If everything besides the exterior is working for you and you want to stay in your home for a few years, I say go for the gusto! It's not a huge jump from 15k for "it's ok i guess and 23k for what you really want.

I'm sure some on this forum would disagree but if it isn't going to break the bank then go for it.
Pros:
1. Your home should appreciate in value in a couple years.
2. Added curb appeal should help you sell quicker should you decide to sell.
3. That "ahhhh" feeling when you pull up to your beautiful house.

Cons:
1. Money spent could be put towards a new house. Possibly helping you reach that more expensive house with savings.
2. Home prices could still decline
3. ummmmmmmmm thinking............

Basically, if I couldn't find a suitable home within my price range I would make the changes to my existing home
make it work better to meet my needs and dress it up to make me happy with it. But again it comes down to $ and"sense" haha What is the best choice for you???

There really is no right or wrong. It boils down to what is right for you. You've already come to the conclusion that you'll never get the money out of the house if you improve it in the way that would make you happiest so that's a given. What's not known at this point is whether or not you will move. We are in our late 50s and found ourselves in the same boat a year or two ago...wanting to move to a better house / nicer subdivision. but NOT wanting to be married to a larger house note since we want to travel and spend money on future grandchildren, etc. So..we chose to remodel the interior of the house for ultimately less than what a new house would cost us....but...knowing full well that we (or our kids down the road) won't recoup all the money. It was worth it to us because after we made the firm choice to stay...we feel we are worth the investment because it has greatly increased our comfort and pleasure. It won't really matter in the long run that we spent it because we will enjoy it for the next 20-30 years and then our kids will get out of it what they can. So, in our situation, we made a firm decision to stay and that took all the pressure out of worrying about whether to remodel or not. In your situation, I would make certain I was going to stay before I invested $23K in a house that has already reached it's maximum value. If you plan on moving in the next few years you are just improving it for the next owner. It wouldn't be wrong if you chose to do it anyway...but, it would be a financial hit...which you already know. So it really becomes a matter of what makes you happy versus how long you will be able to enjoy your happiness. If you stay, it's would seem to be definitely worth spending the money. If you are planning to move in the next 5 years, maybe not. It's hard to quantify pleasure and comfort and it's really a personal thing...it's hard for others to help you decide. So, that was no help at all. ha.

My quick answer, if you can take the hit without denying your children an education and not eating up your entire nest egg....do it. I did and I know it would take years to recoup our funds which may or may not happen. But I love the finished product as does my husband. Loving your home is not a small thing. We can take the hit so we improved for us, not for some future invisible buyer. It was worth every cent and I'd do it again in a heart beat.

Jamaraz, remember this principle. It may help you decide the answer to this. Do whatever you do because of a love of something, not out of a fear of something. If you do that, your choice will be appropriate and true for your life. If you choose out of fear, it will lead to some failure or negative outcome.

That may sound like an over simplificaton, but in my life, & in the lives I've observed around me, this principle holds true 100% of the time.

The tricky part seems to be that we can't always tell when we are acting from love or fear. We can be creative at putting a good "spin" on an idea and not see it clearly. You need to scrutinize that for yourself. But when you determine which action is really coming from where, go with the love. Follow the love of a thing, a person, a principle, a core value or belief, and you will be moving in the right direction.

It seems that I hear this principle at work in Igloochic's answer.

All great advice.
Do what makes you happy now, no one knows what tomorrow will bring. Life's too short.

I don't agree that you can't recoup on exteriors. While you might not get ALL of it back, a home's curb appeal is quite important and does have value. It's very important around here. Personally, it would certainly be worth a good dollar to me when buying, provided it was done well, suited to the house and its natural environment, and appealed to my own personal taste. I guess it would also depend on what type of improvements you're planning. A porch would add to the home's value. Landscaping (that your realtor feels will be just for you) takes years to mature so you actually might not be able to enjoy it as much as you think if you move in the next few years. Can you fill us in on the details? You didn't say much about why you want to move. Would being able to improve the house itself change your mind about moving? That might be a better investment.

