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Should I bother to renovate my kitchen with a first time home buyer''s credit?

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Clairitek

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The view from the dining room (my back was to that wall thats shared with the kitchen that has the stove on it) into the living room. We''ve since repainted but that dated chandelier is still there. Makes me giggle because our real estate agent (in her 60s and from Mississippi and such a Southern Belle) coveted it so much that we were considering giving it to her as a thank you for being so awesome. The dining room is now two shades of blue and the living room is cream/pale ivory.

ctekhouselivingroom.jpg
 

Clairitek

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Our MINISCULE bathroom. You can sit on the toilet and put your foot in the tub and wash your hands all at the same time. I LOVE the floor in here and I'm positive that its original to the house (built in 1940s after the war ended). I've painted over the sponge painting in there too and it looks so much better now. I would LOVE to redo this room too but it will take a lot more creativity and probably removal of one of the closets in the adjacent bedroom (to the left, sink is nestled in between the closets). The linen closet is behind to door on the right and the shower is in there too. Full sized tub and all.

ctekhousebathroom.jpg
 

TravelingGal

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Date: 2/5/2009 7:22:53 PM
Author: thing2of2
I would totally go for option 1 if you can do it for $7-8k. Call me crazy, but I really doubt the market is going to tank in all areas. Where I live, the prices have dropped, but not substantially so. Most people who live in my area are relatively conservative with their money, so there are very, VERY few foreclosed homes. (I''ve looked hard!)

Plus the rental market is GREAT here (several colleges) so most people can rent their houses out (ETA for around the same amount as a mortgage, if not more in some cases) instead of having to dump them for less than they paid. So if your market is anything like mine, I would go for it. Worst case scenario, you get to enjoy a great kitchen/dining room area for 2-4 years but don''t make a ton of money off of the renovation when you sell.
No, it won''t drop like crazy in all areas. Keep in mind you''re all talking to a californian here.

But take it from someone who grew up in one of the most affluent areas of SoCal...prices in posh areas CAN drop substantially. But they are typically the last to go. The end domino, so to speak. LA times just ran an article on our westside prices finally really starting to drop. Are we talking 40 percent like the inland empire? No. But 10-15% of a 700K house is 70-100K. It will have taken us 4 years to save 100K for a downpayment. To wait another 1 year and get another 3 years worth of savings on a house for us? That is worth the wait.

If people can''t afford the nicer areas, they will start buying in the decent areas. That causes less demand in the pricey areas and that''s when they start to go in terms of prices.

Some of the less ridiculous loans are resetting this year so we will see.
 

Clairitek

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View from the patio into the backyard. Its tiny but at least its managable for weekend warriors like FI and me. The yard was a MESS when we bought it because it had sat empty over the late fall and winter and early Spring. I can''t wait to get my hands in that soil when the planting season starts!

ctekhousebackyard.jpg
 

TravelingGal

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Date: 2/5/2009 7:31:56 PM
Author: fleur-de-lis

Date: 2/5/2009 6:57:46 PM
Author: TravelingGal

That''s exactly right. And 15K isn''t going to be worth it to me since the area I live in will probably drop 10% in the next year. That''s 60K to me.


Claritek, the market isn''t going to tumble a little - it''s going to tumble a lot. We still have quite a correction to go in most places. However, I agree that since you''re not sinking 100K into this project, it might be worthwhile doing for your own happiness. But don''t sink money into the house thinking you will get it back.

TGal, your ''that''s 60K to me'' comment makes me guess you''re in California too... am I right? If so:
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LOL Anyway, ITA about CA home prices tumbling in the next few years, but I also think the declines in 2009, 2010, and possibly even 2011 (depending on inflation delaying tactics) will be far worse in CA than in most of the country. Since you sound like you know what you''re talking about
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I''ll toss out that CA (and other places with median home prices over ~500K) relied on Alt-A /adjustable loans, most of which will reset 5 years after purchase. If Clairitek lives in an area with lower median home prices that qualified for Sallie/Freddie loan amounts, few Alt-A and adjustable loans means that there will be fewer foreclosures and fewer hyper-depressed owners, and thus less downward-pressure agents. I agree with your general principle about home prices going down (and possibly to a scary degree if unemployment rates spike horridly), but I''ll toss out for your consideration that there will be parts of the country that will tumble terribly (CA) while parts that decline a more modest amount. Alt-A will hurt some areas more than others, and if Clairitek''s area is lowly impacted, she might not be in the ''tumble a lot'' category. I agree CA real estate is going to be an ugly mess, but doesn''t it also logically follow that other places-- perhaps even where Clairitek lives-- shouldn''t have quite the ugly declines you and I will see in our neighborhoods?

f-d-l
Just saw your post. Yup, I agree. But I also don''t think the rest of the country are going to see any big rises any time soon...especially not in 2-4 years.
 

