It's a joy, isn't it!
My house is the first one that I have lived in in my life that has been owned by the occupant! My parents never owned a house. I grew up in rented housing, so was quite excited to finally get my own home. So far I have invested something like $50,000+ into renovations and modifications, and it still needs painting, or replacing the weatherboards with other cladding, insulating the walls, new guttering and resealing the roof!!
It just never ends - and there is never enough money!
What has been the single most expensive project/renovation (if I may ask)?
Over here it's typically the kitchen, and in a house of my size --1400 sq ft, kitchen ~ 10x10 -- it's about $20K -$25K (USD) depending on appliances being replaced.
I still have to do mine and I know it's going to run about $25K, not because of the appliances, which I will not replace just yet, but because I'm going a little bit spendy on the cabinetry, having new lighting installed and moving the stove.
My kitchen is a mission-brown 1970s abomination, with wallpaper the same as Mrs Brown's back entry in Finglas, Dublin!! I have peeled off most of the top of the wallpaper, and am left with the mushroom-y flocking from underneath. The previous owners ripped out the lovely 1960s kitchen to put the brown monstrosity in - I have decided that if I don't really look at I can live with it for now!
The real estate agent (I was thinking of selling a few years ago) said not to replace the kitchen at that time, as anyone who bought the house would probably want to put one in to suit their own taste. As it looks like I will be here for a good while yet, a new kitchen is on my list (at about $10-15,000), the outside work is needed first. The kitchen is last on the list.
I have some mobility issues, so the first steps were to future-proof access and the bathroom. Stage one was to rearrange the laundry by removing the big cupboard and installing a shower and new laundry tub. The cupboard was replaced by a flat-pack in the back entry. Had to have the shower installed there so that the bathroom could be gutted, and turned into a shower room, with shower, loo & handbasin - overall, stage one was probably the most expensive, being a double job. I have also had a handrail fitted at the front door.
Stage two was the addition of a lovely deck, with access via an up-to-standard ramp. Some of the timber stumps were replaced by concrete ones.
Stage three was reflooring and building in the front verandah which was pretty much wasted space, & turning it into a sunroom - included a small storm porch, so no getting wet while opening the door! This involved shifting a canvas blind from an outside window which was under shelter (couldn't see the reasoning for having it there!) Width of the new sunroom was decided by the width of the blind, which actually worked out perfectly!! That completed the first part of the renovations, and now I come to think of it, that was the $50,000 worth! This was in 2013.
Stages four and five happened a couple of years later, in 2016, when I had the carport on one side of the house extended to the end of the building, and the fencing modified - it has a bit of a dogleg now! Did that because the ramp I had incorporated in 2013 invaded the carport space, and the car wouldn't fit - at least, I could get the car in, but couldn't get out of the car!
Because the building of the sunroom left the front room a bit dark, my builder then cut a chunk out of the western wall of the house, and put a window into the space. I use it as an office/library/study and needed the light. A canvas blind that had previously occupied the eastern lounge room window was now under the new carport, and was redundant. The new window was made to fit the old blind, and duly installed. Another $10,000 worth, now I think about it! And a new door on the shed!
So, $60,000-odd thousand, in all, and still some external work to be done! Both myself and the builder are into up-cycling and recycling, which is why the blinds were shifted, taps moved, etc.!
So, really, about $60,000 = $10,00 a stage.
