My bride and I have been in our Mooresville home for almost 19 years. That’s the longest we’ve ever stayed in one place. We’ve enjoyed our home and neighborhood and intend to stay there for the duration. However, a downside of staying in one place is that eventually, things wear out and need repair or replacement. Last year we decided that the kitchen was in need of a face lift, and now we are in the midst of that.
We’re working with a local contractor who has done work for some of our neighbors and look forward to getting through the inconvenience of clearing out a kitchen while living there. We just emptied all of the drawers and cabinets this weekend- talk about constantly reaching for something that’s not there!!!
As we got down to crunch time in deciding to do this, the poor economy obviously became an issue, although the economy didn’t get really bad until we’d already paid a substantial deposit. Still, we decided to forge ahead since this would be a relatively minor kitchen face lift instead of a major one. I know from experience that kitchen face lifts are one of the best choices in terms of putting money into your home. Although we don’t plan to move, I’m comforted knowing that if (heaven forbid!) something would cause us to move, this would be a positive contributor to the value of our home. Turns out that Remodeling Magazine recently came out with their annual survey that shows a number of common remodeling jobs and how they relate to resale value. With many people deciding to remodel instead of move in the short term, this would be good to review if you’re in that situation. The link to the Charlotte region data is HERE.
For me, the best return on investment is keeping my bride happy. Right sweetie?
I’d make sure Betsy Roseman gets a copy of this post. Maybe she’ll invite you over for a couple of meals.