I do not know what size our existing heat strips are. I am assuming the lowest possible, it is the same unit the builder placed in the home and it doesn't appear the original home buyers upgraded much. No idea about heating the place yet, we just moved into the home in March and our winter months here last year were very mild so I think we already had the a/c on. As far as cooling goes, we do not spend a lot of time up there yet. Our master is downstairs and the loft area is in under construction. It does not ever feel very cool to me but I really think this more impacted by the large windows in the great room and high 20 ft ceilings that open up to the loft as well as the age and capacity of the unit. I received another quote from another company here in town and the gentleman recommended the XR15 as a cost effective alternative to the XL15i. The quote he provided included replacing our downstairs system as well (both up and down with XR15's, 2.5 ton for upper and 3.5 for lower with variable speed handlers and Honeywell thermo) and didn't break up the prices in two. The total cost was $10k. I cannot get to the estimate right now to provide part numbers. However, I am now completely confused as he did not include a separate line item for the heat strips? We also discussed upgrading the insulation in the attic space because of the cooling issue etc. He confirmed what I origianlly thought and that is the insulation is the minimal for the standard back in 1999. He oprovided a quote to upgrade with R-38 of around $1800.00. I feel like the more I try to learn about the HVAC system the more confusing it gets. What exactly is the function of the heat strips? Is there any reason his quote wouldn't include a line item for same? Thanks for your help.

Hi everyone, thank you for all of the comments. I do appreciate everything that has been written and all of the suggestions and points brought up. The thing is, my mom and dad have worked hard their whole lives and if this is something they want to do, I am in no position to tell them otherwise and wouldn't dream of doing so. My mom hates the short cabinets (not the cherry) and as this is her dream house otherwise, she is not going to budge on the idea of updating -- especially when she would prefer to stay in this home as long as possible rather than buy new. I guess I don't see it as wasteful if this is something she wants and again, I have to reiterate that when they eventually do go to sell, being a little fresher will not exactly hurt them; on the contrary around here in this particular market. As for the goofy photoshop I posted, none of those things were my suggestions or even set in stone...we were just playing around with ideas and especially wanting to look at the stacked cabinets. So not really trying to be trendy with the marble etc., just grabbed a lighter counter to use for the photo because I know my mom intends to lighten things up on the counters and backsplash. And again, the cabinets in the photos are darker looking than they are in real life so I'm afraid they are not the best representation. I have to admit I am kind of finding it amusing everyone on a decorating/remodeling site is advising against remodeling this kitchen even when the owner wants to, but I do understand your reservations and in many other cases, I would totally agree with you. Real estate wise, I've lived in areas where it didn't matter at all and I've lived in areas where it does and unfortunately (or fortunately if you actually enjoy the process), the latter is the soup of the day around here. I'm in the midst of a master bath remodel right now myself and it's downright addictive so I get why my mom is into the idea, though. Anyway, again, thank you very much! I will answer some comments below: Nosoccermom - "I do like your proposed changes. The only thing that I personally would prefer is a more streamlined (non-wood) hood, but it sounds like your mom likes the one you propose. I'd also put a built-in microwave in that empty fridge spot and perhaps a coffee station rather than the solid wood cabinets/drawers there, maybe even some open shelves for cookbooks." I actually would prefer it if she went with a metal range hood myself and she is actually thinking about going that way. Everything is still very much up in the air...she had just always thought she would like a wood mantle hood but seeing as she wants to mix the traditional with a touch of modern, some more sparkle would be a great idea. As for the microwave, it's actually in a drawer on the island but that spot by the fridge, she's been thinking about tall glass cabinets or open shelves there and some small drawers underneath which are actually not drawers but a flip up area for coffee etc. Hard to describe and my picture wasn't at all what she had in mind. Thank you for your suggestions! Fishymom and Javivwa, the two tone white and cherry is a non-starter not only because of my dad, but my mom is not a fan. I've seen some pretty versions of it though so I know what you're talking about and that's definitely a good option. I do think she was considering a creamy white island possibly but again, just in the talking stage. Thanks again! Sophie, in this particular area, unfortunately this kitchen is considered outdated...especially the short cabinets. Even the new cheap houses here have tall cabs so they're pretty much expected in the price range this home would be at. My mom is not into fads. In fact, she generally goes the opposite direction, so she's not really wanting to remodel to keep up with the latest trend. Again, it's both for her enjoyment while she lives in the home and when she does sell, the updates will not hurt. They never do unless they've gone horribly wrong, generally speaking. :-) Thank you for the suggestion! Kimberly, my mom is about the least wasteful person on the planet and she has done more for people in her lifetime than I will ever be able to do, so if she wants to remodel her kitchen, I don't think she's being wasteful; I think she's finally doing something for herself which I wholeheartedly applaud. She's certainly not doing it to follow a trend, she's doing it because she wants to and I don't see an issue with that. I'm sorry that you do, though. Thank you anyway. Elizard, yes, definitely all new hardware and lights etc. Jewelry is always important to a girl:-) And quartzite has actually been talked about so definitely an option, thank you! Jillius, thank you for the comments! Not sure if you saw up above but the cabinets are not that dark in real life. I understand what you mean about looming though and with the 10 ft ceilings and lighted glass as well as the cabinets that aren't that dark, it won't be quite as dismal as it might appear. I love the idea of mixing up a new material for the hood and I am definitely hoping she trends that way in the end. I really think that would help on a lot of different counts. As for the backsplash, that was just a mock up to use something lighter so definitely not the end choice or anything. I think you bring up a good point with that, however i know my mom is pretty set on keeping it all fairly light so we'll just have to see what kind of counter material she settles on and go from there I suppose. Anyway, thanks again everyone! This is the best place and I really do appreciate the time you've all taken.

I'm with Sparky on the cheer powder, works very well, and the scent is the closest I've found to good old-fashioned laundry detergent, not a perfume factory. ..the tide coldwater leaves a sweet scent that isn't too bad on cottons, but any other fabric its cloying and overwhelming. Too bad they took tide coldwater free and clear off the market. Another thing about tide CW it works best in cold, cool, lukewarm..its not recommended for very warm to hot as the enzymes were formulated to die in those temps. Tide free liquid is fairly good for colors and works in all temps.

Regarding the stock, it depends on what the stock is. Is it one stock, or a mutual fund? If it were me (and I'm an intermediate level investor), I wouldn't keep that much of my retirement savings in one stock. The dividend of $500 per quarter = $2,000/yr. That's a return of about 1.8%. But of course the stock will probably increase in value over the years (but will decrease in value some years). Warren Buffett advises people who don't anything about stocks to invest in a total stock market index fund (VTSMX, which is Vanguard Total Stock Market Fund) is one of the biggest ones. That way, a person is invested in the total U.S. market, not just one stock. VTSMX also pays a dividend of about the same amt that your mom is getting now. There are other things I'd do with it, too. I might buy into a second mutual fund, for instance. But only someone who knows your mom could advise that specifically. If she wants dividends, if that's the goal, there are mutual funds that pay a lot higher than 1.8%. But you won't get the increase in share value there like you would with a total stock market fund. It depends on what she needs. Income, or total return. Total return is something where she would have to sell some shares periodically to harvest the profit. Dividends are just income she'd automatically get.