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What's on your home improvement wishlist & what's the anticipated cost? Since I live in an apartment and can't do much by way of home improvement I won't be getting any bathroom remodeling or adding any kitchen improvements but on my wishlist is to get this $40 pot rack from Walmart to install on my wall directly above the stove in order to utilize space.
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In the middle of a security upgrade because of all the kids breaking into homes and cars lately. We had a basic system with sensors only on the doors. Added sensors to all accessible windows. Added an outdoor alarm horn. Had all door locks changed and matched. Changed the garage door code. Will be adding sensor floodlights and eventually security cameras. I'm paying for all this upfront so I'm not tied to a huge monthly fee for monitoring.
Cost so far is $2,000 for the security system work, $600 for new door locks. Floodlights will add $300. Cameras, another $750. Expensive, but feeling secure in my home is worth it. -
We have something like that in the apartment we just moved into. I really like it.
It's fairly low priority at this point, but I'd like to get a new sofa. We haven't settled on one in particular, but it will probably run us 500-800 for one that is both comfortable and high quality. I'd like one with a pull out bed for when my parents visit.Comment
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Tom,Originally posted by tomhole View Post
Is this a DIY project or do you have a company do the install?Comment
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Short answer: Security update and locks were paid installs. Floodlights and cameras will be DIY.Originally posted by Like2Plan View Post
Longer answer:
The alarm was installed for $2006. I had an old proprietary ADT system that was not expandable unless ADT did it. I talked to ADT and they had a nice package for $1,000 and then $60 / mo for 3 years of monitoring, I could get kind of what I wanted. I decided I wanted a nonproprietary system. Was looking at installing it myself, but the programming was stupid complicated. My time is very valuable, so I gave a local guy $2,006 to do it all for me, exactly how I wanted it. DIY would have been half that and many hours of frustration and I probably would have had to call this guy anyway to get it all programmed. Worth it for me.
Lock changes were an immediate need due to someone having a key and the locks were old. Replaced them all and had them keyed the same (4 doors with deadbolts). Had a locksmith do it the same morning I called. $600 and done in an hour. DIY would have been half that, but it needed to be done immediately and I was on business travel.
Floodlights will be DIY. 3 of them with sensors. I got a quote for $900. This one I can do myself for the $300 cost of the lights.
Cameras are DIY. Will get them off the internet and install them myself. $750 for the 3 cameras I want. I got a quote for these for $1800, so much cheaper.
The security system and locks were an immediate need and needed to be addressed promptly for real safety issues. I don't feel bad about shelling out for them. The floodlights and cameras are a nice to have and I like doing that sort of thing.Comment
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I've been planning to have the carpets pulled out and hardwood installed for several years. I should have done it before moving in but the seller had put brand new carpeting throughout and it felt so wasteful. The money has been set aside but every time I'm ready to proceed something squelches arrangements. If it ever stops snowing we'll proceed, quote last spring $ 11,000. main levels, $ 22,000. to include 4 bedrooms & hall. Does not include 4 flights of stairs. Stairs are $ 50. ea. and they are so slick I fear one of our older guests falling.
QuarterMillion: Friend has half round type and mentioned she wished she'd bought the enamelled type. They get greasy over time and are hard to clean if there are any rough spots.
Tom: Really like the idea of cameras and signage that says Cameras! We have had two B&Es in two different houses over the years and it's a major disruption in spite of 'replacement value' insurance. While we had quality deadbolt locks they totally destroyed the doorframe and smashed in the door to get in.
We use high voltage motion lights mostly because it's still dark at 8 AM and dark agains by 4:30 PM winter evenings.Comment
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This past December I went to visit my parents out of stated and installed these new faucets for them;
Kitchen faucet with sprayer, $100.
Bathroom (2 handle faucet), $45.
I was intending to install this single handle waterfall bathroom faucet for them but dad insisted on the 2 handle faucet citing it easier to change the washers/valves if it leaks as opposed to changing the cartridge and O-rings in single handle type faucets. Not necessarily true but I won't argue with dad. What dad wants, dad gets (lol).
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- Add rain gutters, $1400, contracted & installed in February
- Add in-ground tornado shelter, $2800, contracted & installed last week (welcome to Oklahoma!!)
- Level out low spots in backyard & totally re-do front flowerbeds, ~$700, DIY and mostly finished this weekend
- Change out back door window to have built-in blinds, $250, DIY and will probably do this in a couple weeks
- Extend my back patio, $2k-$3k, will likely contract it out (no idea when though...long term plan)
- Build a small vegetable garden, ~$300-$500, DIY (hopefully sometime later this year)
That's everything currently on my list... but I'm sure there will be more. I bought my home almost 2 years ago, so I'm still in the process of "making it mine". Not to mention, I'm getting married in a few weeks (
), so my fiancee is having a lot of input there as well.
This has been an expensive spring... thankfully, I was able to save a lot of money for these projects (plus my wedding/honeymoon) over the last year or so, which has allowed me to pay for everything in cash. I can't imagine doing all of this work and just leaving it all on a credit card to balloon into a mess... woof.....Comment
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Replace windows in the living room - Cost $4200 (The windows that came with the apt are awful and leaking heat like crazy)
Remove bathtub and replace with walk-in shower. Bathtubs are disgusting and the space between the tub and the floor (edge) is widening. It's too wide at this point to use caulking. Any guesses on what this would cost?
