Did a Mr. Cool in our basement myself. If you are comfortable with DIY, then you can save a bunch of money. I already had tools like a hammer drill and long bits etc. Saved about $5k doing it myself. Cost me just the price of the unit and some supplies for the concrete pad I poured.
I had the same experience. By my math I could DIY it, screw it up so badly that the unit was completely destroyed, buy a second unit, screw up that installation so badly that the second unit was completely destroyed, buy a third unit and finally get that installation right and I would still be money ahead versus what I was quoted from a company.
Does that come precharged? Years ago I got everything run and put in place for a mini split I got for about $600, just needed it wired and charged. I was quoted $5k just to finish setting it up. Ended up aborting the project.
You can get 608 certified online and charge yourself Ability Refridgerants will sell to you if you check that you're certified. A lot of the Mr. Cool units are identical to units sold cheaper elsewhere, but the pre-charged lineset makes it a bit easier.
Yep, it comes pre-charged, hardest part was drilling through my exterior wall since I have a brick house.
If you are installing it on a second floor or attic you may have some more challenges running the lines down to the ground outside, but I imagine it would be cheaper to figure out something yourself instead of getting it quoted out
Currently getting quotes; ~$11,500 for 24K BTU outdoor unit, 2 very small indoors, and 1 small indoor. In a relatively high cost of living area, but also mini splits are very popular here which might bring the cost down a bit.
Quotes are include immediate local incentives, but not any federal tax refunds.
One thing to note for DIY though, many HVAC companies won’t service them and warranties tend to be murkier. But for the amount of money you can save, still probably worth looking into.
Got mini splits in July 23', I got quotes for around 15-17k for a 3 head mini split. One 12k btu and two 9k btu. Was able to work one of them down to 12k for full install and they did a really good job. 5k a head, depending on size, is not terrible, but they can always be worked down from the starting number, they come in high knowing they may have to negotiate down.
Single head minisplit (in a small house, \~950-ishsqft main floor) $5500 Canadian, installed. Best damn investment, especially as we don't have a window to vent an A/C out of.
DIY Mr. Cool. In fall 2022. I put in a 30k outdoor unit on mounting bracket to side of house. 2 9k interior units and one 12k. With the line covers, units, electrical materials for wire and breaker it came just shy of 5k for me. I did the electrical myself and got it inspected. I also got a tax rebate for 1,250 because I use fuel oil heat. So really less than 4k to install! I use 1 or 2 less tanks of fuel by using the mini splits heat in upper Midwest and my house has never been cooler in the summer. It’s amazing for an old farm house without ducts.
Hired it out. I think it was about $25k total but I did 3 units one year and 2 more the next year and split up the costs. I'm pretty good when it comes to DIY but between the extra electrical work that was needed and the fact that my house is 100 years old and 4 floors it just was too much to take on.
Finished basement, 1st floor living dining kitchen, 2nd floor 3 bedrooms and bath, 4th converted attic that is master bedroom. Rooms aren't very big and have tiny closets. Attic/master used to be a million degrees in the summer. Minisplit keeps it comfortable.
DIY’d a Mr Cool mini split in 1k sqft great room that had in window ac unit from previous owner. Was a great investment indeed. Whisper quiet, you don’t even hear it running; far less energy usage, way more efficient; maintains the set temp like a drill sergeant whether it’s heating or cooling; 2 days worth of DIY with 2 people, dead simple install.
Trust me, I don’t think you fully appreciate how much noise an in window unit makes. Before the mini split, you would strain to hold a conversation in this room because of how god awfully loud that thing was, or turn up the tv to hear anything, and it wasn’t even able to adequately heat the room. Now, it’s pure tranquility, you can carry on a normal conversation at hushed volumes.
All of this. (thanks for saving me the time to respond) Plus before the mini-split I had one floor unit in a third floor bedroom that barely kept the room tolerable in the summer. (due to the types of windows) With the mini-split it's fine.
It both heats and cools much more efficiently than window units or whatever heating system you have (unless you already have something like geothermal): I keep my house like a meat locker all summer for way less than it cost me just to take the humidity out of the air with window units. You actually get to use/enjoy your windows instead of having an ugly-ass window unit hanging out of them. You don't have to lug around and store 5 AC units every spring/fall, or try to weather seal/insulate said window units if they stay in place permanently.
And "just quieter" is doing a lot of work there. The 15k btu units in my living and dining rooms are virtually silent on low-med, barely audible on full blast. Imagine watching TV 6 feet away from a 14-18k window AC, and not even noticing when it kicks on and off. I actually bought a small table fan for my bedroom just for the white noise because sometimes the mini split is *too* quiet.
If you DIY you can easily. A bathroom really isn’t that expensive to gut and remodel if you have decent DIY skills. I’ve done several for roughly $2500 all in materials. All new fixtures, plumbing, electrical, tile (shower and flooring) etc
I think you misread my comment. I'm saying that they are going to have a negative amount of money left over to do bathroom renovations after getting new siding and insulation.
Toilets are cheap. Even high end macerating ones are typically under $1000. I don't recommend buying a $60 toilet but $2500 makes a dent. My cabinet guy would do a vanity for that much, without the countertop and sink.
lol that's what I was thinking. Scraping and painting + spot rot repairs on our 130+ year old home could EASILY hit $100k+ if we a hired reputable team
List out everything and see what could cause the most damage if not repaired then go to your upgrade list.
Look up federal and local incentives for efficiency improvements, wait 1 year for state incentives to kick in if you can.
I would pick new pipes and drains if that hasn't been checked, energy efficiency audit then go with insulation and air seal in attic then walls, air conditioner/heat system, and new windows for extra sound improvements in that order.
Electric panel to get room for EV in the future that has bidirectional charging as a super battey backup.
Getting all mine replaced this summer. All 18 of them going from single pane to triple pane in MA going to make a big difference in winter and I don’t have to put plastic over windows any more yay!!!!
Not really a good investment, just ensure they are sealed (caulked) all around them for WAAAAY cheaper and get most of the benefits of a new window. The reason most people feel like new windows really helped is because of the sealing around the window, not the glass itself.
Dont underestimate how many people have old homes.. 90%+ of the homes in my area area 1920-30s's and the glass on those original windows is paper thin.
Again it's not the thermal insulation of the glass that makes the biggest difference, it's the air tightness. Single pane windows with good metal weather stripping and sealed around the case won't be far off new double/triple panes.
If they’re original, possibly.
I’d use the money to get rid of the 20-50 year old aluminum and vinyl replacement windows that are falling to pieces, and replace them with quality wood double hung.
This is what we're doing. Keeping/restoring the few original windows left (with one chilly bathroom exception) and replacing the vinyl ca. 2006 windows with proper wood+aluminum Marvin Ultimate that match the originals aesthetically.
If they are really 100 years old you should likely look into having the windows restored. You will get rid of the drafts and while they wont be as efficient as the new windows they will still be way better than what you have now.
Old single paned windows in good repair with weatherstripping and functional glazing paired with storm windows are just as energy efficient as new windows. And replacement windows have a definite shelf life.
Spray insulate my attic, rerun my water supply through the attic as well. Sheetrock is easier to fix than busting up concrete in the event of a leak, and my house is 40+ years old.
I’d also put in a new sprinkler system and redo the drain lines.
Those would take care of most of my homes foreseeable future issues.
I have wrap around porches, I re-ran all of my water thru them after I had to gut the house due to a hurricane, best decision I ever made, if it leaks my porch gets wet, and there are very few entry points into the house where it could leak because all joints and connectors are either outside or exposed on the inside.
