On the Money: Home Improvement

[pgher]

People do a lot of "home improvement" to please some hypothetical future buyer whom their realtor may have conjured. I don't think any of those are good to do.

Measure the value in how much pleasure it brings to you. Utility, beauty, pride in ones own craftsmanship, expressing self-determination. Lots of measures that are hard to count in dollars, but pay back immediately.

For raised beds, untreated lumber sides will rot out and need replacing, but I have yet to find a lower-maintenance, non-toxic solution. Stones will need to be reset, and will be home to some of the toughest weeds. But if they look a lot better, and you are up to tidying them annually, it sounds like a win.

This is purely a decorative project. The person we bought the house from thirteen years ago was, by neighbors' accounts, crazy. She ruined both the front and back yards in a variety of ways and I've been slowly altering the landscape. The stone would be edging around an area that is mulched, not walls for raised bed gardens.

I would probably get a sense of accomplishment out of this. My wife periodically complains that I spend too much time moving plants from the front yard to the back and vice versa, but I like to work outdoors. And there could be some currently unknown benefits. Two Decembers ago I spent about $3K to get a new insulated fiberglass front door and sidelights and energy-efficient replacement windows for an enclosed side porch. The porch has become my home office teaching space and yoga studio during the pandemic; previously I'd seal it off from the rest of the house and not use it during the winter months. The heating bill did not increase this past winter despite me being home all day, every day, and spending a lot of time on the porch. In terms of adding comfort and functionality to the house, the expense was well worth it.

As long as you are prepared to move a pallet of stones. I had a flower bed that needed more gravel. I ordered half a truckload--that is, 7 tons. I currently have a pile that is roughly 3 tons that I still need to spread. Joy.

If so, I say do it. Stones will last so much better than wood.

[Juvenal]

If you lived within driving distance of me (NY Metro area, you doing the needed driving) you could have the hundreds of SciFi pb-s that are boxed in the basement; otherwise they "will grow old along with me."  I have set aside a small shelf of favorites, largely Jack Vance and Larry Niven, but otherwise...

[polly_mer]

We currently have a malfunctioning HVAC system that is locked on heat to the point that it's 60 F outside and 85 F inside.

We are getting estimates to replace thermostats that are likely older than I am.  It's unclear whether that will completely fix the problem, but then we will have programmable thermostats and have addressed one of the two* very common reasons this system malfunctions.

*The other typical situation is a malfunctioning valve on the boiler.  That boiler and fittings we put in new four years ago, so that's much less likely for our particular circumstances.  We can't just shut off the boiler because that's all the hot water in the house for all purposes.

[Vkw10]

If you lived within driving distance of me (NY Metro area, you doing the needed driving) you could have the hundreds of SciFi pb-s that are boxed in the basement; otherwise they "will grow old along with me."  I have set aside a small shelf of favorites, largely Jack Vance and Larry Niven, but otherwise...

Wish I lived in driving distance. Most of my sci-fi collection was lost when a moving van was involved in an accident. Insurance doesn't replace waterlogged paperbacks from 1940-1970, collected during many trips to the used bookstore, where I gladly paid more than the cover price.

[apl68]

If you lived within driving distance of me (NY Metro area, you doing the needed driving) you could have the hundreds of SciFi pb-s that are boxed in the basement; otherwise they "will grow old along with me."  I have set aside a small shelf of favorites, largely Jack Vance and Larry Niven, but otherwise...

Wish I lived in driving distance. Most of my sci-fi collection was lost when a moving van was involved in an accident. Insurance doesn't replace waterlogged paperbacks from 1940-1970, collected during many trips to the used bookstore, where I gladly paid more than the cover price.

That must have been a heartbreaking experience.

[Juvenal]

If you lived within driving distance of me (NY Metro area, you doing the needed driving) you could have the hundreds of SciFi pb-s that are boxed in the basement; otherwise they "will grow old along with me."  I have set aside a small shelf of favorites, largely Jack Vance and Larry Niven, but otherwise...

Wish I lived in driving distance. Most of my sci-fi collection was lost when a moving van was involved in an accident. Insurance doesn't replace waterlogged paperbacks from 1940-1970, collected during many trips to the used bookstore, where I gladly paid more than the cover price.

