Turn off HGTV - your house is probably fine

[davismills]

We've replaced all fixtures in our 18 year old house from gold to brushed nickel. Not difficult for DIY, but time consuming. Faucets, shower doors, hinges, door handles/locks, cabinet knobs...the list is endless. We liked the end result, nonetheless.

Installed new carpet (bedrooms and living area) and linoleum (kitchen and laundry areas).

Removed the popcorn ceiling in three rooms and gave up that endeavor on the remaining part of the house. If you're thinking of doing this yourself...DON'T. All it does is reveal the crappy sheet-rock work underneath. Easy, albeit messy to remove. Most of the work is "fixing" the ceiling afterwards. When guests look at my popcorn ceiling in the living room, I tell them it's custom installed very expensive acoustics for my home theater system.

Now we're almost complete with the outside shrubs, trees and grass. We're ready for the central Georgia heat now, which we will enjoy from air conditioned comfort.

[Dawg52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo Nothing wrong at all with a little remodeling. We've done it every 25 or 30 years even when the house really didn't need it.

That often?

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbbamI My house is so out-of-date. I don't have open concept, big clocks on the walls or a vase full of limes on my kitchen counter.

Tread lightly on the big clocks. I have one of those non-working clocks from Magnolia Market(Fixer Upper ppl). A relative sent it to me as a Christmas present. I have it set at 5:00pm.

https://shop.magnolia.com/products/relic-metal-clock

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawg52 That often?

Yep. I think it's far too often but DW insists.

[ShokWaveRider]

We like HGTV, but only 4 the House hunters, Beach, Caribbean, shows etc. The only people that the Remodeling, Fixer Upper, Flip etc. ones benefits are the contractors you will have to hire to do it. And Labor is Never factored into any pricing. They are a big con really IMHO. Although, I do enjoy the "Love it or List it" Couple.

[txtig]

DW is a huge HGTV fan. We (she) have four bathroom remodels scheduled (4 of 4). I forwarded the link for this article to her (she doesn’t read this forum). She read the title of the article, gave me a dirty look, and promptly deleted it. Oh well, I tried. Full speed ahead on the remodels.

[folivier]

Be very careful when updating your fixtures. Brass may be making a comeback!
Also re: the expensive wall clocks. A few years ago we bought an expensive outdoor rated clock to put out by the pool. Expensive being $100. It looked great and the finish weathered beautifully. Unfortunately we found out that the movement is the same cheap battery movement used in all clocks. Not weatherproof! So it was alway 5pm around the pool....

[Music Lover]

I watch HGTV all the time

I have completely renovated my house...entirely myself, except for the furnace. It was a lot of work and I'm done now except for regular maintenance. I won't be re-decorating other than to paint:

- replaced every single window and door
- replaced all the door casing and baseboards
- removed a wall to open kitchen and living room
- installed hardwood flooring
- new roof
- increased the insulation in walls and attic
- built a large double garage
- built 3 decks
- built a sunroom
- installed a new high efficiency furnace furnace
- finished the basement (drywall, suspended ceiling, etc.)

[erkevin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbbamI My house is so out-of-date. I don't have open concept, big clocks on the walls or a vase full of limes on my kitchen counter.

Oh crap....I got it all wrong; the vase of limes is nailed to the wall and the big clock is on the counter. No wonder I never have counter space to cook anything!

[JoeWras]

Great article. The author wasn't saying "Don't remodel" Instead, they were questioning the huge makeovers for seemingly no good reason except to make room for the big clock on the wall and vase of limes.

I couldn't take the yellow bathroom tile and yellow countertops. I replaced both myself. I replaced my kitchen countertops with new faceted laminate. OH THE HORROR! No granite! More laminate!

Looks great, BTW. Many people see it and think it is granite (due to the facets). I like the warm give of laminate over the cold hardness of granite. There must be something wrong with me.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by folivier .......... So it was always 5pm around the pool....

Not so bad - time for a beer.

[jetpack]

I live in a 200 year old house.. it's definitely dated! guests love it though. it's like going back in time.

[Meadbh]

I haven’t had a TV for about 6 years, so I don’t watch HFTV except at the dentist’s office, where I can request my channel of choice on the TV in the ceiling. The only problem is that they always finish cleaning my teeth before the winning home is declared!

[bbbamI]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawg52 Tread lightly on the big clocks. I have one of those non-working clocks from Magnolia Market(Fixer Upper ppl). A relative sent it to me as a Christmas present. I have it set at 5:00pm. https://shop.magnolia.com/products/relic-metal-clock

Now that, I love!

Quote:

Originally Posted by erkevin Oh crap....I got it all wrong; the vase of limes is nailed to the wall and the big clock is on the counter. No wonder I never have counter space to cook anything!

I think I've been doing it all wrong. I managed to get most everything off my counter space, so that means I have enough room to cook. There went my excuse to go out to dinner.

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Music Lover I watch HGTV all the time I have completely renovated my house...entirely myself, except for the furnace. It was a lot of work and I'm done now except for regular maintenance. I won't be re-decorating other than to paint: - replaced every single window and door - replaced all the door casing and baseboards - removed a wall to open kitchen and living room - installed hardwood flooring - new roof - increased the insulation in walls and attic - built a large double garage - built 3 decks - built a sunroom - installed a new high efficiency furnace furnace - finished the basement (drywall, suspended ceiling, etc.)

You might have well built the place from the ground up and not paid for a "built house" in the first place.

[Music Lover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 You might have well built the place from the ground up and not paid for a "built house" in the first place.

I had bought land with intent to do so, but this property came along and it was too good of a location, size, and price to pass up. I knew how much work was required and was willing to take it on.

I did almost all the work myself for under $40k.

[GravitySucks]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbbamI My house is so out-of-date. I don't have open concept, big clocks on the walls or a vase full of limes on my kitchen counter.

I don't have the bowl of lines on my Harvest Gold Formica countertop.

[Tallman4123]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2lhasas Probably wise. We have a friend who decided to DIY his 2 story living room and fell. He had terrible injuries and has never really fully recovered.

Do we know each other?? Nine years ago I was painting my cathedral ceiling'ed living room and fell off the ladder onto our hardwood floors and shattered my hip. The replacement still gives me problems today, but I was extremely lucky it was "only" a hip and not my neck or back! I had done all my own interior and exterior painting from the time I was a young man without one accident. But I found out it only takes one mistake.

Now I hire out any ladder work that requires more than a step stool. Fortunately I'm tall, so that's a rarity...

[bbbamI]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GravitySucks I don't have the bowl of lines on my Harvest Gold Formica countertop.

Whew....glad to hear I'm not the only one without limes...

btw, Formica countertops at my place too. The color is a couple of shades lighter than this little guy >>>>

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Music Lover I had bought land with intent to do so, but this property came along and it was too good of a location, size, and price to pass up. I knew how much work was required and was willing to take it on. I did almost all the work myself for under $40k.

Nice work!

[grasshopper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by davismills Removed the popcorn ceiling in three rooms and gave up that endeavor on the remaining part of the house. If you're thinking of doing this yourself...DON'T. All it does is reveal the crappy sheet-rock work underneath. Easy, albeit messy to remove. Most of the work is "fixing" the ceiling afterwards. When guests look at my popcorn ceiling in the living room, I tell them it's custom installed very expensive acoustics for my home theater system.

We took out popcorn in the public areas of our house 10 years ago. And 7 years later we covered the whole mess with whitewashed tongue and groove pine.