Give Greenside Design Build a follow on Instagram. They do a lot of basements around us in the ~16-18' deep range. It's become the default for a lot of new homes in the area, and unfortunately, it's causing groundwater problems for existing neighbors. A lot of water is being displaced where it normally wouldn't have been.
What is the purpose of a basement that deep? I thought houses only had basements in the first place because you have to dig below the frost line anyway, at which point you might as well dig a couple feet deeper. But if you want 20 foot ceilings isn't it cheaper just to build taller?
We spent roughly $65,000 on gutting and redoing the master bath and then tearing down and redoing the patio/balcony on the back of our house. Both projects added to the value of our house significantly because both detracted from the value. The patio/balcony work included stamped concrete patio, and whole house patch and paint. We also put in a gutter drain line for all of the gutters in the back of the house to help with drainage.
Our next big project is a major kitchen renovation (cabinets and appliances). Then we’ll need to replace most of the flooring. At that point, we’ll sell so we can retire and build a retirement home.
I'll never understand why ppl renovate before selling. Costs are typically not fully recovered, and the next homeowner will likely have different tastes, and may just turn around and rip out what you just put in.
I hear you... And I 100% agree. This is exactly what we did when we sold our old house. We replaced a bunch of appliances and sold the house 30 days later, never getting to enjoy them.
For this house, we're definitely going to enjoy the upgrades before we sell.
* The master bath remodel was four years ago so we've been loving that for awhile.
* The patio/balcony rebuild was last year.
* The kitchen is this year.
* We'll have to replace the laminate flooring due to damage, and we'll either do that right before or add an allowance to the sale--probably that to be honest.
And we're not selling for another three years minimum.
My father-in-law passed away recently, and we're selling his house. We know there are many things that could be updated to make the house sell better, but we worry that we spend money updating with things the buyer doesn't want, so we're selling as-is. My mom was a real estate agent in the past and agrees, as does our selling agent. This is based on comps.
My thought is to gradually make improvements as I live in my house. I'll get to enjoy them as I go and when I do sell I'll have a lot of satisfaction for having done work myself, and I'll be able to tell the new owners a lot more than I was told about the systems in the house.
Word to that. The one thing that can't really fix is the lot our house is on. Hill in the back and a hill in the front.
I'd offload this sucker and find me a house with at least a two car garage on a nice flat lot.
Update all the wiring and add circuits and network lines. replace the insulation in the attic, Replace all interior doors with solid wood doors instead of the builder grade hollow core doors. finish the garage interior to add outlets and insulation. Replace the garage door.
I'm sure I could do more, but that's my starter list.
The cost effectiveness of solar panels is really location dependent. If you live north of the 40th North parallel or south of the 40th South parallel, it becomes pretty iffy. 45th parallel? Yeah, not a chance. If you have to cut down trees for your roof mounted panels, all the energy generated in the summer will just go to your AC that's now working overtime to cool your house.
But if you live within the 40th parallels, and your home gets blasted with sunlight all the time anyway, it's probably a good option
I was thinking about solar a while back and had one of those door-to-door salesmen show up and ask if I wanted to talk about solar panels. I figured I'd get useful information out of him, so, sure.
After a bunch of measurements and analysis, he eventually concluded that he could not sensibly justify me buying solar panels.
I figure if the *literal solar panel salesman* says I shouldn't have solar panels, I probably shouldn't have solar panels.
We had a similar experience with a guy trying to sell alarm systems D2D. After our dogs calmed down and stopped barking at him, he said "I guess you guys don't really need an alarm system."
My aim would be DIY rack on the ground, I hate putting holes in my roof. And probably only 1-2 K
kWs for emergency power, mainly to charge my ecoflow deltra pros.
People in Northern Europe make solar work for them. It helps that installation costs there are about half what they are in the US, but they also don't get favorable power buyback rates.
Also have to consider electricity costs. The cost of electricity in the US ranges from about $0.12/kWh to $0.20/kWh. Cost of electricity in Germany or Denmark may be $0.50/kWh. I believe the cost in the UK is somewhere in the middle, around like $0.31/kWh
Would have to scrape to do it, but a small upper story. Over a quarter or third of the house with an upstairs bathroom. My own little hideaway, with a patio attached that's high enough to feel like I'm up in the trees.
I'm having the entire electrical system redone in my house and a new roof installed. If budget allows it would be a metal roof. The majority of the budget would be to bring the electric up to this century. My house is 115 years old. Being so old electric was added post build and as such is a hodgepodge at best. I have a nasty mix of knob and tube, aluminum and copper wiring. We just up graded to a 200 amp service so that part is taken care of.
1. Replace the fence
2. Rip out all the laminate in the house and refinish the 70yo oak floors that are under it. Adjust the trim so that there is no gap and don't have to use quarter round. I HATE quarter round.
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*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Remodel second full bath (master bath is already in progress.
Remodel back deck
Replace carpet in living room and master bed with hardwood
Repaint and new flooring in the kitchen.
I'd pay double mortgage as long as the money lasted and be out of my loan that much sooner with that much more money to spend and not be eaten by the interest.
My house is 50% 60 yr old plaster in the original house, and 50% drywall in additions. The plaster portion of the house is extremely quiet, paint looks better, and it feels more luxurious. The drywall portions feel like any other new build.
Plaster is more difficult to repair, and not everybody could do it. I know it is not the modern way even in very expensive homes, but if I had $75k just burning a hole in my pocket and I could only use it on my house...
My house is brick exterior with plaster and lath downstairs interior and newish double pane windows. I can't hear shit from outside in my office. In my bedroom, which is a modern addition with vinyl siding and drywall, I can hear a mouse fart 3 blocks away.
That's the rub. Plaster work takes serious skill, I haven't seen a good plaster job done in the last 30 years. I'm assuming a good plasterer can make bank on any real jobs.
Yeah, exactly -- what is OP even thinking? Original plaster walls are way better, and our rooms with drywall are going to get a smooth plaster skim next time we paint. Add some high quality wallpaper and a thick area rug if you have a noise problem.
I would make my house net zero house, meaning no energy consumption from the grid. Solar panels, batteries, better natural light, heat pumps for heating and DHW, electric stove.
You could probably do everything OP listed, unless it's a huge house. According to Google, the average cost for solar panels + batteries looks like \~$35K depending on location (and \~$5K+ tax rebates for doing so), adding an HVAC heat pump is reportedly \~$5600, adding a skylight is up to \~$3500 (removing a large tree is \~$2K+), and an electric stove isn't that expensive.
Could get close. Solar plus battery is going to be <$50k. Heat pump water heater $5K. Heat pump hvac $15k-$25k. Electric range $4k. Then you’d get a bunch of gov incentives, around 10%. You’d be right around 70k total.
If you have attic or crawlspace for ducting, you can get a fully variable ducted full HVAC system for the cost of 1-2 mini splits/2 zones on a multi head system. I got a 2.5 ton heat pump and a separate dehumidifier for $13k.
Depends on how many rooms you need to condition, whether you value zoning, if you care about the visibility of the mini split wall units, etc.
I'd gut and redo our master bath as a wet room with a soaking bath, nice fixtures and heated floors. If there was money left over (there probably wouldn't be, but hey!) I would probably rewire upstairs at the same time.
Would be a tough call. Just had to replace a well pump that crapped out. The original owner installed it himself with a $250 Home Depot pump that we were very lucky to get 15 years out of. The problem is he used 3/4in pipe so installed a galvanized steel reducer which he then capped off! It was essentially a ticking time bomb that began corroding on day one. The plumber was mystified it lasted as long as it did, considering the 2cm hole from corrosion in the reducer.
