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What is more important to me is that I buy something for a price that I consider reasonable and that I like it. I am willing to pay more for something that I know will last or from companies that will stand by their products.
Plenty of things I've bought on the cheap before and they have not lasted---I have found that to be especially true of furniture, furnishings and some clothing. My parents have laminate flooring in their house that looks AWFUL and did not hold up as long as it is supposed to.
There are plenty of things I buy from Walmart/Target/Lowe's and there are plenty of things I will not buy.
Furniture is one of the those items where price is all over the place...
One of my very well to do friends has furnished his entire home with Mission Style Furniture... mostly from the 1930/40's.
Unless they burn in a fire... these pieces will be around for centuries and some of his best pieces were from people that just wanted to get rid of them when cleaning out Grandma's house...
I managed rentals for decades and having enough dumpster space for particle board furnishings and made in China junk was always a problem...
A person can furnish a home with quality appliances and furnishings from others cast-offs easily in a place like the SF Bay Area.
New doesn't mean better...
I can't tell you how many of my friends bought high end refrigerators and front loaders only to become totally disgusted... I got my Kenmore Washer Dryer 13 years ago when my neighbor bought a new $2200 pair... mine never miss a beat and she has already replaced the $2200 set...
Same with my Picture in Picture TV that was a throwaway... the person that tossed is on their second flat screen... I just don't have the desire to spend money needlessly... and not the least bit interested in impressing anyone with the latest and greatest...
What goal post were moved? You said there's no down side to someone buying a $900k home and remodeling/maintaining/repairing/furnishing it like a $100k home if that's what they like. You are WRONG. That WOULD significantly hurt resale value. You'll be hard pressed to find anyone that agrees with you. And yes, that could certainly bring the value down hundreds of thousands. How do you think flippers buy a home for say $500k, put $100k in it and sell it for $800k+? Do you think they could skip the remodeling and sell the home for $800k while advertising a $100k discount.
Goalposts moved again: who said anything about flippers? They didn't even enter into your initial post which referred to cheap dishwasher, doors that don't open well, a Walmart lamp, and some drywall dings. Please make sure to hit 'record' on your gopro when you ask for $100K off for a couple of those things.
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Originally Posted by eddiehaskell
Bottom line - if one wants to remodel/maintain/repair/furnish to the standards of a $100k home, it would be financially prudent to buy a $100k home. I'm not sure why this is a hard concept to grasp.
As you put it here, it's not difficult to grasp, but that's a different tune you'e whistling here. Initially you wrap your argument in your patented "it's so freeing to be frugal!" cloak, and confessing a love for inexpensive housing because it fits your proclivity for cheap furnishings. That is not the same as recommending prudence when furnishing your home.
Laminate counters scratch and chip (leaving a place to harbor germs) and they can get abraded if you use the wrong cleaning products. They are susceptible to water damage in the particle board. They also get easilt damaged by hot pots and pans.
I'm not saying people should not use laminate. I actually have it in my home for now and think it looks very nice. I will eventually replace with quartz because I like it better, and think it's more functional and it's more in keeping with the area I live in. But the laminate is fine for now.
However, it is not nearly as indestructible as some people seem to think.
Actually, virtually all counter top materials have downsides. I have ceramic counter tops which are almost indestructible but the grout is a germ magnet. Most of the varieties of stone have to be treated/oiled/sealed on a regular basis, and some are just as susceptible to cuts and nicks as laminate.
Again, it's always wise to consider your home's worth and the values of the other homes in your neighborhood when choosing materials. In an area where all the other homes have granite or other stone materials, laminate will look cheap but it's very appropriate for homes in less expensive neighborhoods.
I agree with the first part, and of course one reason more expensive homes are more expensive is because of the finishes.
But I disagree with the second part - people who buy less expensives homes still can be proud of their house and want it to look as good as possible within their budget. Crappy paint jobs and drywall repairs and scorched grass are not acceptable at any price point IMO. I think you just want an excuse for being lazy - not even cheap, just lazy. A house with vinyl floors and laminate counters can still be immaculately kept and beautifully landscaped.
I totally agree. Some of the best kept neighborhoods in many metros are often older suburban neighborhoods filled with little post-WW II "starter" homes that are all owner-occupied.
Goalposts moved again: who said anything about flippers? They didn't even enter into your initial post which referred to cheap dishwasher, doors that don't open well, a Walmart lamp, and some drywall dings. Please make sure to hit 'record' on your gopro when you ask for $100K off for a couple of those things.
Hello? Are you paying attention? We were talking about resale value. You said maintaining/remodeling/furnishing a $900k home like a $100k home would have no impact on resale value - that's FALSE. It's not simply limited to a dishwasher/doors/lamps/drywall. There's also kitchen cabinets, vanities, vanity tops, lawn, windows, lighting, exterior doors, interior doors, fixtures, sinks, flooring, moldings, stove, driveway, fridge, countertops, shower/tub surrounds, etc, etc. If a $900k is maintained/remodeled/furnished like a $100k home....it will basically be in the same condition as many of the foreclosures that flippers buy for hundreds of thousands less than homes treated like $900k homes. Therefore, your premise that there's no down side to the owner of a $900k home treating it like a $100k home is NOT correct.
Quote:
As you put it here, it's not difficult to grasp, but that's a different tune you'e whistling here. Initially you wrap your argument in your patented "it's so freeing to be frugal!" cloak, and confessing a love for inexpensive housing because it fits your proclivity for cheap furnishings. That is not the same as recommending prudence when furnishing your home.
I don't think you even know what you're saying here. You seem stuck whereas others know exactly what I'm saying.
Hello? Are you paying attention? We were talking about resale value. You said maintaining/remodeling/furnishing a $900k home like a $100k home would have no impact on resale value - that's FALSE. It's not simply limited to a dishwasher/doors/lamps/drywall. There's also kitchen cabinets, vanities, lawn, windows, exterior doors, interior doors, fixtures, sinks, flooring, moldings, stove, driveway, fridge, countertops, shower/tub surrounds, etc, etc. If a $900k is maintained/remodeled/furnished like a $100k home....it will basically be in the same condition as many of the foreclosures that flippers buy for hundreds of thousands less than homes treated like $900k homes.
I don't think you even know what you're saying here. You seem stuck whereas others know exactly what I'm saying.
Again, it's always wise to consider your home's worth and the values of the other homes in your neighborhood when choosing materials. In an area where all the other homes have granite or other stone materials, laminate will look cheap but it's very appropriate for homes in less expensive neighborhoods.
Correct. In this way, the humble home is a little more stress free. For example, you simply go down to Lowes and pick up your favorite color in a 12ft slab of laminate for $150 - done. As long as it's functional and not hot pink, it's probably going to fit the look of the house and not hurt resale value.
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Nice attempt at character assassination though.
