We are just getting prices from contractors in NYC for our 35 sq ft (actually a little less since it's not quite 7 x 5) and prices are $7,500 - $20,000 from 4 different places. The bathroom is over 50 years old and we have just been living with it for a while. It's all contractor work, no DIY. We cannot move plumbing so the layout won't change. I'm not really sure what the $7,500 price includes since the contractor would really not elaborate beyond "a basic bathroom" that includes wall to wall new tile (what we have now). One vendor who did not do a site visit (only looked at photos) came in around $15K. I am waiting on formal proposals from 2 contractors that visited this week and I gave them the wish list below that does not include any fixtures choices or finish choices but they are steering us toward custom and semi custom. One vendor said not to spend too much since we could price out the market for resale (we are not selling anytime soon, if at all) so he came down to $20K from $25K. There is one more contractor on the list that we plan to call for an estimate. A neighbor spent $40K on her bathroom. I have not seen it but just heard the price this week so I will make it a point to visit to have a look. replace bathtub/drain & replace fixtures, adjustable rain shower with separate handheld replace medicine cabinet make laundry hamper area into storage (framed with shelving) demo wall to wall tile, replace tile add recessed storage on rear shower wall install new lighting paint entire room (replace bathroom and bedroom doors - only two doors in the apartment so they should match) replace metal towel bar in shower replace storage cabinets (towels & other products) install vessel sink and fixtures add handheld sprayer for toilet (may get washlet seat if elongated toilet will fit) cover and tile over pipes; add mesh venting remove shower door (install curved shower rod) replace ceramic towel bar (8 hooks?) & switch plate add vertical toilet paper holder upgrade & add electric outlets (2 x 2); not on same circuit as lights Labor only estimates so far: $12,650 $13,200 Materials $3,355 (low) - $7,355 (high) One GC sources and stores the materials which seem to be at least 25% -50% higher for some items than I've seen locally. This post was edited by kdnyc on Tue, Jun 3, 14 at 15:24

moccasinlanding, I have a lot of architect friends & my hubby is a contractor...so I'm all set on the resources - it's more a matter of time I think & finding the right house that's in the right setting. We are considering building my dream home, but again it's a matter of the amount of energy I have doing it. I have certain "requirements" that I just can't seem to find altogether. I don't want to live in a development. I want a small wooded, very private lot. I'm sure it's out there & that I will find it. I would really like to live in our Finger Lakes region of NY, but of course THAT issue is commute time for hubby, especially in the winter. He's 9 yrs younger than me, so he's a lot further away from retirement than I am. I like Sarah Susanka & she has been a breath of fresh air in architecture & her philosophy. But a lot of her houses are still too big. And she has really gotten into the sustainability thing, which is fine, but I just don't see her evolving in the thread of thought that I am. I've found 100's of floorplans on houseplans.com in the 1500-1700 sq ft range that I want...none are as good as mine LOL...but I enjoy looking at floorplans & architecture & houses for sale, etc. and I could see many of those homes integrated in what I have in mind as a "community" for the lack of a better word. It's kind of a hobby extension of my interior design work I guess. With my illness & age, my interest has taken on a new dimension...beyond my own... with affordable & desirable - what I call the "New Desirable" housing for seniors as kitykat has expressed so well. We don't want to live in old people's homes or "retirement communities" as they are now. I'm in this exploration stage since I'm newly semi-retired in the last couple months, & I'm not sure how far I'll take this vision for me & others in the same situation. But I think it will be an interesting journey. And I love hearing that others are thinking like me & kitykat. We may just start a revolution LOL ...or at least an evolution. We'll see... ~Jeana

westsider40 - Sexy...ha that made me giggle. I was going for a little modern, a little fun with classic undertones. But I'll take Sexy! hehe I have a 14" telescoping downdraft behind the cook top. It works for me. I don't do a lot of frying and when I do it does the job. In fact, one of the first things I cooked was pot stickers. My DS says he wants to go outside to where the vent is and see if he can smell it. He comes back in and says "It smells like they are burning." Sure enough, they were black, but we couldn't smell a thing inside. I guess it did a good job. ha You make a good point about embracing the flaws! This kitchen is SO much better than before, it's difficult to even call them flaws anymore. I'm truly enjoying the kitchen as is the rest of the family. Thank you for the 'American Happy Kitchen' comment - that makes my day!

It isn't you, it isn't your budget, there are just many unprofessional people in this business. We live in a home that cost 7 figures and have had the same thing happen many times. I'm just bringing up the price of our home because the snobbery on here bothers me. Even with contractors that came recommended, they promise a bid by X date and fail to deliver. The crazy thing is why would you recommend a contractor again after your neighbor or friend tells you they can't even get the guy to follow-up with a quote?? For our kitchen we met with a few designers and ended up hiring the most professional one who happened to be at a high-end place but because we ordered a less expensive cabinet line, our cabinet cost was in line with a more mid-range shop. I think there are a few benefits to this approach, first you have a close to final design and second the contractor often has a relationship with the designer so there is an incentive to keep that relationship good vs. a one-time thing. I don't know how much more this method may cost than a big box store but it may be worth exploring. I'm a member of Angie's list, a local review site that you need to pay for, and I check yelp reviews and Houzz reviews. Better to schedule a couple of people in a week and assume a 30-50% success rate.