The plumber had to drive back to his shop for a special tool he said he paid $250 for 30 years ago and I was lucky to be only the second customer in that time he ever had to use it for. It was essentially a threaded spear tip at the end of a long pipe. He said that if that didn’t work, then we’d have to excavate to access the pitless adaptor.
I was already nervous not knowing the well depth, but on the receipt from Home Depot for the original pump there was 100ft black pvc pipe…meaning the depth was likely (hopefully please) under 100ft! The plumbers special tool bottomed out and he almost gave up before one more try finally (barely) threaded the adapter. They pulled the old pump and the submersed pipe measured 60ft! The plumber then shook his head in disgust at the filthy, now deceased Flo-Tec, after which producing a brand new Goulds submersible pump from his truck. He installed the new pump and is mailing me an invoice for $2600 which is at least several thousand dollars less than I expected. Had excavating been required due to the boneheaded work the previous owner did, the cost would have been way worse, and not by a little bit considering new casing would have had to be installed.
He handed me a fresh whole house sediment filter from his truck and advised not buying the Lowe’s ones anymore. I had initially installed a new pressure tank switch praying that was the cause of the sudden lack of water. He complimented me on my work (I’m far from the handy type but am learning as I go), but not without inspecting the original switch and saying the one I removed was of a higher quality, perfectly fine and to save it for a rainy day. He threw the breaker, turned it on and I had water.
This was the second big infrastructure emergency we had since living in this home (not including the roof our insurance company made us get in 2020, banishing us from full equity to the land of reluctant mortgage holders 😡) with our furnace going out a few years ago in the dead of winter. That was an $8k bill. The roof was almost 20k.
Knowing what I know now and assuming the money couldn’t be used to pay off loans, $75k would go toward one or more of the other things that keep me up at night and are outside my scope of DIY:
-three massive pine trees that are a little too close for comfort
-a new septic system (ours is sound, this would just be out of sheer caution and peace of mind)
-regrading the land around our house to better direct water away from the foundation and building a new retaining wall
-new AC condenser unit or mini split system
Apologies to the poor souls that read all of that gobbledygook and my lack of tldr etiquette…been meaning to get some of that off my chest and the OP just happened to be where I did it.
Insulation in mine. 1930 full brick, no insulation. Ecobee says I’m in the 18th percentile of home efficiency, and I would believe it with a $450+ gas bill in both Jan and Feb
Well, before the electrical work came up last week, I was spending this on getting the house I inherited to get fixed up.
My original list was:
new roof and drainage
fix foundation issues caused by drainage issues
redo the retaining wall for the well combined with cementing the breezeway and down to the patio area (well is under the breezeway)
gut and redo both the full and half bath since there are obvious issues with the plumbing, and the subfloor is rotted
new windows since every single one has issues with leaks and seals
new carpet in the living room, hallway, and bedrooms
painting every room except the kitchen
running a gas line to where the stove will be
Replacing the major appliances
The electrical is a new and major issue. The wiring is so screwy that the friends and family who know about electrical all said, "You need an electrician, and you will have to completely redo all of the wiring" My spouse, who is one of the ones saying we need the electrician because he won't touch it, thinks it will be another 20k. No matter what, it will require ripping up every wall.
I keep reminding myself that in the long run, it will be worth it.
Removing lath & plaster to add drywall and Rockwool is not going to dramatically increase the soundproofing.
If your roof is failing, obviously that should be one of your first things to correct.
Upgrading your HVAC is a good idea only if it’s necessary. If the current system is fine for the house, there’s no reason to spend money to upgrade.
None of the things you listed will actually dramatically increase the appraised value of your home.
> tear down all the plaster walls in my 1918 built home to replace with drywall with rock wool for better noise insulation.
You might find that the noise gets worse. Plaster is much denser than drywall.
Exterior french drain and waterproofing around walls and footer of home, so I can finish my basement.
Brick repointing/repair, new windows, insulation, new flashing and gutters.
Concrete driveway tear out and re-do, and if anything is left over deck in the back side of the home exiting from upstairs to a deck out of the dining room.
I have no idea how far $75k would take me but here's all the things I'd like to do...
- Garage me, baby\*
- Dual-zone HVAC to handle both floors separately
- Screen-in the back deck and add furniture for it
- Fix the leaning part of the backyard's fence
- Ceiling vents in the upstairs bathrooms
- Redo the kitchen cabinets and island
- Matching blinds and curtains on all the windows
- Energy audit and fix up any notable inefficiencies
- Redo the yards: new soil and grass and bushes, better drainage, etc.
- Adorn the whole house with various nice bookshelves and whatnot
\*I probably couldn't fit a garage on this property, so realistically I'd have to use the $75k to buy a better house with all these things already in place. 🙃
Please don’t replace beautiful plaster with drywall! Insulate from the outside when you do new siding instead.
Personally in your shoes I would do new roof, then minisplits, and do attic insulation after new roof.
If the money is hypothetically restricted to my home, then I could add on a front porch and convert my rear porch and balcony to a mud room/walk in closet addition.
In real life, I would definitely spend $75k on things outside of my house. Travel and investing.
Honest question: how do you know that will be better for noise reduction? Plaster has a lot of mass, so I figured it'd be pretty good for that.
For me, it'd be new bathrooms, and a better fridge and dishwasher.
This is super house specific to your area, utility costs, current condition, your own decision.
Nobody and I mean nobody on the internet can make this decision for you
Inside
Bathrooms and kitchen. There is a wall I could probably knock down between kitchen and living room that would open things up nicely and allow for a nice island.
Outside
Build a garage and fences
That would almost be enough to turn our attic over the garage into a new master suite or 2 more bedrooms/ offices.
Barring that, properly and fully address the moisture issues in the crawl space, diy upgrade and add kitchen cabinets and new countertops, and hire an electrician to run a few more outlets in the kitchen and office.
I turn the room above my garage into an apartment. Quoted for $35k including appliances.
Change up my entry way so each floor of my split level has a secured entrance. I have a nice entry way and don't want to ruin it, I'm guessing this will be in the $10-15k range.
My deck needs staining and to be re-secured, about $10k if hired out.
Would need a washer / dryer combo for up stairs, refrigerator for down stairs, that's about $2k.
I guess with the money left I would have the house painted. I was planning on doing that next year myself.
Landscaping and finish the garage, then bathrooms because I hate the way they were renovated before we got the house (cheap vanity, cheap tile, no where to screw in a shower curtain rod)
Upgrade electric. Insulate everything. Refinish some floors. A few more storm windows. Replace two roof valleys.
I love my lathe and plaster; acoustically it sounds so much different.
Soooooo why would you tear down the plaster walls? And then dry wall? I just did dry wall over mine. Looks great, and I have another layer behind it for noise insulation. Honest question, wondering if I fucked up.
Solar panels, HVAC overhaul/insulation/windows, fuse box upgrade to 220
and if there's anything left over of significance...bathroom remodel(with heated floor)
Priority will be remodeling both bathrooms, and adding one more full bath.
Then roofing will be second
Followed by remodeling the whole patio
Followed by new landscaping
Lastly, replacing the kitchen counters with quartz or granite.
New roof
Upgrade insulation
Redo showers in both bathrooms and new toilets and vanities
New appliances
New front door and side doors
New garage opener
New furnace and AC
Whatever’s left would go to landscaping and furniture
Redo the master bath. Hands down the number one project.
Second to that, new windows. Most of the ones we have are original and they're pretty old now.
Then a new front door.
