One thing that no one's mentioned and that I'm seeing in my neighborhood is that while our homes are all basic 2200 - 2500 sq ft homes with laminate counters & inexpensive cabinetry (all the builder offered at the time), the majority of people who have renovated have gutted the homes, added expensive cabinetry & surfaces, etc. So, while yes, most homes still have the less-expensive fittings, that is gradually changing. Part of that may be that when the neighborhood was built, the location was considered pretty far from major cities (DC & Baltimore), had no city water/sewer, and generally quite rural so the prices weren't very high and the location wasn't as desirable to those who could afford "bigger and better". Fast forward 13 years and the mega-construction that's occurred in that time and the pushing out further and further from the cities to find room to build. We are now considered one of the more desirable areas, the fact that we have wells & septic is a non-issue b/c it means that each house has a minimum of 3 acres and land is considered a premium. Our homes have appreciated over 300% since they were built (probably only 250% now due to the economy). So, more money is moving into the neighborhood and as a result more renovating is going on. [Of interest to me is that most of the renovations are being done by the few new owners, most of the original owners are staying with what they have...which is probably why the remodeled homes are all becoming "higher end". Although, I seem to have sparked interest among us "originals" with my remodel...I've had several ask me recently if I can recommend anyone and what I think of their plans for renovating.] Renovating in our neighborhood, then, means upgrading a lot, not maintaining the status quo b/c the status quo is changing! What I'm getting at is that each neighborhood is different, look around and see what others are doing...if everyone is sticking with their old cabinets & inexpensive surfaces or similar and/or you plan to sell in the next 2-5 years, then your best bet, as many others have already said, is to stick with similar. Note that in your case, you're already in the "top 5" so others may be playing "catch up". If, however, you're staying long-term (and 10 years is long-term, I think) or you see that when others renovate in your neighborhood they're upgrading significantly (higher-end than where you're currently at), then you should probably do the same...but whatever you do in this situation, do it for you (and what you can afford), not some hypothetical future buyer.

We have a leather sofa, large leather chair/matching ottoman and 2 fabric chairs. Our leather is 13 years old and is the most comfortable and solidly built furniture we've ever owned. It's been heavily used, slept in daily, and the only real wear it's showing is fading from unfortunate placement in direct sunlight. I'm looking to replace my furniture, but worried I'll never find anything as comfortable as these leather pieces. The company is Distinction Leather. Best of luck with your search. I'm leaning toward replacement with a fabric sofa and leather recliner, but not sure.

This guy sounds shady. What does your contract say? You both should be sticking to it. The contractor for what work is to be completed, and you for what to pay. Any changes need to be re-agreed upon with an adendum. Looks like you chose the cheapest bid (perhaps other reasons besides price), and it seems you might have gotten the shadiest guy because of it. It sounds like $4k to 5k is the going rate for your area, so the price for the full work to be done sounds reasonable. Since he didnt do the job as discussed, he doesnt get paid until its done to the contract. Or fire him and get someone else to fix it. He took you, starting by not bidding the job correctly, and then raising his price. If there was no contract, he took you there too.

I routinely prune (using a bread knife) about 1/2" to 1" off the entire root ball, scrape any soil off the top that is above the root flare (sometimes that is 4-5"!) and loosely untangle the roots. if there are serious girdling or j roots, I cut them off. I only plant in this fashion when the trees are dormant. This is the most recent 'best practices' - the folks at SF Botanical Garden taught me this and the research coming from the universities seems to support it. I used to just rip down the sides but this is easier and seems more effective. When I find woody girdling roots on trees already in the ground I take them out with a hammer and chisel, again when the trees are dormant.