https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 21 Jul 2026 20:52:13 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460766 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 17:47:25 +0000 JessiBee 460766@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Definitely kitchen for us. We're mid-reno, getting new floors, cabinets, countertop, etc. Crazy expensive! But it's looking amazing (and just as importantly: looking like it should be done, as planned, before baby's arrival), so we're hoping it's all worth it in the end. Big spaces are definitely a blessing and a curse, though: more space = more cabinets, more floor tile, more STUFF to do with it = more money. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460718 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 17:24:02 +0000 lolabee 460718@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@autumnlove: definitely kitchens and baths!! (obviously depending on if you're just doing a face lift or complete gut) Once you get rolling, if you don't set yourself a very specific budget it's super easy to blow it! All the little pretty things add up but labor is a big killer. I would say shop around for contractors/tradesmen. If you can get your hands on someone that comes highly recommended by family or friends I think it goes a long way. We've had really great experiences with tradesmen and really terrible ones too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460518 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:07:18 +0000 shopaholic 460518@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Sammyfab: Wow! So pretty!</p> <p>@autumnlove: Our house wasn't a fixer-upper per se, thankfully we didn't have to do the kitchen or bathroom. Kitchen renos seem to be the most expensive as I've learned with different family properties. Our biggest expense was flooring. We got rid of all the carpet and tried to match the existing hardwood floors for half the house. I think that cost about $7K. Our other biggest expense was landscaping because the house had ZERO landscaping. I don't know the exact figures because it was just one thing after another. But prior to having a yard, I would have never guessed how many thousands of $$'s could go into a basic landscape. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460516 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:05:01 +0000 fairefaire 460516@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yin: We totally do the plastic on the windows in the winter, too!!! :) I was just looking online last night for inexpensive/non-ugly thermal curtains to help as well. It's been sooo windy the past few days that it's very obvious how crappy our windows are, but we're not in a place to completely replace them right now either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460511 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:03:29 +0000 fairefaire 460511@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Umm... all of it? I would say the bathroom was the one that cost far more than we originally planned, mainly on LABOR COSTS and having to go through so many plumbers before we found "the one" (aka, one who was honest, knew what he was doing, and did it quickly and well). The kitchen was much more affordable in comparison because we were able to do 100% of the work ourselves, and only needed to buy the supplies. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460503 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 14:59:37 +0000 Weagle 460503@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The basement! We had to completely to-do it. 23k </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460372 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 13:50:14 +0000 T.H.O.U. 460372@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So far ours was the hardwood floors. Here is a review of our journey: <a href="http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/hardwood-engineered-hardwood-or-laminate/page/2" rel="nofollow">http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/hardwood-engineered-hardwood-or-laminate/page/2</a> </p> <p>It cost about $7k I think. </p> <p>We need to redo the kitchen too but just paint the cabinets and get a new counter and sink. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460298 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 13:10:02 +0000 yin 460298@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our house is in need of a lot of work, but financially we're not ready to tackle the big projects. So far the most expensive thing we have done was replace the roof, which cost us $10k. Replacing the windows will probably be next but not for a few more years. In the mean time we have plastic on them... so ghetto! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460289 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 13:05:45 +0000 Bao 460289@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Sammyfab: wow!!! That is absolutely beautiful! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460274 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 12:57:38 +0000 Chillybear 460274@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@autumnlove: @bao: thanks!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460259 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 12:51:32 +0000 MrsTiz 460259@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For us it was the flooring. We ripped up all of the old tile, carpet and laminate to put down new engineered wood floors. That was about 5k after getting it on sale. We were able to reuse our cabinets in the kitchen, so we just got them painted and new appliances which was about $3500. Everything else wasn't too bad, but the floor was a lot more than I budgeted for.</p> <p> @Sammyfab: wow! Looks great! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460070 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 11:05:19 +0000 Sammyfab 460070@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@chibee: @Mrs. Pen: thanks ladies! It's been a month of craziness and a lot of hard work from my DH! The floors are a brown-grey birch (called grizzly). The only downside is that birch is softer so we've got tons of marks and scuffs on the floors already. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460025 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:45:05 +0000 Mrs. Pen 460025@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Sammyfab: omg that is gorgeous! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460018 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:44:21 +0000 chibee 460018@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sammyfab: gorgeous floors! what kind? I'm looking to put in wood flooring this coming year - and i love those! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460015 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:42:36 +0000 autumnlove 460015@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mamabolt: We just paid for ours...those dang sliding doors are pricey! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460011 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:39:54 +0000 Sammyfab 460011@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We didn't buy a fixer-upper home but we did some updating to make the space more livable and so it would feel more like OUR home. In the 1.5 years we've been here we have gotten a new roof ($2500-3000), new carpet in the upper level and stairs ($3500), gutted and renovated the master bath ($6000?) and renovated our kitchen ($15,000?). I don't know the exact numbers because that's DH's job.. </p> <p>Our kitchen reno involved taking down a wall, tearing out the floors on the entire main level, getting new hardwood throughout the main floor and painting all the walls. We will also have to get a new vanity for the powder room but that will only be $200-300.</p> <p>Our kitchen reno is juuuust about done. Here are pics DH took last night! (I don't have before pics but imagine a wall where the sink is and a door opening to the left. We doubled the size of our kitchen). </p> [attach=2315/12/mfe0ui.450x600.image.jpg] [attach=2315/12/mfe0uk.450x600.image.jpg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460008 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:37:21 +0000 mamabolt 460008@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Replacing windows! 8K to do 2/3 of the house. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460003 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:34:00 +0000 loveisstrange 460003@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a fixer upper than we haven't started working on yet (due to not living in the same city for a couple years). We have done lots of research and planning though. I think the kitchen is definitely going to be the most expensive as it's a gut job. There's really nothing salvageable about it. We're hoping to keep it under $10k.</p> <p>In a dream world, we want to put a master suite addition on it and that would be the most expensive, probably in the $40k range., </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460002 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:33:43 +0000 Mrs.Someone 460002@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We added a bathroom onto the master bedroom, definitely the priciest thing to do! Otherwise, the kitchen. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-460000 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:32:05 +0000 autumnlove 460000@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Chillybear: Looks nice! We are looking at vinyl siding right now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-459953 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:11:02 +0000 Bao 459953@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Chillybear: Wow looks great, what a good idea for more usable space. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-459946 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:08:53 +0000 creativemomma15 459946@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So far we re-did our bathroom which has been our most expensive renovation. It maybe cost us $3,000-$4000 but my dad helped up with a lot of the work and labor. I would generally say that kitchens and bathrooms tend to be most expensive indoors because they can involve a lot more elements with plumbing, appliances, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-459935 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:02:29 +0000 plaidpants 459935@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We live in a fixer-upper and we are holding off on renovating the kitchen because it will be the most expensive. Everywhere else has just been stripping wallpaper, painting, and refinishing floors. The kitchen will involve knocking down walls, new floors, buying appliances, and who knows what else! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-459933 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:02:00 +0000 autumnlove 459933@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Alivoo01: I'm trying to ignore our pool right now. Lol! It definitely needs some work! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-459926 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 09:58:32 +0000 Chillybear 459926@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our house was pretty much move in ready when we bought it 3 years ago, but this past year we finally got started on the addition that we had been planning since we bought the house. We closed in a screened porch to make a 300 sq ft living space/breakfast nook/powder room. We spent about 10k for the contractor to bring the room to the insulation and we've been doing all the finishings - drywall, painting, floors, electric, trim, etc. which has added few more thousand dollars to the total cost. </p> [attach=132/12/mfdyxl.600x450.277888_10100291093737716_250920351_o.jpg] [attach=132/12/mfdyxn.600x450.201673_10100305152433976_979535113_o.jpg] [attach=132/12/mfdyxp.450x600.35553_10100363232960136_738531549_n.jpg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-459925 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 09:58:31 +0000 mrs. wagon 459925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Totally subscribing to this!! We will hopefully be in a home in the next couple of years and it would be great to read about your renovation projects and how much they cost, and how long they took!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-459923 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 09:57:13 +0000 Alivoo01 459923@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our pool! It was pretty much like having a new one installed since we had to replaster, re-cope, re-tile, etc. Ugh!!</p> <p>The kitchen and master bath are on our list next, and will probably cost about the same (~10k each). Our guest bath was done under 3k (new floor, new countertops, new cabinets, new toilet, new tub). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-459909 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 09:51:35 +0000 Bao 459909@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We will most likely be buying a home that needs some renovations so I'm interested in this as well. My guess is kitchens! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-have-a-fixer-upper-home#post-459906 Fri, 21 Dec 2012 09:49:37 +0000 autumnlove 459906@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Which renovation project has been the most expensive? </p>