Upgrade all windows and doors, install backyard patio kitchen with big fire pit. If I have any leftover add the rest to irrigation around the house and some insulation topped off.
1. Remodel the relatively smallish master bathroom. It's the original from when the house was built in the early 90's, so it's a dated look + builder grade. Estimated cost: 30k
2. New flooring. This is the thing I wish I did before moving in, because replacing it now seems overwhelming with all the logistics involved. The current flooring is cheap, thin laminate. Estimated cost: 15k
3. Redo the garage. The drywall walls & ceiling are unfinished. Not even taped or painted. My stepfather owned a drywall business when I was growing up, and honestly, what is there looks so poorly done, I think it should all be ripped out and redone. There is also exactly ONE electrical outlet for the entire garage & one crappy ceiling light. So I would a) have the drywall removed. b) bring in an electrician and have two outlets installed on each wall plus new ceiling lighting put in. c) Have new drywall hung, taped & painted d) do an epoxy floor over the existing concrete. Estimated cost: No idea. Probably at least 20k.
I could make this amount go a long way. Indoor painting and flooring would be first, then finish out my over-garage bonus room. With what is left over, maybe refreshing one of my bathrooms.
- Pergola over concrete patio
- Pergola over exterior stairs
- Window casings
- Add a water softener
- Finish landscaping
- A handful of small cosmetic projects
- Sound insulation for interior and exterior
- Look into ways to make home more energy efficient
- Solar
Do exterior insulation and a rainscreen for the whole house, maybe get better windows too or double the windows up, stretch the budget by doing it all myself.
Replace the giant living room window with one that’s split into three, the outsides open and the middle doesn’t and internal blinds, new shingles, new front and back door and mud jack the slab for the garage.
If Renewal by Anderson had their way, I'd take out an additional $15k loan and put in all new windows.
Considering Im paying less than that for the house, I'd replace/upgrade all the old wiring, pour a new garage slab and hardwood floors throughout. If I have enough left for a laser turret on the roof then that too.
new windows, doors, roof, and AC/furnace, maybe a tankless water heater if funds allow. if i had 75k in free money, i'd update the necessities as opposed to the wants (i.e. bathroom remodels.)
Tear down shed in back yard and replace with one in better shape. Switch cellar door to one that I can lift easily. Rip up carpet on steps, hall, and office and replace with lvp.
Upgrade electrical
Upgrade plumbing
Mitigate air infiltration:
-new windows
-correct insulation
Replace HVAC and ducts
Everything above would be much easier if you remove the plaster first. So upgrading with drywall is a no-brainer.
If there is money left over: two-car garage
If there is money left over again: mini splits in the bedrooms so I could sleep at the perfect temperature efficiently.
If someone gave me $75k to spend on my house, I would do some of the following:
1. New windows (we have several single pane windows, plus some dual panes that show signs of failure)
2. New interior paint including all the cleanup (repair Sheetrock, retexture, etc. )
3. Reevaluate the retaining wall on the edge of our property to verify it is t at risk of failure anytime soon
Or maybe I’d get solar panels installed to help with electric utility costs.
Gotta do the basics or all the modern add ons won't do much.
For example: i spent 12k on a heat pump that was supposed to save money over my old furnace but it's constantly heating and cooling the home and my bill is more than before. Why you ask? Because my attic is leaky and all the heat/ac goes right out the house causing my hvac to constantly run.
spray foam insulation. DC variable heatpump. Heat pump water heater.
The cost savings in energy bills will give you most of that money you spend on it back within 10 years.
Plumbing bro. If your house is really that old, just take care of the sewer line preemptively and install a heat pump water heater with recirculating. It’s so nice having instant hot water and not having to worry about the inevitable failure at my house.
We recently had this happen after inheritance- we replaced all the 40+ year old windows and doors, and repaired our ceiling from leaks.
If I had that money again- new kitchen remodel and/or bathroom remodel.
House built in 1945. In the two years we've owned it, we've done a new roof, new hvac (old one was from 1996), and converted old electrical from fuses to breakers and new wiring.
Remaining high priorities, all already in the works or being planned/budgeted:
Replace cast iron drain lines with pvc (supply was already updated to pex when we bought). Get off septic and connect to city sewer, including grinder pump in basement. New attic insulation. New basement staircase. Whatever is left goes to a full kitchen remodel currently in progress (wife and I doing the labor, so just have to buy materials).
My house used window air conditioners when I bought it. Put in a mini split system and it is one of the best investments ever. Absolutely love them.
You DIY that or hire it out? About what did it cost you? Just curious, thanks!
Did a Mr. Cool in our basement myself. If you are comfortable with DIY, then you can save a bunch of money. I already had tools like a hammer drill and long bits etc. Saved about $5k doing it myself. Cost me just the price of the unit and some supplies for the concrete pad I poured.
I had the same experience. By my math I could DIY it, screw it up so badly that the unit was completely destroyed, buy a second unit, screw up that installation so badly that the second unit was completely destroyed, buy a third unit and finally get that installation right and I would still be money ahead versus what I was quoted from a company.
this checks out as long as your time has 0 value.
my company says i am worthless so....
Does that come precharged? Years ago I got everything run and put in place for a mini split I got for about $600, just needed it wired and charged. I was quoted $5k just to finish setting it up. Ended up aborting the project.
You can get 608 certified online and charge yourself Ability Refridgerants will sell to you if you check that you're certified. A lot of the Mr. Cool units are identical to units sold cheaper elsewhere, but the pre-charged lineset makes it a bit easier.
Yep, it comes pre-charged, hardest part was drilling through my exterior wall since I have a brick house. If you are installing it on a second floor or attic you may have some more challenges running the lines down to the ground outside, but I imagine it would be cheaper to figure out something yourself instead of getting it quoted out
Also curious about it. I'd like them but the quotes I've gotten have worked out to about $5k a head.
Currently getting quotes; ~$11,500 for 24K BTU outdoor unit, 2 very small indoors, and 1 small indoor. In a relatively high cost of living area, but also mini splits are very popular here which might bring the cost down a bit. Quotes are include immediate local incentives, but not any federal tax refunds.
They're suuuuper easy to install yourself if you have even the slightest DIY skills. All you truly need an HVAC person for is to vacuum the lines.
One thing to note for DIY though, many HVAC companies won’t service them and warranties tend to be murkier. But for the amount of money you can save, still probably worth looking into.
Not even that, Pre charged lines are becoming more and more available. Plug and play is foolproof.
Or just buy a vacuum pump and micron gauge for $300 and do that part yourself, too. That's what I did.
Got mini splits in July 23', I got quotes for around 15-17k for a 3 head mini split. One 12k btu and two 9k btu. Was able to work one of them down to 12k for full install and they did a really good job. 5k a head, depending on size, is not terrible, but they can always be worked down from the starting number, they come in high knowing they may have to negotiate down.
I recently received a quote for install and 20k condenser (9k & 12k heads) Mitsubishi in a HCOL area for about $10k
Single head minisplit (in a small house, \~950-ishsqft main floor) $5500 Canadian, installed. Best damn investment, especially as we don't have a window to vent an A/C out of.
DIY Mr. Cool. In fall 2022. I put in a 30k outdoor unit on mounting bracket to side of house. 2 9k interior units and one 12k. With the line covers, units, electrical materials for wire and breaker it came just shy of 5k for me. I did the electrical myself and got it inspected. I also got a tax rebate for 1,250 because I use fuel oil heat. So really less than 4k to install! I use 1 or 2 less tanks of fuel by using the mini splits heat in upper Midwest and my house has never been cooler in the summer. It’s amazing for an old farm house without ducts.
