# $1,000,000 in renovations to your house **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 28, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924 "2012-08-28T14:33:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/41 "2012-08-28T21:18:24Z")
The house where I grew up is on very hilly land, so there is very little lawn that’s at the same level. That was nice when we were kids and could go sledding in the backyard, but isn’t as practical now. So I’d bring in earthmoving equipment and level the backyard, including big retaining walls so the house up the hill doesn’t have any problems. Beyond that, the obvious addition is multiple basement levels, and a car elevator. And a car turntable, so that you don’t have to back the car out of the driveway. ---
**Author:** ![orderfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orderfire/32/10908_2.png) [@orderfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orderfire)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/42 "2012-08-28T21:23:15Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Sure. One of the things on my list would be to buy the house next to us, demo it, and turn the land into a nicely landscaped garden with a completely pimped-out cabana. Now you’re talking. I could completely tear down and rebuild my teeny (530 s.f.!) house for about $200k - don’t need a giant house, maybe add another story and total s.f. of about 1200. Then I’d buy out all my trashy neighbors, tear their houses down and develop a lovely, tranquil little park. The people in this neighborhood seem to have some sort of quietness allergy; every waking minute of the day I am serenaded by lawn implements, leaf blowers, power tools, barking dogs, ATVs and my favorite, the beeping of some guys truck backing up at 5:30 am. For a million bucks, I’d buy me some peace and quiet. Or maybe I’d just sell this little crap shack and move away. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/43 "2012-08-28T23:00:41Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I would have a second story edition put on my house. That would take about 250 grand. A pool in the backyard. > > It would be hard spending the whole million. If you can manage to put a half million in (not too implausible), you can reserve the other half million to pay the income tax. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/44 "2012-08-29T00:06:34Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > If you won an absurd contest which awarded you with a million dollars in home renovations, could you actually find enough stuff to spend the money on-- while at the same time keeping your house relatively consistent (on the outside) with the rest of the houses on your block (i.e. no marble pillars and gold-plated gargoyles if the rest of your block is 3-bedroom bungalows on postage-stamp lots). > > What are some cool things you’d do to eat up the money? Yup. First we would have to rent a really really huge storage locker, and a small house for us and the critters [cats, geese, chickens and guinea fowls] while we tore down the house and barn. Ultimately we would be building this [a-frame](http://details.coolhouseplans.com/details.html?pid=chp-5105&ArchStyle=A-Frame&FoundID=26&sid=chp2&ordercode=C101), currently our barn is 20’x30’ and 3 levels - the ‘basement’ is a 2 car garage, a middle floor has a full bath, and the top level is a large studio/workroom that our roommate lives in. We would expand the footprint past the current one in both unexcavated directions. We would need to move the septic tank and leechbed [and enlarge the tank size] out to the lower field area to keep it the proper distance from the house well. The top floor would go to our roommate, we would put an external stairs off the back end of her balcony and a cat door for her cats to go in and out [my cat is indoors only] and close off the internal stairs with a good solid door at the top of the stairs. The upper floor bath would have to be dormered out so it was not a tiny little box a reasonable sized human can’t fit into. I love the little balcony for the upstairs. Ground level floor would get a full length of the house balcony off the left wall that the fire place is on, with a few windows set into the wall that is actually the roof [so they are almost vertical skylights?] and you get onto the balcony by walking out the sliding glass doors on the end of the building, given the way we would need to excavate the foundations it would effectively end up a wrap around balcony. What is now more or less driveway and tiny patch of lawn would get those wonderful [pavers](http://www.paversbrickpavers.com/files/3383219/uploaded/brick_paver_patterns_1.jpg) I kept seeing in Germany and Holland. They would take plantings of low plants like thyme and pennyroyal and moss, and let rain through to soak into the ground. Some more assorted fencing and yardwork that _doesn’t_ involve grass lawns, a nice privacy hedge of arborvitae. Basement level would have parking for 3 vehicles and storage. A 10’x10’ walk in freezer and matching metal lined dry goods storage would be nice. Shelf space for the banker boxes that we have 5000 books stored in until I can get them all scanned in is a must. We would have to use the nice pavers on the lower drive to bring the look to the other side of the house, and prevent mud bogging in the spring. Alarm system, of course. Wiring a bit over-code with everything needed to network everything, a computer based home automation system. Yup, definitely could end up with something nice, and still not look too out of place for the street. We have a couple a-frames, and some seriously large and rambly 1800s houses so the size isn’t a big deal. Not a McMansion, no marble or anything like that. Might even have enough money after building it all to get furniture. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/45 "2012-08-29T02:32:29Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > If I were you I’d have at least an extra $75K on hand. I’ve yet to see a large project actually completed on budget. I hear it happens though. Thanks, we do have a reserve, but we’re financing through a 203(k) loan, and that severely limits the possibility of overruns. The contractor has had to file a detailed estimate with a complete list of materials (including price), bids for all subcontracting work, and a schedule of labor. There aren’t many areas left to hide costs. ---
**Author:** ![Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Emtar\_KronJonDerSohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emtar_KronJonDerSohn)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/46 "2012-08-29T05:17:28Z")
Actually the previous owner of my home came into a lot of money and doubled the size of the place. It already sticks out in the neighborhood and any money I put in would not likely add to the resale value. As has been mentioned a few times in the thread, he neglected to pay income tax on that money and as a result he lost the place. But hey, that worked out pretty well for me! ---
