What do you think of people who can afford to renovate and don't?

[Anonymous]

Renovations are very expensive and disruptive. We did a gut renovation of our house, but did it before we moved in. We never would have done it (new kitchen layout, new flooring throughout, removed 2 walls, changed basement layout, etc) after we moved in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are also non-renovators. It basically comes down to…do I hate my outdated kitchen enough to live through a major renovation and pay through the nose to do it? And the answer is no, I do not.

+1

I know someone who renovates their house (especially their kitchen) as a hobby, which is probably a little different than what you are asking. Can they afford it? No. Is it my business? Also, no - because it is not my money.

We are not inclined to live through the mess of renovating, and our house is very presentable, so we really don't worry about it.

Same thing as private school - we would have loved to provide it, but we don't have the funds, and we don't expect or feel entitled to any money from relatives. It is what it is, and we do the best we can with what we have - like most adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Renovations are very expensive and disruptive. We did a gut renovation of our house, but did it before we moved in. We never would have done it (new kitchen layout, new flooring throughout, removed 2 walls, changed basement layout, etc) after we moved in.

+1

Dust in places you never dreamed of - for years.........

[Anonymous]

I think replacing a kitchen every 15 years just to be in style is really wasteful. It's better to choose timeless looks that won't be as dated so you can use things to the end of their usefulness. We already have "fast fashion" . . . let's not destroy our planet with "fast decorating."

[Anonymous]

I am one of those people doing a ton of renovations and I don't judge my neighbors who don't renovate one bit. I only do it because I have an obsessive need for my house to look perfect, which I very much wish I did not have.

[Anonymous]

I am a non-renovator in a very renovated neighborhood. I prioritize other uses of money: namely, savings and vacations. I stay for the schools but I would rather move into a “move in ready” house if I were to leave than cope with a renovation.

[Anonymous]

I don’t really think about other people like this. Not their cars or houses or clothes or anything. Admittedly if someone has something I want, it might turn my head or catch my attention, but otherwise I just wouldn’t think anything at all.

[Anonymous]

I am with you OP. I think about it but would rather travel, save for retirement, go out to eat etc. I do think my neighbors judge me but oh well I am sure they have no idea we have way more money than they do saved. Right now our mortgage is 1,800.00 and if we sell we can roll over $500,000 into a new house. I’d rather live with my tiny unupdated kitchen than live through a renovation. When we sell it will be to a developer or someone who wants to renovate.

[Anonymous]

"Anyhoo?" What, are you 12?

[Anonymous]

Many renovations are just because people are bored

[Anonymous]

If you like it then who cares.

[Anonymous]

Same, OP. The only people who seem to care are my ILs, who seem invested in me updating the guest bathroom. As it is no older than my master bath, I see no need to do that. Yeah, it’s a tiled sink from the 60s. It’s clean! It’s fine.

[Anonymous]

We've looked into renovating 3 times over the last 15 years, each time we end up just selling and buying or building new construction.

[Anonymous]

None of my friends bother renovating since they all paid through the nose for a flipped on-trend house. I'm the only one I know who bought a hideous shack and slowly fixed it up.

[Anonymous]

I don’t ever think anything of them but now that I am thinking about it from this post I think that it’s probably just because it isn’t that important to them to have a renovated house. Kind of like some people like to have new models of cars every few years and other people don’t.