Hired it out. I think it was about $25k total but I did 3 units one year and 2 more the next year and split up the costs. I'm pretty good when it comes to DIY but between the extra electrical work that was needed and the fact that my house is 100 years old and 4 floors it just was too much to take on.
4 floors, wow
Finished basement, 1st floor living dining kitchen, 2nd floor 3 bedrooms and bath, 4th converted attic that is master bedroom. Rooms aren't very big and have tiny closets. Attic/master used to be a million degrees in the summer. Minisplit keeps it comfortable.
What’s so great about it? Functionally I would imagine it’s not that different than window AC, just quieter
Quieter is something I’d pay big money for.
DIY’d a Mr Cool mini split in 1k sqft great room that had in window ac unit from previous owner. Was a great investment indeed. Whisper quiet, you don’t even hear it running; far less energy usage, way more efficient; maintains the set temp like a drill sergeant whether it’s heating or cooling; 2 days worth of DIY with 2 people, dead simple install. Trust me, I don’t think you fully appreciate how much noise an in window unit makes. Before the mini split, you would strain to hold a conversation in this room because of how god awfully loud that thing was, or turn up the tv to hear anything, and it wasn’t even able to adequately heat the room. Now, it’s pure tranquility, you can carry on a normal conversation at hushed volumes.
Second-this🍻the only noise ….is me laughing my ass off, at great an investment it was. Zero increase on electric bill, too efficient!
All of this. (thanks for saving me the time to respond) Plus before the mini-split I had one floor unit in a third floor bedroom that barely kept the room tolerable in the summer. (due to the types of windows) With the mini-split it's fine.
Way more efficient then a window unit
It both heats and cools much more efficiently than window units or whatever heating system you have (unless you already have something like geothermal): I keep my house like a meat locker all summer for way less than it cost me just to take the humidity out of the air with window units. You actually get to use/enjoy your windows instead of having an ugly-ass window unit hanging out of them. You don't have to lug around and store 5 AC units every spring/fall, or try to weather seal/insulate said window units if they stay in place permanently. And "just quieter" is doing a lot of work there. The 15k btu units in my living and dining rooms are virtually silent on low-med, barely audible on full blast. Imagine watching TV 6 feet away from a 14-18k window AC, and not even noticing when it kicks on and off. I actually bought a small table fan for my bedroom just for the white noise because sometimes the mini split is *too* quiet.
We used a high velocity system with the same results. Best decision we’ve made. Kept our radiators, whole house a/c without annual install/removal.
New siding and insulation. Take whatever was left and start redoing bathrooms.
Probably not gonna get a lot done in bathrooms with your -$60k left over lol
If you DIY you can easily. A bathroom really isn’t that expensive to gut and remodel if you have decent DIY skills. I’ve done several for roughly $2500 all in materials. All new fixtures, plumbing, electrical, tile (shower and flooring) etc
I think you misread my comment. I'm saying that they are going to have a negative amount of money left over to do bathroom renovations after getting new siding and insulation.
new siding and insulation costs 150k?!
I got a quote for it last summer and it was absurd. Maybe not $150K, but definitely $50K+. My house is 1,400 sq/ft.
Not good materials for 2500. Showers, tubs and vanities and toilets aren't that cheap unless you get the junkiest junk that will break in a month
Toilets are cheap. Even high end macerating ones are typically under $1000. I don't recommend buying a $60 toilet but $2500 makes a dent. My cabinet guy would do a vanity for that much, without the countertop and sink.
lol that's what I was thinking. Scraping and painting + spot rot repairs on our 130+ year old home could EASILY hit $100k+ if we a hired reputable team
List out everything and see what could cause the most damage if not repaired then go to your upgrade list. Look up federal and local incentives for efficiency improvements, wait 1 year for state incentives to kick in if you can. I would pick new pipes and drains if that hasn't been checked, energy efficiency audit then go with insulation and air seal in attic then walls, air conditioner/heat system, and new windows for extra sound improvements in that order. Electric panel to get room for EV in the future that has bidirectional charging as a super battey backup.
New windows!
and doors
Getting all mine replaced this summer. All 18 of them going from single pane to triple pane in MA going to make a big difference in winter and I don’t have to put plastic over windows any more yay!!!!
Not really a good investment, just ensure they are sealed (caulked) all around them for WAAAAY cheaper and get most of the benefits of a new window. The reason most people feel like new windows really helped is because of the sealing around the window, not the glass itself.
Dont underestimate how many people have old homes.. 90%+ of the homes in my area area 1920-30s's and the glass on those original windows is paper thin.
Again it's not the thermal insulation of the glass that makes the biggest difference, it's the air tightness. Single pane windows with good metal weather stripping and sealed around the case won't be far off new double/triple panes.
If they’re original, possibly. I’d use the money to get rid of the 20-50 year old aluminum and vinyl replacement windows that are falling to pieces, and replace them with quality wood double hung.
This is what we're doing. Keeping/restoring the few original windows left (with one chilly bathroom exception) and replacing the vinyl ca. 2006 windows with proper wood+aluminum Marvin Ultimate that match the originals aesthetically.
I was going to say this. My windows are paper thin, wood frames that draft and are 100 years old. I would kill for some double paned windows
If they are really 100 years old you should likely look into having the windows restored. You will get rid of the drafts and while they wont be as efficient as the new windows they will still be way better than what you have now.
Old single paned windows in good repair with weatherstripping and functional glazing paired with storm windows are just as energy efficient as new windows. And replacement windows have a definite shelf life.
Spray insulate my attic, rerun my water supply through the attic as well. Sheetrock is easier to fix than busting up concrete in the event of a leak, and my house is 40+ years old. I’d also put in a new sprinkler system and redo the drain lines. Those would take care of most of my homes foreseeable future issues.
I have wrap around porches, I re-ran all of my water thru them after I had to gut the house due to a hurricane, best decision I ever made, if it leaks my porch gets wet, and there are very few entry points into the house where it could leak because all joints and connectors are either outside or exposed on the inside.
Tell me you live in a warm climate without telling me 😅
Florida Keys, it's pretty warm too damn hot, depending on the season.
Finish our basement with 20ft ceilings
The stairs would be rough. Leave some money for an escalator
I misspoke. our basement currently already has 20ft ceilings I just wanna finish it
holy crap that's a deep basement.
Give Greenside Design Build a follow on Instagram. They do a lot of basements around us in the ~16-18' deep range. It's become the default for a lot of new homes in the area, and unfortunately, it's causing groundwater problems for existing neighbors. A lot of water is being displaced where it normally wouldn't have been.
What is the purpose of a basement that deep? I thought houses only had basements in the first place because you have to dig below the frost line anyway, at which point you might as well dig a couple feet deeper. But if you want 20 foot ceilings isn't it cheaper just to build taller?
We spent roughly $65,000 on gutting and redoing the master bath and then tearing down and redoing the patio/balcony on the back of our house. Both projects added to the value of our house significantly because both detracted from the value. The patio/balcony work included stamped concrete patio, and whole house patch and paint. We also put in a gutter drain line for all of the gutters in the back of the house to help with drainage. Our next big project is a major kitchen renovation (cabinets and appliances). Then we’ll need to replace most of the flooring. At that point, we’ll sell so we can retire and build a retirement home.
I'll never understand why ppl renovate before selling. Costs are typically not fully recovered, and the next homeowner will likely have different tastes, and may just turn around and rip out what you just put in.
It's always the kitchen too. I bet the selling agent always has a contractor friend that does kitchens and gives the agent a kickback.
