Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My sister renovated a house over a few years, and no sooner than a new back splash was installed, they were transferred to another state. They did get a higher price on that house because the renovations made it stand out. However, they wish they had gotten it all done faster so they could have enjoyed it longer. THAT would be their main regret.
They have renovated the heck out of their current house and have done it faster. They've requested another transfer, but they also want to have time to enjoy their work.
What a bummer! We did something similar. Renovated our kitchen in our 2nd house and then had to move a year later for my husband's job. It did help the house sell in what was a horrid market at that time in 2009. But it still bums me out to think I used that ugly kitchen for so many years and then only got my pretty kitchen for a year.
My biggest regret is letting our house become a 13 year project. It was exhausting to feel the weight of never ending projects. Our next house will either not need any work, or it will be my job to get all the projects done ASAP. Right now I'm working on the house for more than 12 hours per day to get it ready to sell. I can't wait to finally be done! :-)
I cannot really call it a regret....more of an underestimation. I love the location, layout and structure of my home. However it needs updating and I have been in the process of of doing just that. As a first time homeowner, I wish I would have been more clued in to how much time and money it can take just to do the simplest of things. Some months I look at my to do list and think "really?..another project?" In the end it is still rewarding to change my home to my tastes and i have been happy and satisfied with each improvement. But rest assured my next home will be one that requires very little changing. yeah right who am i kidding?
My sister also says that the next house won't require so much changing. After doing this to two houses back-to-back, they've had it.
The Realtor who gets to sell their current house, will strike gold though. It will probably sell in the first week. Their last house sold on the first day, I think.
Not living in the house a little before we remodeled. I think we would have gotten a better feel for the things we liked and didn't like about the house. For instance, we gutted the Kitchen as soon as we moved in, but after living in the house, it became obvious that we should have added a window on the south side. The kitchen didn't get enough light and I would have chosen different materials.
Here is a funny story for all of you along with a lesson in communication.
When my wife and I were still in the dating phase of our relationship, we talked about living together and we were both excited about it. We started house hunting, found a starter home we liked and purchased it. Fast forward to about two years later, we were sitting on the couch watching TV and somehow the conversation came up about living elsewhere in the country (we were in Florida at the time). I mentioned how I just wasn't really happy in Florida and it would be great to move someday. My wife blurted out "ME TOO!". This shocked me because she had a lot of family in Florida. I replied, "I thought you wanted to stay in Florida since you were born and raised here?" She replied, "Well, I thought you wanted to stay in Florida". Come to find out, neither of us actually wanted to live in Florida. We were both just doing what we thought the other wanted and instantly we both regretted buying the house because this was in the downturn of the bubble which hit Florida really hard. We eventually sold the house and moved to Colorado where we both are extremely happy and have been for many years. It is a funny conversation now.
Thank you everyone for your replies! I'm feel bad for anyone not happy with their house. I know it's hard. We've owned 3 homes and none were right for us. We enjoyed our time in each one but none were our retirement home that's for sure.
Catwoman, is there is way you can split the lights to have more switches or is that a lot of work? I wouldn't like that either.
The only way to do it would be open up the ceiling. The ceiling in the dinning room was open when we bought the place and it would have been so easy then. The kitchen was totally gutted when the lights were put in. They even went through the floor upstairs to put them in. Again, it would have been easy at that time and we weren't there when they were putting them in.
Now, the dinning room would be easier than the kitchen-just cut a hole in the sheet rock on the ceiling and then it would have to be patched-but there are so many other projects that are more important.
The kitchen is pretty much out of the question. We put in a tin ceiling and there is no way we want to cut that. We COULD go through the floor upstairs but we now have flooring down-granted it is cheapo flooring but it is flooring nevertheless. And repairing all of that really isn't worth it just so we can have lights on a different switch.
To the OP: you might find it hard to find an open floor plan in a home built before 1975. For more space between homes and mature trees, you will need to find an older home, as you say.
With a small ranch from 1960 or thereabouts, you will probably find homes with no entry, an isolated kitchen, one room for living space and bedrooms. If you are lucky you might also get a covered porch and small 2 car garage. If your town is large and has been building homes apace for decades, you might find more of a rambler that is slightly larger and has more amenities, such as a fireplace and entry.
I want to wish you luck in your search. I hope when you find the house you want to change, you will keep us posted. Good luck!
I'm one of the people who has mentioned the garage door as a regret in my new construction - not for trash, but from the yard into the garage (the houses where I am all have side yards, since they have alley facing garages in the back). I store the trash and recycling cans in the garage because our local master community association requires that, and I personally find it easier anyway, I'd much rather not have to go out doors to take out the trash.
Otherwise, no real regrets - the only other one is minor and turned out I didn't care enough to do it right away, was not putting crown molding on the top of the kitchen cabinets. I can still do that, and might when I do a mini-kitchen remodel in a couple of years because I got formica counters knowing I'd switch out for granite/quartz and make a few other small changes.
Although new construction is of course different than remodeling, I'd say the main thing was taking my time and going over every detail multiple times. I had the list of options before I ever signed my contract - I had to decide more quickly on structural things but zero regrets there. On all the other stuff, I went to builder's design center 4 times before finalizing my choices and signing the contract - don't let anyone (contractor, etc) try to rush you. I knew when I was ready to sign and make the decisions final and wasn't going to be pushed into doing that before I was ready.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The kitchen was totally gutted when the lights were put in. They even went through the floor upstairs to put them in. Again, it would have been easy at that time and we weren't there when they were putting them in. 