I don't plan improvements I want or need based on how much will be recouped. I live in the house for myself. However, I do think that $10000-$23000 is a lot of gift money to the new owner if you happen to move fairly soon, even if you are comfortable. Circumstances can also change. It's a lot more than I would spend, I think. Certainly too much if I needed the money to move forward. And it would hurt even more to see it ripped out by the new owners afterwards. Could you do it in phases? Or not quite as much as in your dreams until you're sure you'll be staying? Do some of the work yourself?

"Do whatever you do because of a love of something, not out of a fear of something."

Thank you, Stinky-Gardener. Random reader here, but your post clicked several pieces of my life together as I read and sipped my Saturday morning brew. My situation is completely different from both the OP's and Igloo-chic's, but your words were a good breakfast for the soul this morning.

In this market I don't agree you recoup on any upgrades. Upgrades will make your house stand out, be the first to be picked but get you more than the house next door? I don't buy it. Spend your money on what makes YOU happy. "Resale" is not a reason to do or not to do what works for you in your home. That said if you are moving in a few years why would you bother?

I wouldn't do it unless you are planning to stay in your house five years. You have made a case for staying at least until your children are presumably in high school . . . . how long is that?

One of your comments is interesting. You say there are nicer developments you would like to live in but that the people who live there are "flashier." My question is whether you think more affluent people don't share your values, or whether you think they are not really more affluent but spend more of their income on lifestyle. There is a difference . . . if the former, maybe you won't ever want to move regardless of your material circumstances because you have found a great neighborhood that is really "home."

OTOH, If you think that flashy equates with irresponsible spending ----
and many times it does, in our neck of the woods the subdivisions with the
largest homes have the highest foreclosure rates---- when your family does move up in size or price that will just have to be an ongoing conversation with your children. Our daughter was teased unmercifully about her car . . . Classmates just couldn't understand why she did not drive something very fancy. She learned to smile and tell them that cars depreciate . . . and to feel sorry for the kids whose parents bought them expensive cars with loans or on leases.

I don't think I'm going to say anything different than other responses, but I'll say it anyway in my own words.

If I knew I MAY, COULD, POSSIBLY, be moving in a few years, the only reason I would spend that much money on my home is if the thing(s) need proper repairs to bring them back up to working order and to avoid the stigma and price range of a "depressed property".

If I knew I was not going anywhere...I definitely would do the work if it was for me and for my love of my home and lifestyle.

You already know that over-improving your property comparable to the area/neighborhood...and expecting to re-coup every dollar at sale is not how it works.

I paid a *stupid* amount of money for my new front door a couple years ago. I don't care. I love that door and worked hard for it monetarily. It was a rite of passage emotionally. I expect nothing in return if I sell.

You'll make the right decision.
Gayle

Just some thoughts.

Would the 15k - 23k you would spend on upgrades, plus whatever it might grow to over the course of a few years, be enough to get you closer to the house of your dreams?

Just my personal two cents. I'm terribly practical when it comes to fiscal matters. I don't know what "a few years" is, so let's say 4. At $23,000, your changes would cost you $5750 a year or about $480 a month - roughly. If you were renting a new exterior for your home, would it be worth $480 a month?

I personally would not do it, but that's my opinion. There is no public forum of right or wrong. You have to do what seems right to you (which you already know, so...) :)

It's really not that easy to move, so even though it's something people talk about a lot, when you get into the actual dollars and cents of doing it, staying put usually comes out as the clear winner. We did a bathroom remodel a few years ago with the idea that we'd be moving soon, so we made only budget friendly choices. Well, we're still here and not going anywhere for at least another 5 years, so I wish we had done what we wanted. Unless I have a contract with a realtor to actually sell, I'd do what I want if I have the funds available.

Thank you all for your thought provoking responses. I guess what it boils down to is the fact I will never love my house. We bought in a sellers market and we had just lost out on a house we REALLY wanted. We were exhausted from looking and just wanted to be done with the process. I had a problem with the location (and still do) but my husband and realtor convinced me I was crazy. I was not. The location is a problem and will make my house worth less money/more difficult to sell.

That being said, there are many positive aspects to my house and if it were in a slightly different location I would be happily putting up siding right now.