DiamanteBlu

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Date: 2/5/2009 7:25:59 PM
Author: Clairitek
Date: 2/5/2009 7:11:15 PM

Author: DiamanteBlu

I was thinking that it might be interesting to put an L-shaped set of cabinets against the wall with the basement door in it and have the L extend from there. The opening to the DR would be directly across from the back door [which you may want to change to a French door if you like the view]. That will get you more cabinet and counter space.


That's a great idea for the cabinet lay out. I never thought of doing that it certainly makes sense. It would give us more working space all together and would make that door feel less cramped.


I would
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French doors but I'm afraid its not an option for us. Our house is brick so I am terrified of cutting such huge holes in the masonry. The second reason is that there is a little patio room with a roof off of the back of the house that obstructs the view but we love enough to keep around. Its nice having an 'indoor' space that is technically outside so we can enjoy the summer weather without those pesky mosquitoes at night!

I was just thinking of replacing the existing door with a single French door - no cutting required!

ETA and replace the door in the DR with the same French [single] door for continuity [unless it makes sense to make a bigger hole to put 2 in there.]
 

DiamanteBlu

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Date: 2/5/2009 7:39:18 PM
Author: Clairitek
The view from the dining room (my back was to that wall thats shared with the kitchen that has the stove on it) into the living room. We''ve since repainted but that dated chandelier is still there. Makes me giggle because our real estate agent (in her 60s and from Mississippi and such a Southern Belle) coveted it so much that we were considering giving it to her as a thank you for being so awesome. The dining room is now two shades of blue and the living room is cream/pale ivory.

Don''t toss that chandelier just yet! It may be worth something. It looks pretty cool, actually, if you use it in the proper context.
 

Clairitek

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The random toilet in the corner of my basement. Apparently according to real estate records this makes our house qualify as a 1-1/2 bath home.

Yes, it works.

No, we don''t use it.

ctektoiletbasement.jpg
 

DiamanteBlu

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Date: 2/5/2009 7:29:51 PM
Author: Clairitek
Is this what you guys (Diamente and Fleur de Lis) were suggesting?

Yeah, pretty much but in the proper proportion as you mentioned.

Maybe when I wake up tomorrow I''ll have some better ideas! LOL!

BTW, where is the bathroom that you are thinking of doing something with?

Also, your house is very pretty!
 

fleur-de-lis

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Clairitek, your home is adorable! I envy those exterior stone walls, they are SOOO pretty. They probably come from a local quarry too, don't they? (Geez, here buying a multi-million dollar home STILL gets you spray-on stucco!)

Yep, your "Option 4" diagram roughly captures what I was trying so hard (and so poorly) to explain. The only tweak is that it looks like you're chopping some of the "North" wall cabinets in your revision, and I would leave those as-is (except finish the newly-exposed ends, of course). The peninsula on the "West" wall should cut off a little lower than where you have it so the pass-through is ample, but the floor dynamics would likely work well with having the SW quadrant now highly used as well just as you captured in your diagram. Your "North" wall, based on the pictures and my humble opinion, is actually a pretty good foundation; it just on its own could never be enough space. Having so little counter space would drive me batty. (Ha, look at me daintily use a hypothetical verb tense. When I had a kitchen like that, it DID drive me batty!)

And, if you're trying to keep the budget well under $100K (heck, even under $10K), not having to touch the plumbing is going to be a HUGE money saver. Knocking down a wall isn't that expensive, nor is ordering cabinets/refacing existing cabinets to match. The sink and dishwasher actually are set up well... as part of a larger whole, that is.
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Cute house!
f-d-l
 

fleur-de-lis

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Date: 2/5/2009 8:00:14 PM
Author: Clairitek
The random toilet in the corner of my basement. Apparently according to real estate records this makes our house qualify as a 1-1/2 bath home.


Yes, it works.


No, we don''t use it.


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LOL... kinda makes you wonder what sort of life the guy who thought that was a good idea led. (Yeah, you know that some MAN did that on his own and thought he was very clever while doing it.)
 

DiamanteBlu

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Date: 2/5/2009 8:00:14 PM
Author: Clairitek
The random toilet in the corner of my basement. Apparently according to real estate records this makes our house qualify as a 1-1/2 bath home.