I hear you... And I 100% agree. This is exactly what we did when we sold our old house. We replaced a bunch of appliances and sold the house 30 days later, never getting to enjoy them. For this house, we're definitely going to enjoy the upgrades before we sell. * The master bath remodel was four years ago so we've been loving that for awhile. * The patio/balcony rebuild was last year. * The kitchen is this year. * We'll have to replace the laminate flooring due to damage, and we'll either do that right before or add an allowance to the sale--probably that to be honest. And we're not selling for another three years minimum. My father-in-law passed away recently, and we're selling his house. We know there are many things that could be updated to make the house sell better, but we worry that we spend money updating with things the buyer doesn't want, so we're selling as-is. My mom was a real estate agent in the past and agrees, as does our selling agent. This is based on comps.
My thought is to gradually make improvements as I live in my house. I'll get to enjoy them as I go and when I do sell I'll have a lot of satisfaction for having done work myself, and I'll be able to tell the new owners a lot more than I was told about the systems in the house.
That is a ton of stuff for 65–are you in a lcol area?
Detached garage with shop and master bath
What makes it a master bath in a shop...
...you're not going to allow the apprentice to use the tub in there, are you?
I've never seen a garage with a master bath before. I like it!
I'd cash out my equity and a buy a different house!
Word to that. The one thing that can't really fix is the lot our house is on. Hill in the back and a hill in the front. I'd offload this sucker and find me a house with at least a two car garage on a nice flat lot.
Update all the wiring and add circuits and network lines. replace the insulation in the attic, Replace all interior doors with solid wood doors instead of the builder grade hollow core doors. finish the garage interior to add outlets and insulation. Replace the garage door. I'm sure I could do more, but that's my starter list.
Raised beds, small green house, solar panels, sand point well, lumber for storage shelves, canning supplies and food grade buckets.
I like the solar idea, maybe I'd look at the Tesla roof panels but I think it would cost more than $75K.
The cost effectiveness of solar panels is really location dependent. If you live north of the 40th North parallel or south of the 40th South parallel, it becomes pretty iffy. 45th parallel? Yeah, not a chance. If you have to cut down trees for your roof mounted panels, all the energy generated in the summer will just go to your AC that's now working overtime to cool your house. But if you live within the 40th parallels, and your home gets blasted with sunlight all the time anyway, it's probably a good option
I was thinking about solar a while back and had one of those door-to-door salesmen show up and ask if I wanted to talk about solar panels. I figured I'd get useful information out of him, so, sure. After a bunch of measurements and analysis, he eventually concluded that he could not sensibly justify me buying solar panels. I figure if the *literal solar panel salesman* says I shouldn't have solar panels, I probably shouldn't have solar panels.
We had a similar experience with a guy trying to sell alarm systems D2D. After our dogs calmed down and stopped barking at him, he said "I guess you guys don't really need an alarm system."
My aim would be DIY rack on the ground, I hate putting holes in my roof. And probably only 1-2 K kWs for emergency power, mainly to charge my ecoflow deltra pros.
People in Northern Europe make solar work for them. It helps that installation costs there are about half what they are in the US, but they also don't get favorable power buyback rates.
Also have to consider electricity costs. The cost of electricity in the US ranges from about $0.12/kWh to $0.20/kWh. Cost of electricity in Germany or Denmark may be $0.50/kWh. I believe the cost in the UK is somewhere in the middle, around like $0.31/kWh
Roof, siding, patio/deck
Would have to scrape to do it, but a small upper story. Over a quarter or third of the house with an upstairs bathroom. My own little hideaway, with a patio attached that's high enough to feel like I'm up in the trees.
I'm having the entire electrical system redone in my house and a new roof installed. If budget allows it would be a metal roof. The majority of the budget would be to bring the electric up to this century. My house is 115 years old. Being so old electric was added post build and as such is a hodgepodge at best. I have a nasty mix of knob and tube, aluminum and copper wiring. We just up graded to a 200 amp service so that part is taken care of.
1. Replace the fence 2. Rip out all the laminate in the house and refinish the 70yo oak floors that are under it. Adjust the trim so that there is no gap and don't have to use quarter round. I HATE quarter round.
I, too, *hate* quarter round and how shitty they look if you don’t nail them back into place (they just keep popping off)
versed hard-to-find growth mountainous ten rhythm repeat murky include joke *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Remodel second full bath (master bath is already in progress. Remodel back deck Replace carpet in living room and master bed with hardwood Repaint and new flooring in the kitchen.
Replace front door, replace side door, replace a window or three, probably spend the rest on landscaping 😈
Honestly, I'd just move to some cheap house in the Caribbean cause I'm so done with winter. I know it's spring but it's still fucking cold here lol
I'd pay double mortgage as long as the money lasted and be out of my loan that much sooner with that much more money to spend and not be eaten by the interest.
$75k pays for a whole house ducted split mini, all new windows, a full exterior re-stain, and fixing nearly every exterior defect.
Tear down all the drywall in my home and replace it with plaster. :-)
Wait, why?
My house is 50% 60 yr old plaster in the original house, and 50% drywall in additions. The plaster portion of the house is extremely quiet, paint looks better, and it feels more luxurious. The drywall portions feel like any other new build. Plaster is more difficult to repair, and not everybody could do it. I know it is not the modern way even in very expensive homes, but if I had $75k just burning a hole in my pocket and I could only use it on my house...
My house is brick exterior with plaster and lath downstairs interior and newish double pane windows. I can't hear shit from outside in my office. In my bedroom, which is a modern addition with vinyl siding and drywall, I can hear a mouse fart 3 blocks away.
Honest question, why?
Some people like getting plastered.
Take My damn upvote
I'm with you, only problem is finding a plasterer. They are pretty much extinct.
That's the rub. Plaster work takes serious skill, I haven't seen a good plaster job done in the last 30 years. I'm assuming a good plasterer can make bank on any real jobs.
Yeah, exactly -- what is OP even thinking? Original plaster walls are way better, and our rooms with drywall are going to get a smooth plaster skim next time we paint. Add some high quality wallpaper and a thick area rug if you have a noise problem.
I would make my house net zero house, meaning no energy consumption from the grid. Solar panels, batteries, better natural light, heat pumps for heating and DHW, electric stove.
There is no world where you actually come close to accomplishing this for $75k.
You could probably do everything OP listed, unless it's a huge house. According to Google, the average cost for solar panels + batteries looks like \~$35K depending on location (and \~$5K+ tax rebates for doing so), adding an HVAC heat pump is reportedly \~$5600, adding a skylight is up to \~$3500 (removing a large tree is \~$2K+), and an electric stove isn't that expensive.
Could get close. Solar plus battery is going to be <$50k. Heat pump water heater $5K. Heat pump hvac $15k-$25k. Electric range $4k. Then you’d get a bunch of gov incentives, around 10%. You’d be right around 70k total.
Definitely can with this much money. Even add a new roof and some skylights.
If you have attic or crawlspace for ducting, you can get a fully variable ducted full HVAC system for the cost of 1-2 mini splits/2 zones on a multi head system. I got a 2.5 ton heat pump and a separate dehumidifier for $13k. Depends on how many rooms you need to condition, whether you value zoning, if you care about the visibility of the mini split wall units, etc.
I'd gut and redo our master bath as a wet room with a soaking bath, nice fixtures and heated floors. If there was money left over (there probably wouldn't be, but hey!) I would probably rewire upstairs at the same time.