The main problem is my house isn't so tragic that it makes sense to do a lateral move to a better location. It also doesn't make fiscal sense to move to the house of my dreams. The only real option is making a smaller jump to an upgraded house that is not in my desired schools for my kids. They will have friends there just not as many as in their current schools. It's a tough choice. I just wish I chose better 9 years ago. :(

I'm a huge believer in the "good enough_______". The kids don't care about the house...they care about friends. And YOU should care about the quality of the school they are in. If you are happy with the schools and your location...it's just the house that isn't what you love...and you are reasonably sure you are going to be where you are for five years, and you AREN'T spending the kids college fund...

Make the house you are in the house you love. In 2004 we spend 40K on a retaining wall and patio space. We won't recoup that...but it has made a HUGE difference in how we live in our home. And I've never regretted it. Now, I DO regret that my kitchen re-do money had to go to a retaining wall...but having the driveway slide down the hill wasn't an option and the existing retaining wall suddenly started to fail.

Stinky....I hate to call you stinky after such a profound and touching post lol but anyhow, stinky, that was a beautiful thought in words and meaning....it applies to so much more than money decisions in our lifes. I may have meant sort of the same thing, but you put it ever so much clearer in that post (and much purtier too lol). Thank you. I'm adding that one to my heart :).

Jam jam....I'm now gonna make up names lol. You didn't ask for this thought but I want to share it and heck....it's not like you can stop me lol.

I am the product of a parents lifestyle which caused us to move so many times prior to high school that I literally can't tell you how many times I had to go to a new school and make new friends. Sometimes it was three or four times a year! I moved as a junior from Portland to a tiny town in Washington and again had to start over. What did this do to my life? Frankly it made me learn to reach out and to develop a strong comfort with myself so I could make it through the first few lonely weeks in a new school with "no friends". It produced an adult who can enter a room full of strangers and start conversations without fear of rejection...or (since in everynes world you do find rejection) without fear that the rejection might hurt me. I have seen so many successful people from the products of transient parents with good values. It forces a child to do what they are going to have to do someday anyhow, but they learn it earlier which makes it easier later. I have good friends who have also gone to the same community and lived the same life all of their lifes. They let me lead them into the party because they are only comfortable when in really familiar ground.

Now don't get me wrong, successful people come from both types of upbringings and failures as well, but I personally think it's actually a really good thing to push children into new situations a few times in their lifes. The friends they have in grade or even high school are not likely lifetime partners. I plan on changing my sons schools a few times for just that reason..they might think it's hell but it's not :). If you are unhappy consider a different neighborhood and the move associated with it might actually be good fir you all.

igloochic, I would adamantly disagree. I too came from family that moved A LOT. I have to admit my siblings are all successful enough, but I say it is in spite of our life not because of it. What we had was a strong family. Adolescence is tough enough why would you add to it, purposefully? I would give my right arm to have what my kids did. One High School they could commit to and identify with. To belong to something is important when struggling through. Strong family, strong sense of community make for successful people. But back to the subject, I agree with mjsee. Do what makes your house a home, not a show place. We moved when ours were still pretty little so that they had out door space,good schools, smaller fish bowl. The house was older and needed a lot of amenities. We had fun as a family getting it here. Life is the ride not the destination!

I would say if it improved my quality of life overall as I lived in the house, yes. If it was something, --after evaluating it--that would not make much difference, no.

So, Yes to the zero-incremental-return on new bathroom, Sub-Zero, and new storm windows. No, to the historically appropriate French panoramic wallpaper. (Maybe next time)

In a purely economic sense I have overimproved each place that I have owned. Not to the extent where I actually lost money, but compared to neighbors who sold less improved, more generic properties without putting as much into it...I have not benefited like they have.

However, I have been happy living in my overimproved houses:)

We have greatly overimproved our house. The neighborhood does not support and does not understand our improvements. It is a cookie cutter 60s tract home. Think contractor grade- laminate, carpeting, hollow doors, single pane windows, basically the cheapest materials you can find at home depot.

