How Much Did You Spend On Home Remodeling?

[cschin4]

I bought an old home and am planning some big rennovations. Just starting to meet with contractors to get estimates and so forth. So, I was curious what kind of remodels you have done and what it cost.

[rebeccae55]

We spent about $35,000 on a kitchen remodel. We kept original floors and cabinets and we didn't move any walls. We kept the same layout of appliances and plumbing. So what did we get for our money?

Beadboard throughout the kitchen
New baseboards and crown molding
Cabinets were raised and trim was added
Granite counter tops
Butcher block top for kitchen island
New stove, range hood, microwave, refrigerator, dishwasher
New sink, faucet, "instant hot water", and garbage disposal
New hardware for the cabinets and drawers, new door knobs for six doors.
New built-in cabinet, one of my favorite features. It replaced a niche that held a very cheap looking built-in desk
Recessed lighting (10 lights)
Light fixture for over the table
New switchplates
Lighting under the cabinets
Fresh coat of paint on entire kitchen including cabinets

It looks great! We tried to shop every purchase for the best price. The surprising thing was how many things we didn't realize we needed so we went over budget. But we still managed to pay cash. There are still a few finishing touches that we're saving for. It was fun, too and believe it or nor, we managed to eat at home almost every night throughout the whole process.

Good luck on your project!

[asmom]

I bought an old home and am planning some big rennovations. Just starting to meet with contractors to get estimates and so forth. So, I was curious what kind of remodels you have done and what it cost.

I am very envious! Renovating an old home is a dream of mine. I can't wait to make it happen. A great place to pose this question might be the boards at HGTV.com. They have a section for this also.

[cschin4]

The house I am rennovating was the house we lived in 5 years ago. I decided to move back to the old neighborhood. So, I know all the warts of the house. The hardest part is trying to decide what I really want to do and how to do. I am thinking of getting an architect involved as well so that I do the project right.
OK, here is what I am contemplating:
-
updating electrical system to 200 amp (is that a good idea and do I need 200 amp service?)
improving drainage in basement by installing drains (this will require some excavation)
adding central A/C (we already have ducts and gas forced air)
concrete floor in part of the basement (presently has dirt floor)

1st floor
expand/add to have first floor laundry and new bath with shower
complete kitchen remodel
consider enlarging some wall openings and opening some walls to give the home more sense of space
Adding family room which would be under the 1st floor expansion of the bathroom/laundry

Upstairs
Bathroom remodel - new toilet, sink, tub, etc.
Hall doors - They are odd size and I want to make standard doors and doorways and remove the old ones.

New siding and roof

Garage also needs new siding, roof, and garage door.

So, there is alot of work there. I am contemplating just getting it all done or doing it in stages.

[rebeccae55]

Wow, you have quite a project! Sounds like it will be wonderful when it is done.

Will you be living in the house while it's being remodeled? If so, I recommend doing it in stages, especially if you are a person who likes order. When we were having our kitchen remodeled, I was really thankful that was all we were doing at the time. Around the same time time, my brother took on a really extensive remodeling project, though not as extensive as yours. He got a new roof, moved a few interior walls, gutted the kitchen, started 2 bathroom remodels and tore up carpet. Then, due to cost overruns and labor issues, he ran out of money. So now he lives in a torn up house. The good news is he's finishing some of the work himself. He's done a great job laying hardwood floors and painting. But since he has to do it in his spare time, it is going slowly.

Again, good luck!

[cschin4]

We purchased this home and should close on it in a couple of weeks. Our plan is to remain in our current home until the remodel is mostly done. Then, we would move and sell. I live in the Northeast and winter is approaching. So, once I decide what I really want done, I can get the project underway. But, with winter coming this may put us at a standstill until spring!
We could live in it during the rennovation but it would be tough with 3 kids though it can be done.

[Daniel_Shop]

I bought an old home and am planning some big rennovations. Just starting to meet with contractors to get estimates and so forth. So, I was curious what kind of remodels you have done and what it cost.

It pretty much depend on the state of the house

I spent around $20k in my home.

[FrugalFish]

Wow, you have a big project on your hands!

We bought a fixer upper a few years ago and our issues were non-structural and completely cosmetic. Aside from 2 mirrors, there were no surfaces/areas that did not need total revamp. We did 99.9% of the work ourselves and spent $30,000 on materials alone- this did not include much of a kitchen remodel as it already had beautiful cabinets that just needed to be totally refinished. Oh, the total size of the house is just 1600 sq ft.

If you are talking about hiring contractors and getting into structural work, then budget high. In old houses (mine was only a thrashed 12 year old at the time), you never know what you're going to uncover, especially when you get into the structure. Good luck- it's fun, it's rewarding, and it's exhausting.

[zetta]

Back when we had two incomes and no kids, we remodelled the kitchen, master bathroom, and 2nd bathroom. We live in southern CA, so prices may vary in other parts of the country.

Our 10x10 kitchen, with new cabinets, appliances, and granite countertops, came to about $25k. I'd say it broke down as follows: $5k cabinets, $5k appliances, $5k cabinet and appliance installation, $5k granite and tile, $5k granite and tile installation. We kept the layout and made no structural changes, and bought our cabinets through Home Depot. Our neighbor down the street has the exact same floorplan, but moved a wall, removed the breakfast bar, moved the sink, added an island, and purchased very upscale cabinets. Their total came to about $100k! The layout of their new kitchen is wonderful -- they were able to fit in a desk and double oven that we don't have, and their cabinets are taller and extend into the dining area -- but it shows that the decisions you make as you remodel can greatly affect the cost!

