Did you put in a new kitchen? Bathroom?

amother

Seafoam

Fri, Feb 07 2020, 7:31 am

I recently finished a remodel of my entire condo. I had done some minor cosmetic fixes but essentially the kitchen and bathrooms were the original from 1965.

They were ugly and not as functional as they might have been. Some parts of the home were non-functional and others were not. In my building some people work with the existing cabinets - e.g. paint and add new doors and others gut the kitchens and bathrooms.

I just to gut everything because I wanted more aesthetic and functional rooms. For example, my master bathroom had the original tub/shower combination with the acrylic "wall". I wanted a walk in shower because I want to age in place and a walk in shower is easier to get in and out of. I wanted a tile shower because it is more beautiful than plastic :-).

My kitchen layout is similarly more functional because I changed the layout. I have all lower drawers for example but it is also much more beautiful as I opted for finishes I selected - e.g. large copper farmhouse sink for example.

I paid for everything from savings. I had been thinking about a more limited remodel at one time which I would probably have funded from a HELOC but I am glad I waited a bit.

Not sure the point of your question because it's such an individual decision that is driven by a combination of needs and financial ability. If you want to present your situation, people can probably give you advice on whether you should spend money to remodel and how to achieve what you want within your current budget.

FWIW, it NEVER makes sense to remodel because you think it is going to be a return on your investment. Unless you have significant DIY skills and are doing most of the labor yourself, the costs for a new kitchen or bathroom are more than you will get when you resell. Remodel because you want to enjoy the new kitchen and/or baths while you are living in them and can afford to make the changes. The industry wants to make you think that remodeling is an investment but it isn't - of course there are exceptions but in general you won't get back even 100% of what you spent let alone a profit.

As the old sayings go - remodeling will cost twice as much as you think and take twice as long - in my case I think it took four times as much and as long :-).