Now we have stone floors, exotic hardwood floors, marble counters, standing seam metal roof etc. It is very different than the neighbors' homes.

Why did we do it? For ourselves. It is not a business decision. It is a quality of life and things we like.

Will we recover the investment? who knows? With the economy and home prices dropping everyday, i doubt we will recover the expense if we move anytime soon.

My advice- Don't spend any money on improvements in this economy. Just clean, patch and paint. better yet, don't move.

We moved to a make-do house many years ago when DH's job was relocated suddenly. It was a 60s tract home, after living in 2 lovely-but-down-on-their-heels custom homes that we renovated. I could never settle into this bland, dark, ugly box. We finally were able to renovate two years ago, and -- surprise! -- I enjoy the house now. It was strange for awhile to walk through the house and feel happy. I was even more surprised to find my husband having the same reaction -- the old house depressed him too though he never said anything. Our house still doesn't have great storage space or furniture placement, but at least it's brighter & prettier & better quality throughout.

Judging from your posts, it sounds like you probably won't move. So make the house more to your liking. I hope you'll finally be able to enjoy your home.

"I would like to make it enjoyable for myself. Plus, I may never end up moving. "

Reason to do it right there.....

Wellspring, I'm happy that this idea resonated with you! Thanks for sharing that.

Igloochic, thanks for sharing your nice thoughts!

Jamaraz, "I just wish I chose better 9 years ago." Well, unsaddle yourself from the past. Let go of this burden that you've been carrying for 9 years. I'm hearing too much future and too much past in your words. Unshackle yourself from the past, which you can't un-do, and from outcomes of the future, which you can't predict or control!

"There are many positive aspects to my house.." Yay, you're in the present moment with that remark and it sounds pretty good too! I'm so glad to hear you say that.

From this day forward, focus on those positive aspects and forget about how you could have "done better" some how. You did the best you knew to do with all that was going on at the time, which is all any of us can do.

Words and thoughts have power. You must begin to think and speak to yourself more positively about your house. I say this because I believe we have the ability to sabotage ourselves with negativity.

You may lose the good things you have if you don't focus on them, embrace them, and make the most of them. What we think of expands. If you keep telling yourself you got a bum deal, you will indeed, have a bum deal. If you instead choose to focus on those "positive aspects" they will probably multiply.

Repeat after me: "Every day in every way my house is becoming more and more valuable." Think of your house as a treasure and it will become one.

You are very wise, stinky-gardener!!!!!

I do not know where you live. I do not know an area in US where housing prices have not stopped going up. In fact many areas that were thought to be stable, like Seattle for example, the prices are dropping now. There is no telling when housing prices turn around. So any money you put into your house now will be spent money. In light of housing prices possibly dropping, will that make it more likely that you will move, as you can buy the formerly too expensive house? How much will this 15 - 23K help you toward this goal, if it is your goal, as down payment requirements have been going up as well.
Like many here in decorating forum, we have over-improved every house we have ever lived. This just comes with the interest in design. But, most of the work has been always done by me and I have learned so much in the process, that knowledge in itself is priceless for me.
So my advice, make a list of pros and cons. Discuss this list with your DH and let him add his list, then if your kids are old enough, develop similar list with them and discuss with them and as whole family. Make it a family decision, this exercise will be very valuable independent of what you will decide as a family.

As long as we are giving opinions, I have to confess that this statement floored me:

"The friends they have in grade or even high school are not likely lifetime partners. I plan on changing my sons schools a few times for just that reason..they might think it's hell but it's not :). "

Just because one person tolerates or even thrives on school changes
doesn't mean that is appropriate for all kids. I have seen some kids who
were derailed by school changes at the "wrong" time in their lives, and
they were kids with families as strong as you'd ever hope to see. One size
does not fit all.

I'm sure the OP that and will do what is best for her kids but just felt I had to say something on this subject .

