Our "small" reno started off as replacing some of the flooring in our house i.e. the 38 year old brown shag carpeting and old linoleum with a price tag of $$$...

Our house and neighbourhood have the value in it to support the investment and we plan on never moving again and so we could emotionally do it as well. For us it was well worth the "well, while we're doing this why don't we do that as well" and that is exactly what happened. You can't believe that people actually do that and yet we are living examples of it. And we are smart people too!

blfelton, I could've written your post word-for-word. Only difference is that we chose to live through it (phase by phase) and we're almost wrapping up 14mos later.

I waffle between satisfaction with the project and sitting in stupor over the magnitude of the cost. Kind of defeats the purpose, though, if the cost prevents you from enjoying the fruits of your labour.

I just vented about this the other day on a different thread. I won't go into it all again. But what started as a kitchen reno became a kitchen and main floor reno became a kitchen and main floor and basement reno. Some of it happens just like you said, because now that the ceiling and walls are opened up why don't you ... and since you're replacing the carpets now is the time to make the windows in the basement bigger so the new carpet doesn't get damaged when they cut through the cement. And so on and so on. And some of it happens because of what you discover when you take the drywall down.

I'm looking forward to the drywall going back up (in 2 weeks!!) because I'm hoping that signals the end of the "by the way, we have to ...." discussions with my contractor and starts the fun part - watching all the finishing touches that I've agonized over finally taking shape!

I'm just sorry I didn't get to take the "before" photos of the bits I wasn't expecting ...

Here is a link that might be useful: unexpected expenses thread

Haha...creeps ....no leaps and bounds would be more like it. We did stay in our home for the renos...yes two of them.

We did it twice in the same house ! Some folks have to have more than one lesson I guess. We are lucky that we could afford it and that our neighborhood supports the improved house cost. We also do not intend to move , we wanted what we wanted so we surrounded ourselves with what pleases us aesthetically and we also made all the practical and safety improvements to our 120 yr old home that needed to be made.

I wish I had before photos of the 1st reno in 2002. I do have all the before photos from the one in 2006. I am happy to say that it was all worth it and we have never regretted the first $ spent or the last. We have been in the house long enough now that we have gotten our money's worth from the improvements. I think when folks are first contemplating spending big $ for a reno they worry that they might not get back what they put in. In our case we spent the money so we could live in this house the way we wanted and made the early decision that if we ever had to move and we couldn't "get back" the money we would not worry. Since the housing market is as depressed here as it is many places in the US we would not see a return on our money if we put it up for sale today. My crystal ball is no better than anyone else's so I don't know what tomorrow will bring. I am just glad we didn't put off till tomorrow what we were able to do 5 and 9 yrs ago. You only live once and regret is not a good thing. c

This reminds me of my parents and their reno creep (twice).

The first time (1995) my mom wanted a deck on the back of the house. Since there is no slope to their yard and their back door was at ground level my father thought her idea was ridiculous. It morphed into a full addition of a family room, a kitchen remodel and a paver patio.

Next, she wanted a first floor laundry room. She started out with a stacked washer/dryer in a bedroom closet. That morphed into removing a bedroom, enlarging the master bath, and adding a 1/2 bath and laundry room in 2010.

They lived in the house for both remodels and both have added to their living situation. They plan to stay there instead of moving to a retirement community. I don't know what removing a bedroom will do to resale (4 bedroom to 3) but they don't care as they don't plan to be living when it has to be sold.

I have had customers run out of money when demo reveled extensive damage that had to be repaired before anything else could proceed.

We put back in some cheap cabinets, a section of counter for the sink, and put the appliances back in so at least the kitchen could function.

We let them decide how much they absolutely needed to make the kitchen at least functional without spending a lot of money (some of the pieces came from another demo, some from theirs).

After about 6 months we went back and finished the job.

...did anyone else think of someone like melissastar's GC when they read "renovation creep"? or some other equally odious person who takes your money and does shabby or no work??

reading the rest of the title was a great relief!

cheers

who me? scope creep? let's see...

mfg cabs became custom cabs...

GE cafe range became WOLF 30" AG range (absolutely no regrets, love that range!!!)

tankless water heater (discovered we had to for venting issues)

"while we are at it" lets upgrade the galvanized plumbing to copper... from the street through the house

"while we are at it" lets upgrade the knob and tube"...

"while we are at it" lets fully insulate the attic...

my house is a 1942 house that needed a lot of the basics but geez...these types of creeps are not very rewarding - hey want to come over and see my fully insulated attic and new copper pipes?!? :)

i do not know who the "we" is - i am a single professional - only me to blame - and i am a professional project manager who knows all about scope creep!!!

I, too, thought of a creep of a gc first but I am biased that way since our project went painfully wrong.
Ours was less a creep as it was a push and shove.

Our reno hasn't started yet, but I see the inevitable creep. Maybe the radiant heat, because clearly it would be so much better and so much more efficient. Maybe we'll add central air, because comfort is sooo important. Bigger windows, better doors; pocketdoors, sliding doors and french doors. And town requires a fire proof door to garage. And while we are doing the siding, we may as well change our shower fixture which could then be accessed from outside (when old siding comes off and before new siding goes on) instead of ripping out our shower tile to change it. And might as well open another wall and create a circular flow in the house. Why put off the powder room reno until next year? We don't want guests having to go upstairs to use facilities.

Scary, but really very practicle except for the cost.

Our kitchen reno was completed last November....which has led to....all new woodwork throughout the house....new interior 8 panel doors.....new exterior front door with lead glass.....new powder room off kitchen....new concrete for driveway....new concrete and columns for front porch that runs the width of the house....new siding....new roof.....new windows.

YIKES! Could of built a new house! :)

Still have 2 full baths and 1 half bath to tackle. Then new flooring in LR. DR and bedrooms. Then I probably won't be able to retire for a few more years LOL.

Seriously, it just takes on a life of it's own, but we're very happy with all the results so far.

I actually am weighing the creep issue right now. In fact I posted this in baths, but got no responses. Our kitchen is usable and close to done. Still working on lights. Waiting on backsplash.

We have enough granite to do both our upstairs bathroom vanities. They both desperately need replaced.

What I can't decide is, do I really want the granite in both baths? Do just the kids' bathroom? (I had thought of getting marble or a white granite in my master bath some day, so do I abandon that idea?)

If I proceed, the cabinets are the same condition as the kitchen so painting is not an option. Could we do IKEA or is that a bad idea with all the steam in a bathroom and particleboard? New questions and I am not sure I have it in me.

I do have a deadline: The granite yard wants me to pay to the next project by the end of January and get started, or they keep my remaining granite.

Ha...at least I know I'm not the only one!
And it really does make sense to do the extra work "while the plumber/drywaller etc...is here", doesn't it???