Renovators - what surprised you as being signifantly cheaper or more expensive than you expected?

[Anonymous]

I was amazed at how much we spent on "soft costs" -- architects, permits, surveys, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, civil engineers. This is in DC.

[Anonymous]

Adding stock crown moulding all over the house was lower cost than we expected, but added a lot of resale value.

[Anonymous]

Moving a toilet. I'd watched a lot of home improvement TV, and the hosts were always talking about how moving the toilet would really increase the cost of a bathroom remodel. And yes, for a basic DIY upgrade, it would, percentagewise, but we were gutting an entire floor, so moving the toilet was not all that pricey.

The bathtub of my dreams, OTOH, was $10K+. We went another way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Moving a toilet. I'd watched a lot of home improvement TV, and the hosts were always talking about how moving the toilet would really increase the cost of a bathroom remodel. And yes, for a basic DIY upgrade, it would, percentagewise, but we were gutting an entire floor, so moving the toilet was not all that pricey.

The bathtub of my dreams, OTOH, was $10K+. We went another way.

Smart, if you took it out of your dreams it would just be your $10k bathtub which is more in nightmare territory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Adding stock crown moulding all over the house was lower cost than we expected, but added a lot of resale value.

This just means moulding from a big box store? I love the look of moulding so was wondering about this, particularly for the dining area.

[Anonymous]

This thread makes me not want to expand/renovate my house AT ALL. Which is depressing because I love my neighborhood and there’s NO inventory, but we’re in a tiny house that we will outgrow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Custom woodwork. We have an older house, and matching the molding and installing real bead board was eye wateringly expensive. It’s gorgeous and I’m glad we did it. In comparison, the custom cabinetry seemed reasonable.

Who did you go with for this? Trying to find someone to do the same.

The house isn’t in the DC area, but any good millwork business can make a custom “knife” that matches your existing woodwork. The more you have to do, the more cost-effective it is, since the extra cost is up front.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Adding stock crown moulding all over the house was lower cost than we expected, but added a lot of resale value.

This just means moulding from a big box store? I love the look of moulding so was wondering about this, particularly for the dining area.

A designer blog I follow recently posted this from Home Depot. it's polystyrene, but once it's painted I don't think anyone could tell the difference.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/American-Pro-Decor-3-1-8-in-x-3-1-8-in-x-96-in-Plain-Recycled-Polystyrene-Crown-Moulding-Pro-Pack-32-LF-4-Pack-5APD10337/205346831#overlay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Custom woodwork. We have an older house, and matching the molding and installing real bead board was eye wateringly expensive. It’s gorgeous and I’m glad we did it. In comparison, the custom cabinetry seemed reasonable.

Who did you go with for this? Trying to find someone to do the same.

The house isn’t in the DC area, but any good millwork business can make a custom “knife” that matches your existing woodwork. The more you have to do, the more cost-effective it is, since the extra cost is up front.

TW Perry does this. I think it’s like $900 to make the custom knife.

I’ve seen custom knife advertised online for less but then you’d have to deal with shipping, more logistical coordination to match, etc…

[Anonymous]

Add outlets behind toilets for heated bidets! #Lifechanging

[Anonymous]

Nothing is cheaper than expected. But things that are a impossible for DIY are not budget breakers if you're already spending a lot of money on a big project.

The flip side is that there are so many costs you won't anticipate. Random things like new doorknobs, bathroom exhaust fans, the unbelievable cost of shower glass! The 1800 junk hauls to clear out old stuff, new furniture, redoing your grass or plantings if there's exterior work. I could go on all day.

Fwiw, in the end, our project was worth it, and most of my regrets are places where I compromised to save a few dollars. The $350 kitchen sink was a better deal than the $1200 sink, but since you're going to live with that sink for 10+ years, it's probably worth the splurge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Moving a toilet. I'd watched a lot of home improvement TV, and the hosts were always talking about how moving the toilet would really increase the cost of a bathroom remodel. And yes, for a basic DIY upgrade, it would, percentagewise, but we were gutting an entire floor, so moving the toilet was not all that pricey.

The bathtub of my dreams, OTOH, was $10K+. We went another way.

How much did moving the toilet cost?

[Anonymous]

Electrical was really expensive- we added and changed all of our lighting on the first floor. New fixtures, switches, dimmers….. many thousands of dollars. It looks amazing but shockingly expensive. I saved on a sink and faucet. I found a fabulous Kraus sink and Brizno faucet, that were plain and not crazy expensive. Many other options were thousands of dollars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Electrical was really expensive- we added and changed all of our lighting on the first floor. New fixtures, switches, dimmers….. many thousands of dollars. It looks amazing but shockingly expensive. I saved on a sink and faucet. I found a fabulous Kraus sink and Brizno faucet, that were plain and not crazy expensive. Many other options were thousands of dollars.

You must have gone high end. We recently switched out all our light fixtures and it was a breeze and very affordable. Same with outlets, light switches, wall plates - $3-5 a pop.

[Anonymous]

The thing I realized in renovation that the cost to do something was really high if it was being added, and much lower when it was subtracted. So how much to put in a sink in the little kitchenette area? $5k. A month later, looking to save costs, let’s nix the sink from the plan. Ok, that will save $750. Taught me that contractors make up a lot of numbers.