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06-20-2016 11:14 PM
@sabatini, my entire house is outdated and worn. While I would love to renovate the whole thing, we are thinking of just selling for a lower price and just not do the work.
06-21-2016 12:53 AM
Remember that beauty is only skin deep. What you don't see are the old cast iron plumbing that needs to be replaced, you don't know how rotted the subfloors are from water damage, mold behind the bathrub, copper wiring that needs to be grounded. Eventually it needs to be replaced, and that's when the remodeling starts.
06-21-2016 07:23 AM
Having lived in the construction mess of one semi-gut job and one complete gut job, I wouldn't buy a house that needed major reno work if I had to live there while it was being done.
06-21-2016 08:02 AM
I am fascinated by this subject, because I too watch HGTV and marvel at the remodeling. They call kitchens, that are much newer than my own , 'outdated' and tear them out. My sister is the only person I know of who has done a complete kitchen remodel. The rest of us do the best we can with what was there when we moved in. Any spare $40K we have lying around is in a retirement account.
06-21-2016 08:42 AM
I've lived in a house I've loved, in a neighborhood I've loved, for several years.
We've made major improvements in several rooms, and done some updates in utilities.
The cosmetic changes we've made have been unapologetically OUR TASTE, and also sympathetic to the age/style of the house.
Recently, we decided that out of love for this home we've made, we wanted to do some structural work.
Almost immediately we came to the conclusion that anything more than we've already done would outprice the house.
Although I'm emotionally devoted to what has been my home, and my home base, for a long time, I'm also enough of a pragmatist to accept the fact moving on is much wiser for us than staying.
When we DO find something we think will work for us, I will commit to waiting for a year before making any changes except fresh paint, flooring restoration,and other basic stuff. I won't be buying something to live in that doesn't have at least interim appeal to me, and by the time a year has passed, I'll have the cash put aside to do what I want.
SO, @sabatini, I think your stance is %1000 on target, and at some point, I'll be doing exactly the same thing.
06-21-2016 08:53 AM
I'm a remodel-er. However, whatever is ripped out is either recycled, re-purposed or reused if possible. Remodeling doesn't necessarily mean things end up in landfills.
I am into decorating and home aesthetics; I couldn't handle "serviceable" over "beautiful."
06-21-2016 08:55 AM
@sabatini....we have a home that is 40 years old....we have done small things over the years but never a major overhaul. My bathroom needed updating so we had the vanity painted and raised a little bit higher, new faucets and stool and countertop and a new floating tile floor...it was like a new bathroom...at least to me, ha! We did nothing with the dated tub/shower surround but a nice shower curtain does the job to hide it The entire project was about $3,000. Well worth the money.
This year the kitchen was updated with backsplash and new countertop, and sink. Cupboards are a bit dated but in great shape. I would love to paint them but will just leave them alone. We have done what we could afford and no more...if we do much more we will not get the money back if we could ever sell this house.
We did add a porch to the back of the house and a vinyl fence years ago....we are done, and we enjoy what we have, although truth be told I would like to move but that is not going to happen.
Enjoy your new home, no matter what you do to update it.
Those couples on HGTV really irritate me...I'd love to go back and see how they are doing with the large remodeling costs that they incurred....I like being debt free.
06-21-2016 09:03 AM
I have read that House Hunters is totally fake; the couple has already bought the house they decided on then they film house hunting. So I wouldn't put any stock into what the couples say.
Personally I love to remodel and update; don't enjoy the mess or expense but I want to love my home.
06-21-2016 09:04 AM
Something I never understand on HGTV is -- a couple will say they are preapproved for say $200,000. They look at a house that is listed at $150,000. So the realtor tells them they have $50,000 to remodel with. Do they not realize that just because they have been approved for $200,000 they will not be able to actually get a loan for any more than the house is appraised for? They sem to think they can just get that $200,000 in cash to use to remodel the house.That is not how banks work.
06-21-2016 09:07 AM
By way of confession, I LOVE REAL KNOTTY PINE, and I've already told DH that if/when we move, I'll be wanting KNOTTY PINE cabinetry and a WilsonArt ( upscale Formica ) counter.
Just won't seem like home without it!
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