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I think the same can be said of people on many chopicelike automoblies;cellphones;clothes;shoes;eating at restaurants;hgher education and so many things. Many can not afford what they buy;plian and simple.So waht is new lately?
Recently, in addition to their "those (relatively new, perfectly fine, white/black) appliances must go! Buyers are looking for stainless" and "you need to replace those counter tops with granite" they've added "those (beautiful, maybe 4 year-old) oak cabinets have got to go! They're dated!"
I almost fell out of my seat when they painted over and/or ripped out practically brand new oak cabinets in a recent show. That is just plain stupid. Who in their right mind would ever prefer oak cabinets in a 4 year-old house be painted white?
I guess the cabinet manufacturers must be suffering a real slowdown to try and convince owners of 4 year-old homes that their kitchen cabinets are "dated."
Well...I understand the concern with painting over a nice hardwood. But heres' the thing. Natural stained oak looks very very dated. Don't shoot the messenger...that's just the way it is. Those cabinets were on their way out of style 20 years ago....regardless of whether or not someone installed them yesterday.
What I see a lot of in my area are people STILL installing cabinets like that. When my wife and I were shopping for a home we were at a loss because we were looking for a house with darker stained cabinets. We also prefered maple to oak (or possibly cherry or hickory if we could find it in a reasonable price range)....and that was a tall order because locally oak was the most commonly used wood and it was typically stained natural finish. Oak typically has a very grainy look to it compared to the others I mentioned...that usually have a very smooth look. That's why they are more desirable and are generally more expensive.
I suppose we could have sanded it all down and re-stained it with a deeper tone of stain but dang....if you've ever done anything like that you realize what a big job it is. Just painting over it would be a sizable job. It's also the most economical when you weigh sanding/restaining and replacing.
Old thread, but it's just rampant buying that is causing the problem. You have shopping networks on every means of communication to make you buy like crazy, and many people do...most likely those who are scared of this new thing called the internet.
Those cabinets were on their way out of style 20 years ago....regardless of whether or not someone installed them yesterday.
If the cabinet style was dated I can agree a bit with you, but if it was only the finish and color you're speaking of I know several painters who make a good living providing customers with just the look and wood they want by dint of sanding, filling, painting and finishing all kinds of wood surfaces. It might have been easier and cheaper than you thought to use the existing "oak" and turn it into "Brazilian Cherry".
Unless, of course, one considers the "snob" appeal.
What's the big deal if someone buys a 300K home? Some probably earn six figures, have businesses, live frugally, and save a lot of money to put down on a home.
If someone is forking up 300K for something, don't they have a right to be picky?!
You missed the point.
Doesn't matter how much you spend, no need to be picky if you have all that money, just change it.
Just because there is granite countertops doesn't make it perfect, what if it is a color that you aren't crazy about, then the granite is rerally worthless.
New windows doesn't mean anything if they arent the type windows you want........
That's right. The cable network HGTV is the real villain of the economic meltdown.
lol! Yes, blame them instead of the bureaucrats in Washington. Sounds like a plan....
On a serious note. HGTV is a fun channel to watch, i doubt many, if any, use those flip home shows to heart. Instead HGTV provides a lot of good ideas to how to improve or change the look of your own place. DIY channel also shows the realities of self upgrades
These shows are just a product of our culture. "Keeping up with the Joneses" is ingrained in the culture. You have to have the "American Dream" and own a home. Once you do that it has to have certain features or it's sub-par, and it certainly needs to have square footage... So much of this is ingrained in the culture, and it didn't happen overnight. Despite the current economic turmoil it will take time to truly shift this mindset and the society's money orientation.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think money is bad, and I don't think having "things" is necessarily bad, but if that's all one strives for at all costs then you end up with the mess that we are in. Regardless of what one makes, I believe you have to manage money within your means or money will manage you. If that means you rent instead of buy, so be it. If that means you don't have granite counter tops, so be it.
These behaviors took a while to develop and it's important that we get to the next generation and break the cycle. Parents should be teaching kids financial lessons, schools should adopt it into the curriculum, etc.
If I sound passionate about this - it's because I am. It may have veered a bit from the OP but I do feel this is a critical issue.
I'm an advocate of FiftyP - Money Wise, Caring Kids because at least someone out there is taking a meaningful stab at making a difference with kids.
Tell parents about it and if you have kids of your own, get them on there. This way when they want top of the line finishes in their future homes, they'll get them only if they can afford them, and not because some TV show told them they must have them.
I watch HGTV pretty often (I LOVE watching those 'housefinding' shows) but personally, their interior design and decorating seems so sterile to me. It's too clean, too boring, too run of the mill for me. I like a little bit of clutter, and what's wrong with older appliances that still work fine? I think Stainless steel is great for the first few months, but just wait until you get that first dent, or it starts warping a little. Granite countertops? No thanks, makes the kitchen feel like an operating room.
I guess I like my old kitchen, my old appliances (*gasp* we don't have a dishwasher and the cabinets are painted white!!) and my comfortable, homey house. If someone is going to judge me based on that, then I simply don't want to be their friend.
Yes, I will offer my judgement of you JetJockey.....You seem like a person with a great measure of common sense!
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