Saturday, January 05, 2008

The hidden costs of remodeling

People often talk about the monetary cost of remodeling, but I don't see much written on the non-monetary cost. There are many, and before you take a project on, think about all of them. I am still really happy with our house, but even though I was prepared I didn't know the breadth and depth of the toll remodeling takes on you.

We don't see our friends as much.
We are always busy.
People stop inviting you because they assume you can't make it.
We almost always work 7 days a week
We live in a gross, cluttered mess and will for a long time.
We are never "off," everywhere we look there are projects to do.
It is embarrassing to live in a dump for so long.
I've aged tremendously in the last year.
We live with constant, huge stress, even on the small jobs.
We deal with dishonest, incompetent people on a regular basis.
We haven't entertained at home in a long time, and probably won't anytime soon.
We are not enjoying our living space, and can never get this time back.
The equity we have gained has come at a cost.

I am not saying not to remodel, but think carefully before you do.

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