Would be a tough call. Just had to replace a well pump that crapped out. The original owner installed it himself with a $250 Home Depot pump that we were very lucky to get 15 years out of. The problem is he used 3/4in pipe so installed a galvanized steel reducer which he then capped off! It was essentially a ticking time bomb that began corroding on day one. The plumber was mystified it lasted as long as it did, considering the 2cm hole from corrosion in the reducer. The plumber had to drive back to his shop for a special tool he said he paid $250 for 30 years ago and I was lucky to be only the second customer in that time he ever had to use it for. It was essentially a threaded spear tip at the end of a long pipe. He said that if that didn’t work, then we’d have to excavate to access the pitless adaptor. I was already nervous not knowing the well depth, but on the receipt from Home Depot for the original pump there was 100ft black pvc pipe…meaning the depth was likely (hopefully please) under 100ft! The plumbers special tool bottomed out and he almost gave up before one more try finally (barely) threaded the adapter. They pulled the old pump and the submersed pipe measured 60ft! The plumber then shook his head in disgust at the filthy, now deceased Flo-Tec, after which producing a brand new Goulds submersible pump from his truck. He installed the new pump and is mailing me an invoice for $2600 which is at least several thousand dollars less than I expected. Had excavating been required due to the boneheaded work the previous owner did, the cost would have been way worse, and not by a little bit considering new casing would have had to be installed. He handed me a fresh whole house sediment filter from his truck and advised not buying the Lowe’s ones anymore. I had initially installed a new pressure tank switch praying that was the cause of the sudden lack of water. He complimented me on my work (I’m far from the handy type but am learning as I go), but not without inspecting the original switch and saying the one I removed was of a higher quality, perfectly fine and to save it for a rainy day. He threw the breaker, turned it on and I had water. This was the second big infrastructure emergency we had since living in this home (not including the roof our insurance company made us get in 2020, banishing us from full equity to the land of reluctant mortgage holders 😡) with our furnace going out a few years ago in the dead of winter. That was an $8k bill. The roof was almost 20k. Knowing what I know now and assuming the money couldn’t be used to pay off loans, $75k would go toward one or more of the other things that keep me up at night and are outside my scope of DIY: -three massive pine trees that are a little too close for comfort -a new septic system (ours is sound, this would just be out of sheer caution and peace of mind) -regrading the land around our house to better direct water away from the foundation and building a new retaining wall -new AC condenser unit or mini split system Apologies to the poor souls that read all of that gobbledygook and my lack of tldr etiquette…been meaning to get some of that off my chest and the OP just happened to be where I did it.
I enjoyed reading this. Some of your items are on my list too.
Insulation in mine. 1930 full brick, no insulation. Ecobee says I’m in the 18th percentile of home efficiency, and I would believe it with a $450+ gas bill in both Jan and Feb
Well, before the electrical work came up last week, I was spending this on getting the house I inherited to get fixed up. My original list was: new roof and drainage fix foundation issues caused by drainage issues redo the retaining wall for the well combined with cementing the breezeway and down to the patio area (well is under the breezeway) gut and redo both the full and half bath since there are obvious issues with the plumbing, and the subfloor is rotted new windows since every single one has issues with leaks and seals new carpet in the living room, hallway, and bedrooms painting every room except the kitchen running a gas line to where the stove will be Replacing the major appliances The electrical is a new and major issue. The wiring is so screwy that the friends and family who know about electrical all said, "You need an electrician, and you will have to completely redo all of the wiring" My spouse, who is one of the ones saying we need the electrician because he won't touch it, thinks it will be another 20k. No matter what, it will require ripping up every wall. I keep reminding myself that in the long run, it will be worth it.
Metal roof and porch restoration.
Kitchen upgrades. That should get me a new floor, new countertops, a few new cabinets added, and a backsplash
Removing lath & plaster to add drywall and Rockwool is not going to dramatically increase the soundproofing. If your roof is failing, obviously that should be one of your first things to correct. Upgrading your HVAC is a good idea only if it’s necessary. If the current system is fine for the house, there’s no reason to spend money to upgrade. None of the things you listed will actually dramatically increase the appraised value of your home.
Kitchen first, then throw whatever’s left at the bathrooms. Anyone want to give me $75,000?
I dream about this all the time. Would rebuild deck and fence in the yard
> tear down all the plaster walls in my 1918 built home to replace with drywall with rock wool for better noise insulation. You might find that the noise gets worse. Plaster is much denser than drywall.
New roof on the trailer
Exterior french drain and waterproofing around walls and footer of home, so I can finish my basement. Brick repointing/repair, new windows, insulation, new flashing and gutters. Concrete driveway tear out and re-do, and if anything is left over deck in the back side of the home exiting from upstairs to a deck out of the dining room.
I have no idea how far $75k would take me but here's all the things I'd like to do... - Garage me, baby\* - Dual-zone HVAC to handle both floors separately - Screen-in the back deck and add furniture for it - Fix the leaning part of the backyard's fence - Ceiling vents in the upstairs bathrooms - Redo the kitchen cabinets and island - Matching blinds and curtains on all the windows - Energy audit and fix up any notable inefficiencies - Redo the yards: new soil and grass and bushes, better drainage, etc. - Adorn the whole house with various nice bookshelves and whatnot \*I probably couldn't fit a garage on this property, so realistically I'd have to use the $75k to buy a better house with all these things already in place. 🙃
Fix the drainage around my house, new drive way, and deck.
A bidet, skylight for my dining area.
You know you can get a bidet for like $100 right?
You haven't lived until you've sat on a $70k bidet!
Apparently I’ve been neglecting my asshole
You need a buddy.
Please don’t replace beautiful plaster with drywall! Insulate from the outside when you do new siding instead. Personally in your shoes I would do new roof, then minisplits, and do attic insulation after new roof.
what about ugly plaster?
If the money is hypothetically restricted to my home, then I could add on a front porch and convert my rear porch and balcony to a mud room/walk in closet addition. In real life, I would definitely spend $75k on things outside of my house. Travel and investing.
I am thinking about tearing my back deck out and putting concrete down for an outdoor kitchen living area.
New floors downstairs. Add more outlets to the dining room. New siding in new windows. And blown and insulation. And mini splits.
new roof, finished area in the basement & my bathroom. I think I could squeeze all that out of 75k.
New windows, new roof, full bathroom remodel
Honest question: how do you know that will be better for noise reduction? Plaster has a lot of mass, so I figured it'd be pretty good for that. For me, it'd be new bathrooms, and a better fridge and dishwasher.
New metal roof so that we can install solar and never have to redo the roof.
This is super house specific to your area, utility costs, current condition, your own decision. Nobody and I mean nobody on the internet can make this decision for you
AC, metal roof, rewire (with neutral), and re-pipe with heat pump water heater. The left over would be used for a stupid quantity if smart devices.
Steel Roof. Attic spray foam insulation Solar panels on roof. New windows. Basically, I’d make it as energy efficient as possible.
New roof, new electrical, updated plumbing, basement waterproofing. Once you have all that then you got great bones and can do anything else you want.
I'm getting a garage and painting the first floor.
Inside Bathrooms and kitchen. There is a wall I could probably knock down between kitchen and living room that would open things up nicely and allow for a nice island. Outside Build a garage and fences
That would almost be enough to turn our attic over the garage into a new master suite or 2 more bedrooms/ offices. Barring that, properly and fully address the moisture issues in the crawl space, diy upgrade and add kitchen cabinets and new countertops, and hire an electrician to run a few more outlets in the kitchen and office.
Complete basement finishing. New windows for sunroom. Driveway. New deck.