I am a full time real estate agent(21 years) and have a different perspective in that I talk to buyers daily.
It is true that houses have come down in value. We sold our first house 4.5 years ago to buy the one we are in. We "overpaid" by a ton, but the person who bought our house overpaid us equally. We both rose and fell with the tide. Whatever happens in the market from here forward, your house will bring you more money if it is nicer whether the market is up or down. You may put $23k into it this year and find you only get $15k back. However, if you don't put the $23k into it you will be paid less for it, the only question is by how much.
I'd do things with a mind to budget, but also with your enjoyment in mind. Not every decision for a house has to be made on logic. As long as you can comfortably afford it, and it will improve your life, then do what you can to make it happen. Maybe shave here or there and get what you like a lot rather than love, if the resale part worries you.

I would not move kids for the heck of it if they have friends and are in a school that is good. You may find the next stop is not so nice for all and you'd kick yourself then for moving. Make it pleasant for all where you are and be grateful for what you have been able to do with the house to make it yours.
I can completely sympathize with you as we bought our house after losing the one I love/d when a relative showed up at the last minute who wanted it. We got dumped and did not have a lot of time to find something since our house was sold. In hindsight, we should have rented for a year or 2 and been out of the game as prices fell, but we wanted to know which schools our kids would go to and have stability for them. It is hard enough to be a kid these days, so no need to rock their world if they are happy.
I never bonded with my current house and looked at the glass as half full at times. We are undergoing a big reno, but it is expensive and stressful. I see glimpses of how awesome it will be, but in hindsight, we would have stayed in our old house longer if we knew how this would all turn out. We'd be in better financial shape if we stayed and paid off more mtg (had 11.5 yrs on a 15 yr mtg when we left). I'd have lived there happier than I did in our pre-reno current home. Even after all the work, we will have more projects that need doing here. Sometimes, the devil you know is the better option.
Our first house was on a busy street, but in hindsight, since it did not bug us, we could have stayed there longer. We were afraid of over-improving on a busy location, so moved and made the situation worse. We could have stayed, put money into it, traded up now and been better off. Making a move to a better location got us a "better investment" but cost us much more.
I'd make the one you are in the way you want it, just don't try to have Donald Trump's house in the wrong neighborhood for it, lol. Do it nicely and enjoy it. Any future buyers will appreciate a well cared for home and what you do may be what they love the most. I have seen buyers pay on emotion just as often as sellers who improve on emotion.

Same situation here. If you can swing it okay then do it. I just had a similar talk w/ a few realtors. They all said go ahead and do it knowing that I would still be asking the same price as if I had not done it but my home would more than likely spend a lot less time on the market and it may well spark a bidding war in the end.

Since we're staying longer than anticipated we're doing more work than we'd intended to please US.

dianolo, your post sums up why I am hesitant to move. The devil I know (my house) isn't so bad compared to the unknown real estate market. I'm so afraid I am going to get caught up in the process that I will not make a sound real estate decision. I've sort of made peace with myself and narrowed my search to 2 subdivisions. If something in my price range comes up I will move forward but in the interim I am getting siding estimates. The value of my current home is plummenting rapidly and my real estate agent is adamant that the siding won't get me a penny more as I am already over-improved for the neighborhood. The siding will, however, bring me some pleasure and hopefully make a more rational decision if I do decide to move. I'm hoping paying 23K now might help prevent me by paying 50k too much later on! :)

Lisa, of course moving a fragile kid is a mistake. I think I said both ways work but that a move wouldn't kill a kid from a strong family and might be good for them. Life will force a move out if a comfort zone eventually. Like it or not, families are getting more transient every day.

My son will leave his preschool and then move to a k-8 school, then who knows. He will likely also attend summer programs in another state or country because learning to make friends and adapt to change is a good thing for kids. high school is high school....it's temporary and not the end of their world. Children who can't adapt to change find life to be very difficult as adults, like it or not. Sorry if that is difficult to read.

There are many ways kids learn to be resilient and life throws enough curveballs to test them. No need for the parents to add more to that than what is necessary.
I'd move if it were for a job, to be close to family, etc... I would not move for sport or because I wanted to teach my kids to roll with it.
I found myself saying this a few years ago, but just because kids are naturally resilient, does not mean I want them to have to be out of dire necessity.
There will be many chances to screw up with our kids unintentionally, so why add to the list?
Igloo - I know you know no different and think it worked for you, but I bet you would not have chosen that if given a choice as a kid. Bad times have taught me lots of things, but I don't go courting new lessons that way.