Sorry to hear that.  My collection does not go back that far--primarily it was the Sixties to the Seventies, a handful earlier, but later ones trickling off into the Eighties.  A scatter since.  It is a little dismaying to take a fifty-year-old pb out of the box and realize I have no interest in reading it again...  Times change and we change with them.

[wareagle]

Given the current price of plywood and studs, my home will remain unimproved for now.

[Bbmaj7b5]

Three years ago, after a hailstorm damaged our roof, we decided to go with a metal roof. This turned out to be a good idea after three subsequent golf-ball-to-baseball sized hail events (two of them this year alone).

I don't generally do home improvement with an eye on selling - particularly in this neighborhood, which has always been a desirable place to live. We do home improvement for us.

One recent example is the installation of an electric tankless water heater, for which we added two 240V circuits. The days of taking a shower at a flow rate guaranteed to pressure wash your outsides are over, but the shower is hot and that is that heater's sole purpose. There didn't seem much point in keeping 40 gallons of water piping hot on the off chance we would want to take a shower. This is probably not a popular move from a resale point of view, but it works for us.

[onehappyunicorn]

Three years ago, after a hailstorm damaged our roof, we decided to go with a metal roof. This turned out to be a good idea after three subsequent golf-ball-to-baseball sized hail events (two of them this year alone).

I don't generally do home improvement with an eye on selling - particularly in this neighborhood, which has always been a desirable place to live. We do home improvement for us.

One recent example is the installation of an electric tankless water heater, for which we added two 240V circuits. The days of taking a shower at a flow rate guaranteed to pressure wash your outsides are over, but the shower is hot and that is that heater's sole purpose. There didn't seem much point in keeping 40 gallons of water piping hot on the off chance we would want to take a shower. This is probably not a popular move from a resale point of view, but it works for us.

I love out tankless water heater. I don't often take long hot showers but when I do it's really nice. It's also nice when I have family visiting and six people need to take showers in the morning.

[spork]

We currently have a malfunctioning HVAC system that is locked on heat to the point that it's 60 F outside and 85 F inside.

We are getting estimates to replace thermostats that are likely older than I am.  It's unclear whether that will completely fix the problem, but then we will have programmable thermostats and have addressed one of the two* very common reasons this system malfunctions.

*The other typical situation is a malfunctioning valve on the boiler.  That boiler and fittings we put in new four years ago, so that's much less likely for our particular circumstances.  We can't just shut off the boiler because that's all the hot water in the house for all purposes.

Did new thermostats fix the problem? I have replaced Honeywell mercury switch thermostats in two houses with programmable thermostats; it was very easy. But neither house had central A/C.

Three years ago, after a hailstorm damaged our roof, we decided to go with a metal roof. This turned out to be a good idea after three subsequent golf-ball-to-baseball sized hail events (two of them this year alone).

I don't generally do home improvement with an eye on selling - particularly in this neighborhood, which has always been a desirable place to live. We do home improvement for us.

One recent example is the installation of an electric tankless water heater, for which we added two 240V circuits. The days of taking a shower at a flow rate guaranteed to pressure wash your outsides are over, but the shower is hot and that is that heater's sole purpose. There didn't seem much point in keeping 40 gallons of water piping hot on the off chance we would want to take a shower. This is probably not a popular move from a resale point of view, but it works for us.

Last year our 40 gallon water heater, which came with the house when we bought it and was ~ 12 years old, ruptured internally. I had a plumber replace it with a 30 gallon heater. It's definitely costing us less than the larger one, but I'm wondering if we'll switch to a tankless or some kind of combination system when the gas-fired steam boiler finally dies. It will depend on the price difference and how much longer we think we will be in this 100-year old house.

[eigen]

I'm moving this over to General Discussion from General Academic Discussion, since it seems a better fit there.

