Friday, December 28, 2007

Lists, lists, lists

I have been meaning to make a list of things I would like to do to our house since we moved in 5 years ago. Some of them are simple - curtains. Some are more complicated - storage for arts & crafts stuff.

I am kind of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of gal when it comes to money stuff. If its there I spend it. Some of the things I want to do require a little more cash than what is available at any one time. What that means is I would have to SAVE for awhile to have all the cash dollars available to do some of the projects on my list. So here is where I start. I am going to make a list of some things I would like to SAVE for this year. Trust me, this is a huge step. HUGE.

1) Curtains in the living room. Approx cost: $700 -$1700
We have this great big, huge picture window (9'x6') that looks out into the backyard. Currently it has an old blind on it and that's all. I would like to put some new trim around the window, a new blind that would keep the heat out and some curtains up that would go with either the chairs or my couch, which ever happens to be parked in front of it at the time. It would actually be nice to replace the whole dang window if possible, that would probably add $1000 because of its size.
CHALLENGES: I hate to ask for help and I need it when it comes to window coverings. I just don't see the potential. Only the ugly.

2) Upstairs bathroom update. Approx cost: $350
I would like to put in a new shower curtain, matching towels and accessories, clean up the linen closet and get new bath rugs too. This is probably the easiest of all the projects and the least expensive too.
CHALLENGES: This seems like such a dumb project. Bathroom, whats the big deal?

3) Master Bedroom makeover. Approx cost: $1500
It needs it. I have sheets hanging over curtain rods that are nearly falling off the walls for window coverings. Theres no rhyme or reason to my bedspread or blankets. And the pillows need to be replaced. I would also like to get a second nightstand. We bought a new bedroom set - headboard, foot board, dresser - a few years back but have never gotten the second nightstand. It also needs paint.
CHALLENGES: Finding just the right thing that we both like.

4) Dining room table/chairs/curtains. Approx cost $2500-$3500
I could probably get by with just chairs for now, the kids are going to continue to trash the table, might as well not replace it until they are older - specifically Miss I. But there is a sliding glass door in there that is in desperate need of replacing. We were just talking about it yesterday and we think we could even put in a window instead of the slider ... but that's going to add a ton more to my estimate. Either way the window also needs a new curtain and blinds. It would be really nice to get the kind of door or windows with the blinds built in.

5) Basement remodel. Approx cost: $5000-$7000
This is the biggie. But its not "my" project it's a family project. We talked a couple months ago about what project to tackle this year the upstairs living room or the downstairs laundry/spare/family room. The latter won. We have a great space in our basement. Right now there are 3 separate rooms - laundry & bath, spare bedroom and family room. But the rooms are all kind of choppy and don't flow very well at all. Its my least favorite area of the house.

We would like to re-do the bath/laundry/spare room into one continuous space. I use the spare room for my laundry folding so it would be nice to just turn around and there is my folding table (aka bed) instead of having to go around and through the door. The family room is a great space, large, but arranged really bad right now. There is this HUGE storage area - it's as long as the room is, maybe 15 feet by 3 or more feet deep. There are drawers down one side and across the bottom and it has sliding closet doors over it. The drawer fronts are wood and the closet doors are a different paneling and the rest of it is a faux brick. Its the ugliest thing ever. It would make a great play space or an extra 3 feet to the room. Right now the drawers are stuffed with toys, video tapes, arts and crafts, spare towels. You name it.

The rest of the space is being used for storage and the entertainment center. It would be nice to turn it into something else ... arts and crafts, computer or workout area maybe? And turn the focal point of the room around to another wall where we could build in an entertainment center. It would use the space a lot better. That room also has the potential to adjoin with the spare bedroom. Its not necessary but would be a nice touch for guests. There is also a door out to the back yard that needs to be replaced and My Honey would like to put down some wood floors too. That doesn't sound like too much does it? Hee hee hee.
CHALLENGES: Time. Keeping the kids out of it when we start.

6)HVAC. Approx cost: $10-12,000
We don't have central air. Or heat. Most of the time its not that bad. But there is that month to 6 weeks in the winter when the temps are below zero and that month to 6weeks in the summer when the temps are over 100 when it would really be nice. The reason this project would cost so much is because there is not duct work in our house. Our heat source is "radiant heat" which comes from coils in the ceiling. Currently we have at least one set of coils that isn't working. Unfortunately it's in the kitchen. Brrrr in the mornings. So this project is very expensive. And it will be time consuming, dirty and probably loud. I am afraid to have an estimate done. I don't want to find out it will be twice what I think it will be.

Hmmmm, now that I have spent an imaginary $40000 I guess I better go get some lottery tickets, enter the publishers clearinghouse sweepstakes, sign up for a ton more overtime and get to work!

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I took my camera to the shop today. Unfortunately it has to be sent away - just like my computer did - and it may be up to 3 weeks before I hear about it. I sure hope its not expensive. For me, a non-animal person, its kind of like taking the dog to the vet ... What's it going to cost, is it worth it or should I just give up the old one and go get a new one? I know, I know that's cold and harsh to say about an animal. You have no idea what I am going through with our dog right now. Shes old, and she is starting to show her age really bad. Moving slower, just doing weird things. And I have had to ask myself how much I will put us all through for her ... I still don't know. So its a similar kind of thing with the camera. What will I put us all through for her?

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