Replace all hardwood floors. They're creaking. $10-15K cost. In no hurry to do this one.Comment
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We're getting ready to sell which is forcing us to finish up a lot of half done projects in a short amount of time, but all we're things we wanted while we were living here so I'll chime in!
Added a dry kitchen to the basement rec area incl framing and drywall, cabinets, counters, flooring and small appliances - $500
Finish painting exterior siding - $850. We started this project last fall ourselves and covered more than half the exterior and spent roughly $300 in paint, etc. Needing to get it wrapped up and having a million other things to do, we opted to contract the remaining job last week. Was $800 in labor and $50 for 2 more gallons of paint.
Replace carpet on main level of home (roughly 600 sq ft carpeted area) - $500. Purchased and installed by Lowes
Paint interior trim, doors and touch up walls - $50. DIY
Last year we replaced the garage door (this was way more expensive than I expected at ~$2500!), upgraded our refrigerator because it was the only appliance that didn't match ($500), total kitchen face lift by refinishing the cabinets and counters and opening up the fascia (all DIY ~$700).
Ugh I'm so ready not to own my home anymore!!Comment
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- Gut kitchen (1985 cabinets, broken doors and drawers). The open plan great room means that this means cabinets, running a gas line, new island, new sink, new lighting (drop ceiling! icky!), new faucet, new counters, and probably a new floor that runs throughout the kitchen, Living Room, and Dining Room. Kitchen estimate: $25k at least. Flooring: Another $10k.Originally posted by QuarterMillionMan View Post
- Fireplace. It's a 1985 facade of rough rock and brass insert. Refacing estimate, and adding a mantel? Estimate $4k.
- Windows. All the window's double-pane seals are old and broken; many of the mechanisms to keep the windows up are also broken. Assuming $400 per window, that's 22 windows x $400 = $10k or so.
- Broken double front door (kicked in by previous owner): $3k.
- Replace rotted front steps: Estimated $2k.
- Replace back deck, 800 SF and new railings. Estimate $20k for Brock Deck.
- Stucco house (currently wood siding) and replace all exterior window framing (rotted through on south side of house): Estimate $20k.
- Gut master bathroom and re-work master bedroom to build out walk-in closets. Estimate: $25k.
- Add updated lighting in main living areas, including re-working can lights. Estimate: $5k.
That gets me up to $124k. Ugh. Yay!
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We're in the final stages of a tiling project (backsplash in the kitchen and decorative tile on the walls of two bathrooms). All said, I think we've spent about $800 on tile, paint, and tools, but I'll admit we haven't kept track of the total cost well.
We want to get a shed in the next few months. We have a basic idea of what we want, and we know we want to get it installed, but we still need to decide on size and whether to get it from Home Depot or a local Amish place. I think we're looking at $6000-9000, depending on exactly what we decide.
After that comes:
- Painting all the walls in the house that are still white - This includes the family room, hallway, and foyer, which are all connected, and given the high ceiling in the foyer, I think we'll need a professional painter at least for that part. We also have a study, dining room, and master bed room that we can paint ourselves at some point. I haven't calculated the costs for any of it, but I count painting as a project that's more about finding time than finding money.
- Adding a patio - Two years ago, we put in a deck that opens out into an area that we would like to be a large patio. We almost did the deck and the patio at the same time, but when we realized the deck and patio combo we really wanted would be out of our budget, we decided to wait on the patio part rather than scale back. We want something with either a built in fire pit or built in stove, and last we talked about it, we were debating between stamped concrete and pavers. This is unlikely to be a DIY job, and I think we're looking at $8000-16000, depending on how crazy we go.
- Finishing the basement - We're mostly still in the idea phase of what we want to do with the giant open area under our house. Since we don't know exactly what we want and how much we'll be able to do ourselves, it's hard to guess a cost, but I'm pretty sure it will be in the 5-digit price range. Of course, once we know where we're going, it might be easier to break it into smaller more affordable chunks.
- Finishing the bonus room - We have a big open room over the garage that we want to be a kids' playroom some day. We don't have kids yet, and it currently makes an awesome walk-in storage space. So, I don't know when it will become a priority. But, it already has dry wall, so adding some paint and carpet and possibly some built in closets could be a small and inexpensive project. The big project would be finding new homes for all the stuff we've got stored in there now.Comment
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Oh WOW. I could go on and on with what I want to do with our house.
We bought an old fixer upper, and we have already redone plumbing, new electric, insulation, walls, yadda yadda yadda. Lots left to do though! In no specific order:
Put up trim. $250
Finish upstairs drywall. $500
Finish garden boxes. $80
Put up pasture fencing. $6,000
Finish replacing all windows. $7,000
Open sunroom into kitchen. $2,000ish
Add basement addition. $40,000
Finish barn. $1,000
Redo kitchen. $5,000
This is only the beginning. lolComment
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Our house is pretty much where we want it to be. The only thing I would want to do is reconfigure my garage for better storage. Right now, stuff is kind of cluttered at the front of the cars, so I'd like to build tall shallow depth cabinets with doors that swing open. It's just tough envisioning it.
Also would like to put that fancy epoxy coating on the garage floor, with some texture.Comment
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New kitchen counter top - $4k
New kitchen flooring - $2k?
Tile backsplash in kitchen - $1k
New deck - $10k
New carpet in bedrooms - $2k
New shower - $3k?
Paint exterior - $5k?
Total = $27k
Realistically, probably the only thing that'll get done in the next 2 years is painting the exterior and new carpet.Comment
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