Confessions of one sahm

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-09-2009
Confessions of one sahm
3365
Fri, 04-03-2009 - 1:58pm

I've been thinking about this *debate* lately, and I think that many of my

********
Ducky

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2009
Fri, 07-03-2009 - 7:21pm
Swoosh...
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-08-2009
Fri, 07-03-2009 - 7:22pm

Why? It's clean when I get done with it, it's clean when the professionals get done with it.

It's not very high quality carpeting to start out with, I was kinda ticked because what happened is that when we looked at our house the first time it had all wierd different color carpet in each room. We knew we'd replace the flooring if we bought the house. Then when we went back to look at the place again, there were these workers replacing the carpet. Evidently the real estate people told them they'd never sell the house unless they put in neutral carpet. So they did, but the cheapest stuff they could find. I hate it and have been wanting to put in better flooring since we moved in, but there is always something that needs doing worse. We already spent about 10K this year getting the exterior painted, new gutters and helmets, and some landscaping done, so I have to live with the yuck stuff at least another year.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2009
Fri, 07-03-2009 - 7:25pm

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2009
Fri, 07-03-2009 - 7:31pm

We waited until the dog was gone to get new carpet. The carpet was pretty much middle of the road price but we got the best padding available. You can definately tell the difference and it was so worth the money. The cleaning was something extra and just from knowing the price of the professionals, I knew we are getting a great deal. While it is only for 3 years, it is still 3 years that I am saving at least $150/year.


And sad to say, $10K is like nothing :0 I don't even WANT to add up all the things we have done to the house. It is sooo worth it though as your home is your biggest asset and it only appreciates (if you take care of it and keep updating it, of course).

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-08-2009
Fri, 07-03-2009 - 7:33pm
I'll answer even though I am not PA, and say that when the kids were five, no. Kids around here seem to get their "wings" around the age of eight. It would be pretty unusual for a five year old to have an "independent" social life, but also unusual for a ten year old not to. There are certain kids in the neighborhood who seem to prefer being at home a lot. The kid across the street is like that; his parents are very social but he would probably spend his whole life indoors on the computer if he were allowed. He is a year younger than my younger son who likes him but only will spend about an hour or two at a time at his house before he wants to be outside again. My son is often invited to their house for dinner but the other kid never wants to eat at anybody else's house. I kind of feel bad about that because of the expense things -- I feed about ten kids a week that I didn't give birth to but I figure, in most cases, my kids are also scarfing up other people's food, so it all evens out in the end. This family, not so much because the kid is such a homebody. I take 'em cakes or brownies once in awhile though.
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-08-2009
Fri, 07-03-2009 - 7:34pm
Well, our home is NOT our biggest asset, but we still take care of it and hope it keeps appreciating. It is nice that 10K isn't a lot to you, but it is to us. Edited to add that our dog is only seven, so I hope I do not have to wait until he goes to the big doghouse in the sky to get new flooring!


Edited 7/3/2009 7:35 pm ET by bordwithyou
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2009
Fri, 07-03-2009 - 7:42pm

10K IS alot but updating a home cost quite a penny. Our new driveway and pavers alone

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-13-2009
Fri, 07-03-2009 - 8:03pm

Really? It only appreciates? Are you remotely aware of the current housing meltdown?

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-08-2009
Fri, 07-03-2009 - 8:03pm
Oh, OK, we haven't had to do that much. We stripped wallpaper, painted the whole house and put in new flooring in the kitchen, entry way and bathrooms when we moved in, and then we did some minor remodeling, turning two rooms into one big living room/dining room area and raising the ceiling and putting in skylights. We are doing the exterior over three years; we did "Phase One" last year and "Phase Two" is this year. I guess we will eventually want to redo the kitchen as it has its original appliances that are starting to show signs of age and that will be a good time to put in new countertops and lighting and stuff, but that is probably three or four years down the road. Probably about the time the kids move out and we will think about selling the place, lol.
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-08-2009
Fri, 07-03-2009 - 8:07pm
I was thinking of that. We have been incredibly lucky in the timing of our home purchases and sales,having just missed a big meltdown in California in the late 80s/early 90s. Here, our home hasn't LOST value, but it hasn't gained much value either. I know we could probably sell it for slightly more than we paid for it. Slightly.

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