[Puget]

I have a pallet of pavers and other materials being delivered Friday to put in a patio-- a bit over $900 plus my own labor to build it (which I'm looking forward to-- becoming a homeowner seems to have activated strong latent liking to have a hands-on project traits in me). Will it enhance the resale value of the house? In theory a bit a suppose. Will it enhance the value of the house *to me*? Most definitely-- I expect to be spending a lot of time out there and using it for socializing, and it will be the future home of a small hot tub which I've long wanted.

I successfully installed the patio over two weekends. I just have a little to finish this weekend pouring some concrete to fill in where it meets the irregular edges of the fieldstone foundation and bulkhead.

It was moderately challenging and good exercise-- overall a satisfying project. My neighbor who is a retired mason came over to inspect several times and approved of my work so I guess I didn't do too badly! I have a lot of pavers left over, some of which I'll use for a garden path, and I guess I'll save the rest in the garage in case of later breakage or other uses.

I now await the arrival of the patio set and need to do research on exactly what hot tub I want.

[polly_mer]

We currently have a malfunctioning HVAC system that is locked on heat to the point that it's 60 F outside and 85 F inside.

We are getting estimates to replace thermostats that are likely older than I am.  It's unclear whether that will completely fix the problem, but then we will have programmable thermostats and have addressed one of the two* very common reasons this system malfunctions.

*The other typical situation is a malfunctioning valve on the boiler.  That boiler and fittings we put in new four years ago, so that's much less likely for our particular circumstances.  We can't just shut off the boiler because that's all the hot water in the house for all purposes.

Did new thermostats fix the problem? I have replaced Honeywell mercury switch thermostats in two houses with programmable thermostats; it was very easy. But neither house had central A/C.

Well, the thermostat was reading >5 deg. F wrong, but that didn't fix the whole problem.

It turns out these valves have a known potential to stick open, so the valve also had to be replaced, even though it was practically new.

And, we had a sensor just malfunction so the boiler was running full steam through an open valve.

It's all fixed now...just in time for another cold snap.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I have a pallet of pavers and other materials being delivered Friday to put in a patio-- a bit over $900 plus my own labor to build it (which I'm looking forward to-- becoming a homeowner seems to have activated strong latent liking to have a hands-on project traits in me). Will it enhance the resale value of the house? In theory a bit a suppose. Will it enhance the value of the house *to me*? Most definitely-- I expect to be spending a lot of time out there and using it for socializing, and it will be the future home of a small hot tub which I've long wanted.

I successfully installed the patio over two weekends. I just have a little to finish this weekend pouring some concrete to fill in where it meets the irregular edges of the fieldstone foundation and bulkhead.

It was moderately challenging and good exercise-- overall a satisfying project. My neighbor who is a retired mason came over to inspect several times and approved of my work so I guess I didn't do too badly! I have a lot of pavers left over, some of which I'll use for a garden path, and I guess I'll save the rest in the garage in case of later breakage or other uses.

I now await the arrival of the patio set and need to do research on exactly what hot tub I want.

Congrats! Did you lay the pavers over sand?

[Puget]

I have a pallet of pavers and other materials being delivered Friday to put in a patio-- a bit over $900 plus my own labor to build it (which I'm looking forward to-- becoming a homeowner seems to have activated strong latent liking to have a hands-on project traits in me). Will it enhance the resale value of the house? In theory a bit a suppose. Will it enhance the value of the house *to me*? Most definitely-- I expect to be spending a lot of time out there and using it for socializing, and it will be the future home of a small hot tub which I've long wanted.

I successfully installed the patio over two weekends. I just have a little to finish this weekend pouring some concrete to fill in where it meets the irregular edges of the fieldstone foundation and bulkhead.

It was moderately challenging and good exercise-- overall a satisfying project. My neighbor who is a retired mason came over to inspect several times and approved of my work so I guess I didn't do too badly! I have a lot of pavers left over, some of which I'll use for a garden path, and I guess I'll save the rest in the garage in case of later breakage or other uses.

I now await the arrival of the patio set and need to do research on exactly what hot tub I want.

Congrats! Did you lay the pavers over sand?

A 1/2" layer of sand over landscape fabric after removing the sod and leveling and packing the soil, and then polypropylene paver base panels (which replace the traditional thick layers of gravel and sand-- better living through materials science!).