We have over-improved our house, I feel. For years we talked about moving but our kids are happy here and have lots of friends in the neighborhood.

Someone above wrote that your kids don't care what kind of house they live in, they care about their relationships -- so true!

Usually by 5th or 6th grade, kids have formed strong friendships (before that, they will pretty much play with anyone). As they get older, it gets harder to make friends.

Anyhow, we are trying to make our home a place where our kids will have great childhood memories!

I don't have any advice, Jamaraz, since only you can decide what's right for you. (And for me it would depend on what % it is of the home's value that we're talking about and if I could afford to do it.)

But I wanted to thank you, Stinky, for your words of wisdom. I've never thought of love/fear like that, and will use that wisdom often when making a decision. Thank you! And I agree about the power of words and thoughts -- thank you also for the reminder to live positively in the present!

Stinky-gardener, WOW WOW WOW!. Thank you so much for your words of wisdom - "Do whatever you do because of a love of something, not out of a fear of something".

A big thank you to all others who posted their thoughts, too.

Although I am not overimproving my house, the decision to spend any money takes me eons to make.

Right now I am trying to decide about either getting new windows or having my old wood windows painted. Because money is not the issue here, I am going to follow the love/fear principle in making this decision. It is not that I love new windows, but I do love the freedom they will afford me. The freedom not to have to think about painting them, the freedom to be able open them in the winter,and the freedom to be able to clean them from the inside. I love that they will make my life easier!

Thank you stinky.

Cgw1, so glad that helped! Part of the fun and "magic" of posting here is that while our comments may not hit home with the person we are directing them to, they may resonate with someone else! Thanks for sharing that, C.

Hoosiergirl, I missed your comment back in February! I thank you for sharing!

I'm not sure where I stand on the issue, jamaraz. As I read your comments, I'm feeling as if you've made your decisions -- you want the siding, but you also do want to move.

"The siding will, however, bring me some pleasure and hopefully make a more rational decision if I do decide to move. I'm hoping paying 23K now might help prevent me by paying 50k too much later on"

If new siding will truly please you, then my answer is: if there's nothing else that would please you more for that $23K, go ahead and overimprove. However, what I think is more important is that it sounds as if you intend to move as soon as you can. In that case, if I were you, I'd be looking at that $15K (or $23K) in a time value of money way: take even the lowest return you could reasonably expect to receive on that money and calculate what the amount could grow to in 5, 10, 20 years. Are you prepared to give that up for siding on a house you want to leave?

Also, I'm not following your thought process on the expenditure now possibly avoiding a future $50K expenditure

Also....I truly disliked my former house, not because of the house itself, but because of its location. Nothing we could ever do to that house could change anything about what for me were the location's negatives, ever. We did not overimprove the house; in fact, over many years, we put what most people would think of as a trivial amount of money into it. Inexpensive tile on bathroom floors -- those smallish, solid colors that come in sheets. An inexpensive vanity with some kind of solid surface top, the stuff you pick up at a box store. Yes the exterior had to be painted, all 3 stories of it, and we had had roof work done, and ugly, dated kitchen cabinets restained, and scratched, dulled laminate countertops covered with a granite composite material. But most of what went into that house was elbow grease, and many expenditures fell into the category of necessary maintenance.

At the beginning, this level of work was due to our perspective on what constituted a lot of money, but then later, we realized there was no point in doing more than was necessary. When we moved, FINALLY (!), I was SO glad that we had not put more into the house.

This was an old discussion! I completely overlooked the date. So the deed may well be done by now...nice, new siding up. Or not.

SG -- Wonderful, wonderful thought! Just love it!

An airline brat here -- so I moved around as a teenager and survived. Not always happy -- but learned to cope with new places.

BUT -- don't move if your kids are truly happy at this time!

AND we are in a tiny house and made very inexpensive changes (compared to others) but at this time -- those changes worked just enough for us. I did not expect to be here so long -- but thats what happened. Not totally in love with this house -- but made it work.