Our 8x9 master bath came to about $18k. This included new shower and spa tub, marble shower and floor tile, granite countertops, and curved cabinets, no structural changes. Probably could've saved about $3k if we had gone with regular cabinets and no jets in the tub or shower.

Our 2nd bathroom only ran about $7k. We kept the original cabinets and tub, and DH did all the plumbing, so the main work was installing granite countertops and marble tile on the floor and shower area. It's my least favorite of the three -- we were a little rushed in picking out the materials and they don't go together as well as I'd like.

[cicy33]

When we first bought our house we ripped out the flooring in the kitchen and living, had to redo almost all the walls, (big holes) put in carpet and linoleum, added central heat and air, replaced the roof, and replaced most of the wiring. the original house is about 1200 square feet. That cost about $10,000 total. We had to pay someone for the heat and air and to lay the carpet and linoleum. Most of the work we did ourselves. We are in the finishing process of adding about 600 square feet to our house. It has cost us about $20,000. It is three rooms. We have done the majority of the work ourselves. the only thing we paid to have done was the foundation. We did "pay" family with food and drink to help us set the trusses but everything else was us. you can save a ton doing it yourself.

[cschin4]

Neither of us are "handy" so we can't do any of this type of work ourselves. So, we will leave it up to the pros. Instead, I will be spending that time getting our present home ready to sell by painting, etc.

[ziggythegreat]

Hi! I'm a longtime lurker who is de-lurking to answer your question. My husband and I have spent the last year remodeling a 50-year-old house (one story, ranch style, three bedrooms plus office, 1.5 bath). We've basically done 90% of the work ourselves and are nearly done.

In the end, we redid pretty much every room and are putting on new siding and doors. All in all, it has cost us about $25,000. The major changes were the kitchen are bathrooms, because that's where you get the biggest return for your investment. We completely gutted those rooms. The only thing we kept was the bathtub in the full bath. Our kitchen cost us about $10000 (including stainless appliances) because we put down a tile countertop ourselves and bought the most affordable cabinets we could find (solid wood and very pretty, but we had to assemble them). Think carefully about the selections you make. If your home is in a middle-class neighborhood, you may not get the best return out of luxury cabinets and top-of-the-line countertops -- unless, of course, you want them for your own enjoyment

The things that we've had to hire pros for (siding, replacing an enormous bow window, etc), have been the most expensive. For instance, the siding cost $8500. If you can do something yourself, you will save an incredible amount of money. The best thing you can do is to buy the entire line of home depot books and follow their instructions carefully -- even if a certain step seems unnecessary, just do it -- you'll be glad in the end!

The second best thing to do is to find an affordable but reliable handyman. Ask everyone you know in the area for a good guy to use. Our handyman charged us $300 to put up our kitchen cabinets, and they looked much, much better (level and plumb) than they would have if we'd done them ourselves. As I'm typing this, he's installing french doors for us -- these heavy, labor-intesive jobs can be hard for a husband-and-wife team to do on their own (particularly when the wife is on the shorter side, like I am).

Finally, always budget at least twice as much time to do a job as you think it will take. There are so many things that can go wrong with a project that you'll probably spend a large chunk of every project going back and forth between your home and your hardware store. At some point, you're going to be stumped. Just look up everything you can online, and if all else fails, find a specialty store and ask the sales guys for help. They can be a little arrogant (like the guys at our local plumbing supply store), but they have a real wealth of information (especially the older guys). Oh, and keep your receipts -- the big box stores are great about taking unused items back if you change your mind about them!

I hope this helps!

[cschin4]

Thanks for the tips. Yes, it is a pretty average neighborhood. Of course I am not going to go overboard in putting in "high end stuff". But, there are things I do want for my own enjoyment. I really want a nice 36 inch gas stove. I want a professional model as they burn at much higher BTUs than I can get at a basic appliance store. The frig and dishwasher are not of such a concern. A basic model is fine but I will probably need to get stainless steel as that is what the stove will be.
I also really like Corian counters. Haven't priced this yet but I am sure it isn't cheap. And, I will get solid wood cabinets as well. I spend most of my time in the kitchen so I expect to spend the most money on that!
As for the rest of the home, I tend to just buy "middle of the road" stuff. Seems to be the best value, looks nice and has some quality where it will last.

[cschin4]

So many choices to make. The type of flooring, appliances, color of siding, roof, etc. I am up in the air on the siding. I am thinking of the following:
white siding w/ red or navy blue shutters and red or blue roof to match
grey siding w/ red or navy blue shutters and red or blue roof to match
Or, I really like this on some homes: red siding, light blue shutters with beige trim on the soffit, fascia, etc. It looks really good on colonial style homes and that is what I have. However, I am bit afraid of doing red and worried that it might not actually turn out to look as I envision it. But, on the other hand, no guts, no glory right? What do you think?

[cschin4]

I also have some questions on the stove. I am looking at a gas range. And, I see they have "slide in ranges" as well. A full size stove with no backsplash. What would be the advantage to that?