For me the reason I will never be done is because I'm always looking for new things to do. Even if something is perfectly fine the way it is, I always seem to convince myself that I can make it better somehow.
I can certainly see myself getting to that point if I ever finish the "needs to be done" work. Then again, some of the work I'm doing now doesn't "need" to be done, I just want to improve. Ben, thanks bud. Looking forward to seeing the new place when it's done.
i think it depends on how you term "home improvement"... if it is a gut and remodel, well that really sucks and can take forever (or cost a metric ass ton of cash)!!! we built our place about 9yrs ago, each year we have a new goal to make it prettier or more useful... one year we put in the flower garden up front, installed a brick patio one year, painted the whole house (we have a multi-colored interior now that my niece calls the rainbow house), installed cabinets in the laundry room, drywall/insulate/paint the garage along with a couple of electrical drops, fenced in the rear, more landscaping almost every year, exterior landscape lighting, and now have begun finishing the basement... also on the books for this year is to remove the lino from the laundry room and install ceramic tile, next year is wood floors on the 1st floor of the house... so, ya, pretty much, a home-owners work is never really done...
We bought our current home 9 years ago and gutted it before moving in. Unfortunately, it wasnt done before we had to move in and we lived in an unfinished basement with a microwave for a kitchen for a while with two little kids. All new wiring, drywall, tile floor on main level, carpet and hardwoods upstairs. New kitchen, Two new baths, (one sitll to do) new roof, all new windows and siding, new garage door and opener, all new entry doors, put in a set of patio doors out the back to a new two-tier deck and patio, moved the laundry room upstairs, finished the basement into a gameroom, broke out and replaced the badly cracked garage floor, sidewalk, and driveway, and replaced the sewer line. We did about 75% of the work ourselves. I think when I finish the master bath this year I will be done, at least as done as a homeowner can be. Wow, I had never sat down and made a list of everything we have done. Crazy, and I hope to never do it again. Next home if ever will be a new one! Enjoy your home and the pride that comes with it.
Bought my house 9 years ago with huge visions of grandeur dancing in HER head. First couple years we knocked out some easy things. Paint, plling up nasty carpet, etc. Got stuck in a huge 3 seasons room remodel that today is still unfinished. And likely will remain that way for many more years to come. I'm not a "home improvement" kind of guy, I'm just happy to keep up with the stuff that breaks, let alone go ripping out functional things just because I want it "different".
I suppose my problem is I'm not sure whether we will stay here forever or not. We originally bought the home with intentions of only staying for a while (5-7 years), building equity, and then buying land to build on. Then the Marcellus shale hit and nobody, I mean nobody, wants to sell their land. If it does sell, it's for well over $10k/acre. If I KNEW I was staying here forever, I would be less apt to be so hurried in my remodeling, and less worried about pricing myself out of the market, but I still have hope that I may be able to find land someday.
He lives in the country though, not the concrete jungle. 10K an acre for rural property is outrageous.
guess it depends how far out in the country he is... even down in central IL its approaching the $10k price as well... if you get way out in the country it shouldn't be over about $1-2000/ac, depending on several factors like timber or viability as crop bearing land... ymmv
I'm not sure exactly what I would classify my area as. On one hand, Northcentral PA is very rural in comparison to the SE, C, and SW parts of the state. I live about 5 miles north of a decent sized city for PA, but nothing to justify the price increase we've seen in the last few years. Most land was going for Sub $1k/acre to about $2.5K/acre. We saw a major natural gas play develop in our area, and all of sudden prices skyrocketed.
silly speculators... the only way it will stay that high is if people actually pay it... if nobody is buyin the price will come back down... wait it out...
At this point, it's not speculating anymore. (I live near MGH) The land that we are building on in the spring cost us 9300/acre plus our share of a 25K road. (split with my brother and one other lot to be sold later) Matt, If I were you, I'd make the changes/improvements that make you and your wife comfortable and provide you will the most sellable house. At the same time, save money (not hard for you, you tightwad) and then reassess in 3-5 yrs.
if that's the case, then its just what land costs now... time to move forward and quit remembering the cheaper days... existing home sales are starting to creep back up so there isn't going be a drop in prices going forward...
SevenMag, I'm afraid you may be right (time to move on). I just didn't time it right. Land prices were low when I was in college, and when I was ready to buy, prices had already risen. Not that I'm at all unhappy where I am, I just always wanted land. Ben, I'm cheap, but I did finally break down and buy a mower! Going to pick it up on Saturday:D
What did you end up getting? I'm looking hard, currently, for a used, commercial ZTR. They're hard to find, it seems.
I found a nice 300hr Gravely 148Z (21HP Kawasaki/48" Cut) with two extra sets of blades and striping kit (not that I want that really). It's a tank, gets great reviews, and the price was right. I had to look quite a while (I've been looking since last year at this time), plus I was back and forth as to whether I wanted a used machine or a new machine. I just couldn't justify the $$ for a new commercial ZTR, so I set a price range, and started looking for used. I still have to drive almost 3hrs to pick this up, there just wasn't ANYTHING local.
We bought our place 6 years ago, little old farm house. Gutted it, tore down the old shed, moved more dirt with my cat than I can even believe looking back now, which equated to fill for the new great room, new yards front and back, new drive way and parking lot etc... Built the great room with gable end walls for lots of MOUNTS someday, all new roofline, new shingles, new kitchen and basement bathroom. Added a pole barn/double door garage and brought in more dump truck loads of rock than I want to admit too...oh, I dug a cool little pond out with the cat, we have a year around spring that works great ..and the boys love it for fishing.. On the to do list when $ flow is there.. a new master bathroom and 40x40 insulated shop with eves. I'd be pretty well set up then but can't complain now.
My (current) project is plumbing a new bathroom. I've got the standard stuff nothing 'weird' (yet) - Toilet, Vanity Sink, and Shower - I want to use PEX and I'm considering going with a Vanguard Manabloc distribution system with a copper to pex supply for Hot and Cold - and then running 1/2" PEX to H/C supplies in the bathroom - Also I'll do a 2" drain in shower and toilet tied to the main stack - What are the best PEX connectors to use? Is the Manabloc a good manifold for this application? PEX tubing - it's all about the same price, is one better than the other? 2" drains? is that right? I'll run to the library to check the local, state and federal codes, but if it's not that variable - or if some says go with 3" and the inspector will consider it overkill and be happy then that's cools too - Where is the best place to buy this stuff ? Drain slopes? what's the norm? Gotta be plumber that sails out there somewhere - Thansk for the advice ..