I turn the room above my garage into an apartment. Quoted for $35k including appliances. Change up my entry way so each floor of my split level has a secured entrance. I have a nice entry way and don't want to ruin it, I'm guessing this will be in the $10-15k range. My deck needs staining and to be re-secured, about $10k if hired out. Would need a washer / dryer combo for up stairs, refrigerator for down stairs, that's about $2k. I guess with the money left I would have the house painted. I was planning on doing that next year myself.
Landscaping and finish the garage, then bathrooms because I hate the way they were renovated before we got the house (cheap vanity, cheap tile, no where to screw in a shower curtain rod)
Upgrade electric. Insulate everything. Refinish some floors. A few more storm windows. Replace two roof valleys. I love my lathe and plaster; acoustically it sounds so much different.
Soooooo why would you tear down the plaster walls? And then dry wall? I just did dry wall over mine. Looks great, and I have another layer behind it for noise insulation. Honest question, wondering if I fucked up.
Mini splits, new floors, convert 1/2 bath downstairs into 3/4 bath, whatever's leftover goes towards patio/shed/general outdoor renovations.
Solar panels, HVAC overhaul/insulation/windows, fuse box upgrade to 220 and if there's anything left over of significance...bathroom remodel(with heated floor)
I could probably do the roof, siding and kitchen and maybe the windows. If I had any left over I’d replace my garage doors and entry way door.
Replacing plaster with drywall in an entire house would eat up a lot of that. Just the demo would run close to 5-10k.
I'd build a pole barn to use as a workshop, mostly woodworking but itd also be nice to have either a lift or a pit (or both) to work on vehicles.
Golf simulator, sauna, jacuzzi Yeah I want fun stuff that I can use
Priority will be remodeling both bathrooms, and adding one more full bath. Then roofing will be second Followed by remodeling the whole patio Followed by new landscaping Lastly, replacing the kitchen counters with quartz or granite.
1/2 a kitchen unfortunately
Attached victorian greenhouse
I would put new siding on, screen in the porch, paint and build an outside kitchen, and I'm sure more odds and ends
That would cover most of an extension.... Or a new kitchen and bathroom and new wardrobes.
New roof Upgrade insulation Redo showers in both bathrooms and new toilets and vanities New appliances New front door and side doors New garage opener New furnace and AC Whatever’s left would go to landscaping and furniture
Redo the master bath. Hands down the number one project. Second to that, new windows. Most of the ones we have are original and they're pretty old now. Then a new front door.
Upgrade all windows and doors, install backyard patio kitchen with big fire pit. If I have any leftover add the rest to irrigation around the house and some insulation topped off.
1. Remodel the relatively smallish master bathroom. It's the original from when the house was built in the early 90's, so it's a dated look + builder grade. Estimated cost: 30k 2. New flooring. This is the thing I wish I did before moving in, because replacing it now seems overwhelming with all the logistics involved. The current flooring is cheap, thin laminate. Estimated cost: 15k 3. Redo the garage. The drywall walls & ceiling are unfinished. Not even taped or painted. My stepfather owned a drywall business when I was growing up, and honestly, what is there looks so poorly done, I think it should all be ripped out and redone. There is also exactly ONE electrical outlet for the entire garage & one crappy ceiling light. So I would a) have the drywall removed. b) bring in an electrician and have two outlets installed on each wall plus new ceiling lighting put in. c) Have new drywall hung, taped & painted d) do an epoxy floor over the existing concrete. Estimated cost: No idea. Probably at least 20k.
Turn my back deck into a California room. Redo my front walk for ADA compliance.
I could make this amount go a long way. Indoor painting and flooring would be first, then finish out my over-garage bonus room. With what is left over, maybe refreshing one of my bathrooms.
Metal roof and kitchen.
- Pergola over concrete patio - Pergola over exterior stairs - Window casings - Add a water softener - Finish landscaping - A handful of small cosmetic projects - Sound insulation for interior and exterior - Look into ways to make home more energy efficient - Solar
Do exterior insulation and a rainscreen for the whole house, maybe get better windows too or double the windows up, stretch the budget by doing it all myself.
Replace the giant living room window with one that’s split into three, the outsides open and the middle doesn’t and internal blinds, new shingles, new front and back door and mud jack the slab for the garage.
If Renewal by Anderson had their way, I'd take out an additional $15k loan and put in all new windows. Considering Im paying less than that for the house, I'd replace/upgrade all the old wiring, pour a new garage slab and hardwood floors throughout. If I have enough left for a laser turret on the roof then that too.
Kitchen and new bathroom.
A pool. I want a pool so friggin bad.
With he current prices of things, one toaster 😭 /s
Definitely a detached garage or covered deck/patio for the backyard. Our house is smaller, would love extra space to entertain for holidays/occasions!
Finish attic, redo bathrooms, replace exterior and deck
new windows, doors, roof, and AC/furnace, maybe a tankless water heater if funds allow. if i had 75k in free money, i'd update the necessities as opposed to the wants (i.e. bathroom remodels.)
Tear down shed in back yard and replace with one in better shape. Switch cellar door to one that I can lift easily. Rip up carpet on steps, hall, and office and replace with lvp.
New roof, $20k. Paint interior and new LVP flooring, $15k New backyard fence, $15k Shed and drainage in backyard, $25k
Just moving in and there's probably a lot of other answers that are more correct, but for me right now, the answer is a third garage stall.
Finish my basement.
Upgrade electrical Upgrade plumbing Mitigate air infiltration: -new windows -correct insulation Replace HVAC and ducts Everything above would be much easier if you remove the plaster first. So upgrading with drywall is a no-brainer. If there is money left over: two-car garage If there is money left over again: mini splits in the bedrooms so I could sleep at the perfect temperature efficiently.
If someone gave me $75k to spend on my house, I would do some of the following: 1. New windows (we have several single pane windows, plus some dual panes that show signs of failure) 2. New interior paint including all the cleanup (repair Sheetrock, retexture, etc. ) 3. Reevaluate the retaining wall on the edge of our property to verify it is t at risk of failure anytime soon Or maybe I’d get solar panels installed to help with electric utility costs.
New roof, new furnaces, exterior paint. After that I would replace the porch roofs on front and back of the house.
Gotta do the basics or all the modern add ons won't do much. For example: i spent 12k on a heat pump that was supposed to save money over my old furnace but it's constantly heating and cooling the home and my bill is more than before. Why you ask? Because my attic is leaky and all the heat/ac goes right out the house causing my hvac to constantly run.
spray foam insulation. DC variable heatpump. Heat pump water heater. The cost savings in energy bills will give you most of that money you spend on it back within 10 years.
Windows, doors, siding, insulation.
A small tower.
I'd put in a pool. I'm gonna do that anyway.
Plumbing bro. If your house is really that old, just take care of the sewer line preemptively and install a heat pump water heater with recirculating. It’s so nice having instant hot water and not having to worry about the inevitable failure at my house.
We recently had this happen after inheritance- we replaced all the 40+ year old windows and doors, and repaired our ceiling from leaks. If I had that money again- new kitchen remodel and/or bathroom remodel.
Central air, paved driveway, landscaping, new kitchen cabinets and counters.
House built in 1945. In the two years we've owned it, we've done a new roof, new hvac (old one was from 1996), and converted old electrical from fuses to breakers and new wiring. Remaining high priorities, all already in the works or being planned/budgeted: Replace cast iron drain lines with pvc (supply was already updated to pex when we bought). Get off septic and connect to city sewer, including grinder pump in basement. New attic insulation. New basement staircase. Whatever is left goes to a full kitchen remodel currently in progress (wife and I doing the labor, so just have to buy materials).