Yes, it works.


No, we don''t use it.

ROTFL! Cute. Gotta get some reno going on down there to take advantage of the toilet. Geez, you might even add a tub/shower combo to make it a 2-bath home!
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Clairitek

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Date: 2/5/2009 8:06:05 PM
Author: fleur-de-lis
Clairitek, your home is adorable! I envy those exterior stone walls, they are SOOO pretty. They probably come from a local quarry too, don''t they? (Geez, here buying a multi-million dollar home STILL gets you spray-on stucco!)

Yep, your ''Option 4'' diagram roughly captures what I was trying so hard (and so poorly) to explain. The only tweak is that it looks like you''re chopping some of the ''North'' wall cabinets in your revision, and I would leave those as-is (except finish the newly-exposed ends, of course). The peninsula on the ''West'' wall should cut off a little lower than where you have it so the pass-through is ample, but the floor dynamics would likely work well with having the SW quadrant now highly used as well just as you captured in your diagram. Your ''North'' wall, based on the pictures and my humble opinion, is actually a pretty good foundation; it just on its own could never be enough space. Having so little counter space would drive me batty. (Ha, look at me daintily use a hypothetical verb tense. When I had a kitchen like that, it DID drive me batty!)

And, if you''re trying to keep the budget well under $100K (heck, even under $10K), not having to touch the plumbing is going to be a HUGE money saver. Knocking down a wall isn''t that expensive, nor is ordering cabinets/refacing existing cabinets to match. The sink and dishwasher actually are set up well... as part of a larger whole, that is.
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Cute house!
f-d-l
Thanks for the compliments on the house! We love it too and never imagined we would be able to afford a 3 bedroom single family home in a decent community. We are really convenient to Philadelphia (only 15 mins driving to Center City where our wedding will hopefully be) but it doesn''t feel like it until you look out our bedroom window in the winter and see the tops of the skyscrapers.

I''m hoping to spend no more than the tax credit would amount to- $7500.
 

Clairitek

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Date: 2/5/2009 8:21:56 PM
Author: DiamanteBlu


Date: 2/5/2009 8:00:14 PM
Author: Clairitek
The random toilet in the corner of my basement. Apparently according to real estate records this makes our house qualify as a 1-1/2 bath home.


Yes, it works.


No, we don''t use it.

ROTFL! Cute. Gotta get some reno going on down there to take advantage of the toilet. Geez, you might even add a tub/shower combo to make it a 2-bath home!
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We would consider finishing the basement if it didn''t get water in it when it rains heavily. There is a drain and its slighly sloped to keep everything in one end so its not too much of a problem. The two times I''ve flooded the basement with the discharge from the washing machine (by leaving something in the laundry sink that ineveitably clogged stuff up) I''ve been veeeery grateful for the drain!

The toilet really is puzzling though because the house was built such a long time ago that I can''t imagine that finished basements were in vogue back then. What WERE they thinking when the put it in? Its not near ANY of the other plumbing in the house. The bathroom, kitchen sink, and laundry area all line up with each other over the 2 (3 if you count the basement) floors which makes total sense to me. Maybe the corner its located in is where the sewer comes into the house and they just thought "Hey! What a convenient place to hook up a rando toilet in the basement!! This will be so useful one day..."
 

Tacori E-ring

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Date: 2/5/2009 5:49:27 PM
Author: TravelingGal
btw, zillow is known to be off. You really have to see what the comps are in your area. And the bottom line, what someone is willing to pay for your house in the end is what it is worth. Just because you paid X, don''t think that someone else will.

I was going to say it is WAY off. The only way to really know what your home is worth is taking comps from your neighborhood (MLS) of the sold homes over the past 6-12 months. Knocking down walls, moving plumbing...that is all expensive and you might be opening a can of worms with unknown problems.
 

Italiahaircolor

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Honestly, as someone who just redid a small kitchen, $7,500 won't go very far. Our kitchen, which is smaller than yours, was well over $7,500 just in cabinetry (and Loews quoted us closer to 10k btw).

I think a modest kitchen remodel would be good...like new appliances, maybe new counter tops...but your cabinets are in good shape, so why rip them out?

Knocking down walls is big money...typically about a few thousand dollars...because,you have to rememeber, you'll need new flooring, new baseboard, all sorts of little odds and ends that add up.
 

