Home Renovation

"The buyer of a fixer-upper with a kitchen that hasn't seen a paint brush or a scouring pad since 1967 doesn't have a choice but to renovate." - David Crook, WSJ 01.06.09

There was an article in the WSJ yesterday highlighting (more like warning) the fact that most home renovations don't pay back 100% of their cost and people have been spending like crazy on their homes. Also, it's best to minimize the labor cost and do as much of the work yourself as you can, which is what we're trying to do with the other parts of the house.

No surprise there.

The underlying assumptiopn of the article is that all home improvements are investments. While this is probably true for a lot of people, there are also people out there who would actually enjoy using their new kitchen/bathroom spa/master suite for themselves.

We, for example, know that the new kitchen will most definitely improve the value of the house. In fact, according to the quote above, we "have no choice"! But we're also going to immensely enjoy our new kitchen in our new home for the next "x" amount of years, and that's not a monetary issue. Could we have used a different/less expensive countertop than granite? Yes, but it doesn't factor in our enjoyment. Plus, I haven't met one person yet who hasn't been wooed by the granite. It must be all those damn HGTV shows.

Speaking of the kitchen, the contractor is finished, and we just need to set up final inspections. We (my dad and brother) are also finishing up the painting/plaster this weekend and taking some final pictures. The next kitchen posting should be (WILL be) a bunch of before/after photos.