Soooooo ... DO the changes to make the house work for you now. At THIS time. BUT examine each expense and do the research to get the BEST value for each dollar you spend!

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

Lynx, Jamaraz may still be mulling things over...who knows? You shared good insights that someone else may benefit from if Jamaraz doesn't revisit the thread. It would be great to hear from her and about what she did and didn't do!

I think lots of people are perplexed right now, with the economy as it is, about what to do with their houses. Stay, go, upgrade, leave as is, skip town, etc.?

Teacats, great suggestions. Yes, you certainly did "make your house work!" It's adorable.

here's my silly thought...

I wish more people would overimprove their houses that they are putting up for sale. Have you looked at what's for sale out there? I'm seeing some really sad stuff. Perhaps I can find a house that is overimproved, and to my taste, and within my budget...yeah, right.

I mean, does the realtor warn the seller..."I'm going to be photographing your home today, you might want to pick up your dirty laundry for the photos"....eeks

I say, "overimprove away"

This is such a timely thread for me. The fact that it was revived at this particular time feels like synchronicity at work. I'm in the process of refinancing and considering a cash-out to improve my humble abode both inside and out. It's not the home of my dreams, but it might just allow me to have a second house in a warmer climate as I approach retirement and that's worth a lot to me.

The good news is my appraisal came in yesterday really high. The bad news is that my appraisal came in yesterday really high! lol I was thinking I'd get at least 50-75% back out of the improvements I make, but I'm really not seeing how I could get more than 1/4 back after I saw that appraisal number. With my neighorhood and my square footage, I fear I'm getting close to the ceiling even with crappy windows, doors, and siding - and an outdated kitchen and floorplan. Oh, and floors! That seems so bizarre to me, but I have 24 hours to process it and decide whether I want to refinance the existing mortgage or how much to cash out for improvements.

The twists and turns of this process are really unexpected. It's all new territory for me. This thread has given me much food for thought. Lots of wisdom here, even if it sometimes contradicts. Thank you.

Bee, really, I mean at least throw the dirty laundry in one room, snap the picture, throw it all back in the other room, snap another pic! In my area's MLS photos I've seen the dirty laundry hanging over the side of the jacuzzi, panties on the bedroom floor, etc. Eeek is right.

Steph, I wonder if you make the improvements if you could still recoup the investment if you wait just a few more years to sell. You may be getting close to the upper price for your neighborhood, but then again, a potential buyer looking in your area would note that your house has a lot of great amenities. If a buyer was choosing between your house and another on your street, yours would probably get the sale. A lot of people don't want to tackle projects, so a "turn key," move-in-ready house would stand out. Whatever you do, best wishes!

Just saw this thread and wanted to ask one thing: pharaoh, would you please let me know when you all put your house on the market? :)

I realize this is an old thread but as you pointed out, stinky-gardener, Jamaraz may still be mulling things over. So... I'll put in my two cents worth.

Jamaraz said, The main problem is my house isn't so tragic that it makes sense to do a lateral move to a better location.

What I'm wondering is, is it the cost of the lateral move that's keeping you from doing it? If so, what would that move cost? Would it be greater than the $15-23K you're considering spending on a house you don't like?

If you feel like you made a mistake 9 years ago, why throw good money after bad? If it were just a couple of thousand, I'd say go for it. But it seems to me that $15-23K is a nice chunk of change to put into a house you don't like and don't intend to stay in.

I always do what I can afford if it makes me happy. Damn the naysayers!

Life is too short, in my opinion, to think about "what happens when".

Right here, right now I'm very happy and not broke. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

The tricky part seems to be that we can't always tell when we are acting from love or fear. We can be creative at putting a good "spin" on an idea and not see it clearly. You need to scrutinize that for yourself. But when you determine which action is really coming from where, go with the love. Follow the love of a thing, a person, a principle, a core value or belief, and you will be moving in the right direction.

Here is a link that might be useful: petty

It depends on the person and their financial standing. If its not something that is maintenance related or safety related or energy related but purely discretionary I would say it depends on whether spending the extra is going to hurt you financially. It would be nice to "go with the love", but not everyone has that option.