Clairitek

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I just got off the phone with FI and he is with me on this idea and wants me to gather some quotes for the work next week. We agreed that we also need to consider replacing the rest of our windows (there are 15 total, 4 are done) before we try to sell the house. We are also on the same page that we are willing to try and rent it out if we can''t sell for a profit in the next 2-4 years. Its nice to know we are thinking the same stuff about our house.


Date: 2/5/2009 8:53:48 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring

Date: 2/5/2009 5:49:27 PM
Author: TravelingGal
btw, zillow is known to be off. You really have to see what the comps are in your area. And the bottom line, what someone is willing to pay for your house in the end is what it is worth. Just because you paid X, don''t think that someone else will.

I was going to say it is WAY off. The only way to really know what your home is worth is taking comps from your neighborhood (MLS) of the sold homes over the past 6-12 months. Knocking down walls, moving plumbing...that is all expensive and you might be opening a can of worms with unknown problems.
I agree that we truly don''t know what we''re getting ourselves into when it comes to renovating an old home. I realllly don''t want to move any plumbing so I think that we would go with either option 1 or option 3 (labeled option 4 on the pic, but its #3) instead of a huge island. I like option 3/4 the best because it maximizes the use of the walls in the kitchen. We currently have an island I picked up for $17 at Christmas Tree Shops on the "south" wall of the kitchen so we are used to having the space there.

Well it looks like I will be putting in a call to my agent tomorrow to ask her thoughts on this and get some comps. As far as I know no houses on my street have been sold since we bought ours but there have been a few up for sale in the neighborhood since we moved in so hopefully there will be good comps.

Thanks for the ideas and advice ladies! I''ll be sure to post the results if we proceed with anything.
 

Selkie

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Love your house! And that''s a good idea to start getting quotes. Option 3 seems like the best to me, as well. Keep us updated.
 

Clairitek

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So I did a bunch of research today on the cost of refreshing our kitchen...

This is what I came up with:
$3200 for appliances (dishwasher, stove, fridge, and over-the-stove microwave)
$1600 for cabinets (install ourselves, oak finish)
$1400 for Corian countertops (at $39 per square foot which I think we might be able to do better, granite would be $59/square foot)
$400 for sink, faucet, and garbage disposal
________________
Total $6600

I figure about $400 in incidental costs... wood trim, removal of knocked down wall (my friend who is a big DIYer claims we can do it ourselves for... get this... $40 [the cost of a sledge hammer]), paint. Tack on another $300 for floor tiles and grout.

I mentioned before I wanted to put in a gas line for cooking but since we will be staying here not much more than 5 years we might just go with an electric stove for simplicity. Either way since we will be moving it we will have to pay for an electrician to come in and rewire for the stove. Who knows how much that would cost. Perhaps another $300?

I''ve uploaded my idea for a lay out. It adds a TON of storage space and really maximizes the use of the walls. The yellow cabinets are base cabinets and the opaque orange ones are on the wall. The 18" utility cabinet is really tall and could function as a pantry or something. I think its around 5'' tall.

Your suggestions/critique are welcome!

cabinet lay out ctek.jpg
 

Italiahaircolor

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The first thing you should know about diy cabinet install is that it isn''t as easy as one might think. Older homes generally have unlevel flooring...which means lots of shimming, and sanding, if this isn''t something either of you have experience in--hire professionals, seriously. If it''s not perfect forget about putting on a counter top. Cabinets in a kitchen need to be done perfectly to max value.

A good rule of thumb for accounting for overages in remodeling, is to have about 1/3 the total cost in extra cash for incidentals, no matter what you plan for, you will always go over. For example...the over the range microwave, seems pretty cut and dry...but...do you have a power outlet? If not, add about another $100 for install of the power outlet. What about a backsplash? Cabinet pulls/knobs? Are they charging you to install the appliances?

All told, when we redid my tiny kitchen (much smaller than yours) it was into the 20''s...you need to know 100% what its going to cost you with tax, because believe me you will get eatten alive if you try to do everything without taking into account worst case senarios and budgeting for them...




 

ChargerGrrl

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I like your most recent floor plan. That''s a kitchen I would LOVE to have!

Ditto to the second paragraph in Italia''s post. Your incidentals amount seems a bit too low. Trust me, you will go over! We just finished remodeling both of our upstairs bathrooms, and ran into a couple of (minor) snafus. For example, three boxes of tile were mismatched. The boxes were labeled with the correct tile color but the tile itself was way off. We had originally ordered a bit extra, but even then this wasn''t enough to finish the job so we had to rush order extra tile, which bumped up our cost AND extended the project.

