Actually, I don't think this is spam. While Hawkgt hasn't posted a whole lot on GW, he has been posting progress pictures of his house on Flgargoyle's monthly "how is your build progressing threads" since back in November '09. And he just posted a bunch of pictures of his lovely (now complete) home on this month's thread. He also posted a link to his blog about his new build. Apparently Hawkgt just really really really likes his new garage door opener and is sharing his enthusiasm for it. These kinds of recommendations are fair to post here AND are extremely helpful to the rest of us. Thanks Hawkgt.

thanks, everyone! we're thrilled with the result and now spend a lot more time out front with wine in hand watching the action in the park -- there's a boot camp group over there in the evenings, and in the mornings tai chi, yoga and stroller stride moms working out. I'm starting to feel a little guilty watching all these people get in shape while I sit and drink my wine. :) cat_mom, cyn427 and others, the front door color is BM Wythe Blue. The house color is BM White Dove. Shutters are BM Kendall Charcoal. Kellienoelle, the door mat was purchased at Target about 4 months ago. That's hilarious about your doormat! If you can't track it down at Target, I've seen similar ones on Etsy. scrappy, our contractor had to pour a reinforced cement foundation to lay the new flagstone. The existing patio we just overlaid the flagstone. I don't know the total cost of just the patio b/c it was bundled in with the landscaping and other work the contractor did (adding low voltage lighting, upgrading our sprinkler system, etc) but I'll check. chispa, I am definitely going to get some taller succulents for those pots. I think they need some height - love the suggestion of Sticks of Fire! those are my favorite!

I'm talking about true upgrades, not routine maintenance that every homeowner should attend to. For example, if your furnace dies, you need to replace it. That's not an upgrade, it's maintenance. But if you rip out all the fake paneling and put up drywall, that's an upgrade. Sometimes, they're mixed. For example, if your Kenmore range dies, you would need to replace it as part of routine home maintenance. But if you replace it with double wall ovens and put in both an induction cook top and a gas cook top and get a hand-crafted wood hood, that would be an upgrade, a big one. So what I'd like to know is how many of you do actual upgrades to your MH knowing that you'll be selling in five years (or whenever) and hoping to get a high percentage of your kitchen upgrade back, as given in the example above? When you paint walls, do you do it in a neutral that you know buyers prefer, or do you do it in the color you love? Or both? How many of you do upgrades with nary a thought of getting your money back? Perhaps if this is the last home you will ever live in, or perhaps you are in a strong financial position to not have to care about getting your money back, such as if it's a vacation cabin. And how many of you try to walk the line between doing what you will love to see and use every day while keeping an eye out on what's trendy for resale? In my case, I know for a fact that when my total gut remodel is finished, my MH will be worth more than I paid for it. I got it for $2,000, so even if I just clean it, I could sell it for more tomorrow. Not a lot more, but maybe $1,000 more. I'm going to spend a lot of money (a lot to me) refurbishing this ole 1979 single wide in a park community. Would I ever be able to get a high percentage of that money back? Not a chance. In our current economy, I will never be able to sell it for more than $10,000, and even that much is rather unlikely. My reno budget for my kitchen alone is $20,000. My total renovation budget for the whole house is between $40,000-$50,000, now that I have researched and found out how much things cost. I know, going in eyes wide open, that my remodel will not increase the value of my home on a significant scale. Not in my neck of the woods. So why am I doing it? Because of three reasons. First, buying an almost free house and then spending the next few years refurbishing it top to bottom, is the way that I am able to be a homeowner. It fits perfectly with my financial situation, that I will pay as I go in cash for the remodeling. Second, because I enjoy renovations! i know some people hate it, are stressed throughout the entire process, and marriages have even broken up over the renovation process. But I love it! And, instead of having to live with a house as is because I have a big mortgage, in my case I get to pick out the things that I love, within my budget of course. I get to pick the floors, the colors, the window treatments, the skirting/siding, etc. My house will be a reflection of who I am; my house will be my work of art. Third, this is my last residence. I will semi-retire there (I'll never fully retire), I can write there, and so I want what my heart desires in this space I hope I spend many, many, many years in. I do not need to worry about selling. I'll never sell. When I die, the house will go to my daughter. She has a big say in what I'm doing because it will be her house some day. She will never sell it either; the house will be given to her in a trust managed by my brother. Long story as to why, it's due to a disability, but that's not important here. What's important to this thread is that I never consider resale value as I plan my big refurbishing project, because I don't have to. It's quite freeing, really. But I realize that most people do have to consider resale value and I'm interested in how that all balances out. :-) Peace and joy, Debbie

Reality - every dollar you spend renovating will bring you about fifty cents when you sell. https://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2020/ Look at your home as though you were a potential buyer. Think about what made you buy the home when you bought it. Look at all the homes that have sold in your neighborhood and extended neighborhood over the past year that are similar in size to your home. (Square footage and number of bedrooms/bathrooms). Be careful working with the realtors - they are experts at selling homes and can provide good information, but you must recognize that they are looking at your house as an agent. The money you spend will increase the selling price which increases their commission and it will make selling the home easier. On the other hand, you will be spending far more than the increase in the selling price and gifting that money to the new owner. The losses do not impact the realtor at all. They will not think about this. You have to decide what amount of money you want to gift to the new owners and not have to spend on your next home. To get the most for your money everything needs to be in good working condition and the home has to look as though it was well maintained. You need to know what the selling points are and emphasize this in your listing. I sold my last home with maple cabinets and dark red walls. Every other home on the market in my area had white or light neutral walls and floor coverings, I emphasized the school district (rated 9 out of 10 for the state), the nearby community park with pool and playground, large back yard (Perfect for kids to play) and a kid friendly, designer selected color palette. My house sold at full ask within 3 days of hitting the market at a time when the average days on market was 30.