Reply to How to convince spouse home renovations make financial sense

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We don’t know your college tuition situation. That’s the big one.

Renovations that you pay a contractor to do are not going to be a good investment, ever. They may be justified, for sure. It sounds like they are. But you are wrong if you think they’ll be a good financial investment.

Pay for them in cash as you go. Don’t borrow more money with all this tuition on the horizon.

Alternatively, since your youngest is almost out of the nest, just sell this place and move somewhere that’s turnkey in a couple years. Let a flipper, or someone who will will really need your old neighborhood and schools, take the financial hit changing the 1980s kitchen.[/quote]

We have 7 years before the youngest goes to college, so we can’t move. We love the neighborhood. New construction in our area is well north of $1M. All the resales aren’t turnkey. They are other people’s renovations from a decade or so ago precisely because people renovate so they can enjoy it.

We will get good money for our home when we sell down the road because we have the largest model with bells and whistles that other homes don’t have. Plus our lot and Street are highly desirable.

[b]Sigh. I guess I’ll continue to live in squalor.[/b] [/quote]

Sounding a bit dramatic OP. 
Regardless, I am guessing that with your husband is focused on the fact that you are already dealing with a college tuition and have TWO more to go. It does not sound like you have those tuitions fully funded or do you? If not, your husband is being way more financially responsible and I give him credit for putting your kids first. Giving your kids the incredible gift of no or little college debt vs. an updated house is a no brainer - invest in your kids.[/quote]

This. If you're going to be dramatic and say it's "squalor", you won't win your DH over. Men can be *very* sensitive about money/provider type stuff, even in this day and age.

I know it sounds silly but you need to present the ideas to him in a different way.  Don't say "DH, our house is a disaster and we are SO BROKE and we LIVE IN SQUAAAAALOR and it's EMBARRASSING and GROSS and it's YOUR FAULT for not letting me spend all the money I want to on a huge renovation project and all-new everything!!!!!".

Do it like this: "DH, I'd like to have the gutter repaired. It's becoming detatched and I'm concerned water will rot our trim. I'll get a few quotes, okay?" So then you do that project. Then you move on to the next. "DH, I'm going to sand and re-paint our shutters. The gutter guy took them down for me when he was here with the ladder. I'm going to Home Depot for some paint, text me if you need anything, see you later!"

[/quote]

Do this. I think the long list is overwhelming and sounds like a slippery slope. He probably feels like if he agrees to any of it he has to do all of it. Do it one step at a time. Take the most pressing issue first. Convince him that you’re maintaining the value of your investment. Which happens to be true. My first husband was like that — our house would have fallen down around our ears if left to his devices. It wasn’t because he was cheap, I just think he never learned about the importance of preventative maintenance. Once the house starts looking better, he’ll probably feel better about doing more. If you can, just don’t tell him what it all costs. My DH is like that. He loves the result, but he enjoys it more if he doesn’t have to know the final price tag. [/quote]

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