I also recommend you do a ton of research to really know what you''re getting yourself into when you go the DIY route. At first we thought we could handle some of our bathroom remodel, but after reading up and talking to people, we bit the bullet and went with a contractor. Check out http://www.diynetwork.com/ for lots of info.
 

lyra

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I do love your latest option, looks great. I think it''s normal to add at least 20% onto your budget for overruns. Expect to spend it too. I think you are underestimating some of your costs too. If you''re removing that wall, you''re going to have ceiling damage, which you''re going to have to hire a professional to fix. Same goes for the wall on the right hand side that you want to just be smooth. These are things you cannot fix yourself, believe me. My husband could do everything in your kitchen reno himself including electrical and plumbing, but not the drywall issues. He''s done drywall, but it takes years to reach the level of expertise to have a really seamless look that you''ll want to achieve. He finished our entire basement by himself (he says "Never again!!").
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I also think you should reconsider the granite countertops. People expect them, and your prices are not too bad. Our prices in Canada are *WAY* higher than those you are quoting. We couldn''t get the appliances for that price either.

An electrician might charge a minimum fee for something as small as having that extra outlet added, and that minimum fee might be $200-300. I would check into the cost of having the gas line put in. It may not be that bad, and it seems worth it if folks in your area prefer gas. Most everyone I know would rather have gas. We have a gas line in our kitchen and wish we had bought the gas stove instead of electric, but oh well! Learned a lesson on that one.

Your floor is probably going to need some levelling to install the tile, or else you''ll end up with cracked tiles. You may be able to do this part yourself. But definitely look at it ahead of time and plan for it. Can''t think of anything else at the moment. I do think the best you can hope for with a kitchen reno is to break even these days. For me, that would be good enough. What great kitchens and bathrooms really do is help you sell your house *faster*, and there is a lot to be said for that.
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DiamanteBlu

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You made some serious progress! It looks good!

Do the sink wall cabinets go to the left edge of the kitchen? I think they should.

Also, the dead corner between the lazy susans does not need to be dead. They make really cool pull out inserts that let you use the whole space. They kinda fold when you pull them out.

I would also see about gas. It makes a kitchen much higher end IMHO. You may want to spring for the granite too [or see about those quartz countertops].

BTW, Home Depot is shutting down their high end Expo stores. If you have one nearby you might want to consider getting some of your materials at liquidation prices.
 

pennquaker09

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At this particular moment, I wish I had AutoCad, but I''m drawing up something by hand for you.
 

Clairitek

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Date: 2/9/2009 4:35:32 PM
Author: Italiahaircolor
The first thing you should know about diy cabinet install is that it isn''t as easy as one might think. Older homes generally have unlevel flooring...which means lots of shimming, and sanding, if this isn''t something either of you have experience in--hire professionals, seriously. If it''s not perfect forget about putting on a counter top. Cabinets in a kitchen need to be done perfectly to max value.

A good rule of thumb for accounting for overages in remodeling, is to have about 1/3 the total cost in extra cash for incidentals, no matter what you plan for, you will always go over. For example...the over the range microwave, seems pretty cut and dry...but...do you have a power outlet? If not, add about another $100 for install of the power outlet. What about a backsplash? Cabinet pulls/knobs? Are they charging you to install the appliances?

All told, when we redid my tiny kitchen (much smaller than yours) it was into the 20''s...you need to know 100% what its going to cost you with tax, because believe me you will get eatten alive if you try to do everything without taking into account worst case senarios and budgeting for them...

I appreciate your advice, Italia. I just want to note that we aren''t doing a high end kitchen re-do. We want something nicer than what we have (which, as you can see from the pics, won''t be hard). I don''t feel the need at this point in my life to have custom cabinets or high end fixtures. I don''t feel the need to spend over $10k at the moment but enough to give it a nice face lift. I''m excited to save the expensive kitchen for when I have the salary to support it.

I have been using tools for a very long time... since I was a little kid. I feel confident that between me, my father, my friend who recently successfully hung his own cabinets, and my fiance that we can handle installing them. Thanks for the heads up about the shimming and leveling though. I had asked the people in Lowes about the difficulty of installing cabinets and she said that provided we know how to use tools (we do) and we are smart enough to check, re-check, and triple check if stuff is square and level then we should be OK.

I promise you this isn''t something that we will go into lightly. Its the single largest amount of money either of us will have ever spent on something other than our college education so it certainly is a big decision!
 

