD cabinets and bought black knobbed door and drawer knobs/pulls. The utility room walls were originally orange in color (previous homeowner must have gotten a great deal on orange paint!). We changed that to gray! Much more relaxing to look at! LOL

☼The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there. GBShaw☼

deedledeedeedle · ‎05-27-2014

@sabatini wrote:

So, my question is:
Are any of you proud to blissfully be living with outdated appliances, linoleum, Formica, melamine, etal??

Please tell. Thanks!

Sabatini,

Congratulations on your new home!

When I purchased my home I decided to start out with replacing the things that were costing me money to use. I first purchased a new furnace & A/C. Recently I purchased 1.2 gallon toilets to replace the dinosaurs. The downstairs installation went smoothly. However, when the plumber was installing the upstairs bathroom toilet he called me up to see a disaster!!! The plastic flange was cracked and a slow leak has totally destroyed the subfloor, greenboard and possibly the reinforced "platform". I am just sick. The insurance adjuster came out and said no go since "they never cover rot". Just why do I have insurance? The toilet worked fine, never leaked on the tile floor or onto the downstairs ceiling. How in the world was I supposed to know about this slow leak within the floor? I seriously thought insurance would cover it but I was mistaken. Anyway, I now have a very expensive project that must be done. My plumber demoed the tiles and vanity and took away the old commode. The upstairs will need new carpeting in the other rooms some day. Then, I want to have the entire interior professionally painted. I definitely do not see retirement soon in the cards for me.

So, in answer to your question, if your fixtures are working but dated you may want to have them inspected to verify that they are in working order so something like this doesn't happen to you. I am fine living with a laminate kitchen countertop & veneered cabinets for now. Of course I would like luxuriously made materials, but it is not necessary to have them all at once (if at all). There are other things in life more important than if I have granite countertops or cherry cabinets.

dee
(sorry for being so long winded)

deedledeedeedle · ‎05-27-2014

Wow John,

After reading this I feel just terrible for complaining about my bathroom subfloor problems.

I am so sorry that flooding did so much damage to your home.

dee

shoekitty · ‎03-10-2010

@JustJazzmom wrote:
I was not a fan of white cabinets (too clinical to me) and went with oak brown cabinets. The appliances were changed to almond (a neutral) as they broke, we replaced them with black appliances instead of white or now the stainless steel ones. The hardest thing to find now is a fridge w/o an ice machine in the freezer or water dispenser. Only 1 model -- a Whirlpool was the fridge that fit the bill. We went from one side by side fridge to a French door style with freezer on the bottom and back to a side by side!

I was forever rearranging items in the French door fridge as to where to fit things inside.

I also dislike stainless steel --that industrial, commercial look never wowed me for a small kitchen. Black was our best choice for appliance colors.

shoekitty said

I love black appliances! I was wondering about black fridges. Although we have black stove/ range and dishwasher our fridge is almond with black handles. It is old though. I do not care for stainless in my hime, or white. The jenn-air range is new and 3000 bucks so I won't be replacing it. I was wondering when I get new fridge what to do.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

@shoekitty wrote:
@JustJazzmom wrote:
I was not a fan of white cabinets (too clinical to me) and went with oak brown cabinets. The appliances were changed to almond (a neutral) as they broke, we replaced them with black appliances instead of white or now the stainless steel ones. The hardest thing to find now is a fridge w/o an ice machine in the freezer or water dispenser. Only 1 model -- a Whirlpool was the fridge that fit the bill. We went from one side by side fridge to a French door style with freezer on the bottom and back to a side by side!

I was forever rearranging items in the French door fridge as to where to fit things inside.

I also dislike stainless steel --that industrial, commercial look never wowed me for a small kitchen. Black was our best choice for appliance colors.
shoekitty said

I love black appliances! I was wondering about black fridges. Although we have black stove/ range and dishwasher our fridge is almond with black handles. It is old though. I do not care for stainless in my hime, or white. The jenn-air range is new and 3000 bucks so I won't be replacing it. I was wondering when I get new fridge what to do.

I am a white appliance person but our 2 year old camper has black appliances and I hate them, HATE THEM! Every tiny little fingerprint shows on them.Everything seems to need cleaned several times all day.

september · ‎03-09-2010

I have a black refrigerator, and I love everything about it, except the fact that it needs to be dusted down a few times a day. Every teeny tiny dust mote sticks to it.

And the lower portion often has little white cat hairs stuck to it!

Lila Belle · ‎01-24-2013

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

Our circa 1962 brick ranch was immaculently maintained and well kept but had bronze colored appliances, alder and plywood cabinets, faded looking brick linoleum and one overhead light fixture in the kitchen and bronze flecked plastic countertops. The 2 1/2 bathrooms were also well-kept, clean and mostly mildew free but each was outfitted in a different color tile with matching fixtures-yellow blue and pink. The family room was panelled in a mahoghany colored fake wood.

We got a great deal on our first home and remodeled the kitchen, took out the wall between the kitchen and dining room,added lighting, gutted the bathrooms, refinished the floors and painted the panelling ( plan to drywall it next year ) before we moved in.

We love our home and our neighborhood. The floorplan worked for us and we figured that it'll look good for many years to come.