Dreamer_D

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Sort of an aside (though somewhat related)... you mentioned you are working on your PhD and *may* move to get a job at the end. Are you planning to look for jobs in academia? I ask because the job market in academia is stiff right now and looks to stay that way, so if you are looking for academic jobs it may affect your timeline/plans in one of two ways: a) you may be in your house much longer than you anticipated if you have to find creative ways to fund yourself while you wait for a job; b) when you do get a job, it will most definitely mean moving away from where you live! If version 'a' plays out then investing in your house could be great. If version 'b' plays out sooner, then investing in your house may not be a good payback because you will be moving sooner rather than later.
 

Clairitek

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I was doing some thinking about the kitchen today after I posted this. I decided 2 things...

1) I think that we should try to leave the stone where it is and just suck it up with a new electric stove. We can really rationalize buying a new one because the current one sucks and it turns itself off sometimes mid-cooking. Totally frustrating when you are trying to cook a Thanksgiving Dinner! I think we should leave it where it is to avoid having to pay to put in a new 220V outlet (I assume that electric stoves work on that kind of outlet). The other thing would be (as some of you have pointed out) that I might need another outlet for the microwave. Since that wall is already wired it would be a LOT more simple to leave things where they are.

2) Another point for leaving the stove where it is and building around it is that I think there is a benefit to having the stove and sink relatively close to each other with ample counter space between them to do prep work. My father said that if he could design their kitchen again he would put the sink and stove in the same counter.

I''ll redraw what I''m thinking now.

I do intend on getting a quote from a contractor for the wall demolition. I am nervous about taking it down because of the utilities that could be running through it. My friend who suggested just taking a sledge hammer to it is really brave when it comes to home improvement.

Oh yes- as for the ceiling... all of our walls are plaster. THe ceiling repair might be the FIRST time that I''ll be grateful for plaster. The ceiling in the dining room is stuccoed and I think that will be easier than a drywall ceiling to patch up. The ceiling in the kitchen has a wooden board over it and I''m not sure what is underneath it but I am tempted to just leave it because I like the look.
 

Clairitek

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Date: 2/9/2009 11:10:03 PM
Author: dreamer_dachsie
Sort of an aside (though somewhat related)... you mentioned you are working on your PhD and *may* move to get a job at the end. Are you planning to look for jobs in academia? I ask because the job market in academia is stiff right now and looks to stay that way, so if you are looking for academic jobs it may affect your timeline/plans in one of two ways: a) you may be in your house much longer than you anticipated if you have to find creative ways to fund yourself while you wait for a job; b) when you do get a job, it will most definitely mean moving away from where you live! If version ''a'' plays out then investing in your house could be great. If version ''b'' plays out sooner, then investing in your house may not be a good payback because you will be moving sooner rather than later.

Hey Dreamer! I read over in TTC (I think) that you recently got a tenure track job! Congrats on that!!

I don''t intend on pursuing a career in academia. Most of the reason is because I don''t want to post-doc. Frankly, I am sick of being poor. The better reason for not wanting to pursue a life in academia is that I don''t enjoy teaching as much as I should for that kind of work and I truly enjoy industry. I''ve worked a little in it before I went back to school and I loved it. Can''t wait to get back. I bet the job I end up having won''t even require a PhD. The industry that I study is fortunately in need of fresh blood. Its a fairly young industry in the grand scheme of things and a lot of the big guys who got things going in this latest push of technology are retiring. I''ve received a few verbal job offers already (sadly not in a part of the country that I would want to work, but if I get desperate enough...) and I have a list of places around here that I know hire regularly out of my research center.

Worst case scenario- we have to find a family to rent the house out to if we move. Best case scenario- we live there for 4 more years or so until we are ready to have kids and want to upgrade our house.

Hmm... food for thought... maybe we should wait until I graduate (within the year).
 

Clairitek

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jul 21, 2008
Messages
4,881
Here is the new concept that would involve us only knocking out part of that wall (to a knee wall) and leaving the existing electric stuff in tact. The microwave would be mounted on the same wall as before. There is an outlet in there right now so we are set with that.

The space for passage between the two rooms is over about 2 1/2 feet. I am not sure about the configuration of cabinets on the wall with the microwave of it but you get the idea. I don''t have the list of available cabinets and sizes in front of me right now so I can''t know for sure what to put there.

updated ctek kitchen.jpg
 

pennquaker09

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 2, 2007
Messages
1,943
The fridge needs to move to the upper left hand corner.
 
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