**Author:** ![Corcaigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Corcaigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corcaigh)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/47 "2012-08-29T12:31:37Z")
I’d gut the entire interior of the house. I hate the way this house is laid out, it’s only “usefulness” is that it has a downstairs bed/bath for my mother’s use. It’s a rectangle with a square on the side (the square could be a garage, but it was converted into a granny flat by a previous occupant). The rectangle consists of a hallway with stairs, living room and a kitchen/dining room. Because of the positioning of the house it gets the sun in front in the morning and the back in the evening. So I’d have the rectangle consist of a living/dining room going the full length of the building, and have the stairs in the kitchen. Upstairs there are two bedrooms, a main bathroom an en-suite and a box room, the layout of these rooms could be improved greatly by having a “master suite” at the front (bedroom with walk-in wardrobe), and a guest bed/sitting room at the back, with a Jack’n’Jill en-suite in between the two (which would save me having to alternate between the two bathrooms we currently have). The granny flat needs to have the en-suite turned into a wetroom, but otherwise it’s okay. The garden could do with a make-over as well given the previous occupants didn’t actually cultivate a garden at all and it’s just grass with a hedge all around it. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/48 "2012-08-29T12:47:05Z")
We have two acres, most of which can’t be used without major earth moving, so I bet we could get to the halfway point. But we’d be a bit out of place if we did. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/49 "2012-08-29T14:03:24Z")
Indoor as well as outdoor pools. Adorn the walls with original Krazy Kat art. That’s probably a mil right there. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/50 "2012-08-29T14:42:01Z")
I just got a bid in to remodel my kitchen a living room including vaulting the ceilings and removing a wall. It was just under a 100K not counting the new appliances which would take much to add a another 100K. I would like to put in a new floor for my garage and a heater driveway. Initial estimates on that run about 50K. I’ve got plans to refence the lot, add a deck out from and a pergola and doing it myself is going to run about 30K so with paying someone I’ll be closer to 50K. I want to remove my swimming pool and add a large in ground hot tub plus add some more flower bed and stuff. Backyard remodel is looking in the 60K range. For a total of 150K for the outside of the house. Back inside I’d like to remodel the bedrooms and bathrooms initial plans on that are running about 100K. In the finished basement it’s going to take 30K in carpentry to finish the built in bookshelves and we’d like new floors for probably another 40K. I’d like to build in a wet bar/wine cellar and doing it myself it’s look around 40K using better equipment and paying someone else to do it would easily get up to 100K. I’d like to finish off our TV room with 7.2 surround sound and a full set of speakers and projector equipment. Currently it will cost me 15K just for the speakers and another 7K for the viewing equipment plus getting them built in will run about 10K. The workout room, workshop, guest suit and downstairs bathroom all need a ton of work so if I had an unlimited budget I could probably make them nice for 200K. That works out to just north of 850K just for the things I already have planned. Of course that’s with higher end equipment then my current plans since the estimate right now is about 400K for the whole project minus the yard and the bar/wine cellar. It wouldn’t take me any effort at all to drop a million bucks on my house. Of course I’d rather move and use that to buy me a buffer from my neighbors. ---
**Author:** ![perfectparanoia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a5b964/32.png) [@perfectparanoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/perfectparanoia)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/51 "2012-08-29T16:21:42Z")
It really depends what the condo corporation would let us do as to how much it would cost. I am pretty sure I could tear out every room in my home, redo it and redo the siding for about 150 000. There’s no way I could spend a million. ---
**Author:** ![applebetty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4af34b/32.png) [@applebetty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/applebetty)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/52 "2012-08-30T01:14:26Z")
I think I could use that million easily. My house is ~1600 sq ft and sits on 5 acres way back from the road. My wish list: New roof with integrated solar panels over an extended (like ten feet wide) total wrap around porch. Vertical cypress siding. Vintage heart-of-pine wood floors, only two rooms have it now. Hand stuccoed walls in pale cream, again only two rooms have it now. Find some very nice wood for interior trim. Replace PVC plumbing with copper or high tech plastic, replace all fixtures. I need a bidet and a huge clawfoot tub. Professional kitchen appliances. Turn the laundry room into a built in pantry, and add a laundry/mudroom. Highest quality windows, max out insulation. Extensive landscaping with food producing trees and vegetation. Build a garage/workshop/shed with a large covered working area and walkway to house. Replace saggy perimeter fence, need a new tractor with accessories to maintain the fence line and extensive gardens. Water distribution system to all gardens and new barn with attached chicken house and rabbitry Grade and renew gravel driveway. Geothermal HVAC system, not sure how to word that. Windmill for backup power and possibly drawing water. Speaking of water, install rainwater catchment system and dig about a 3/4 acre pond. Stock the pond with fish and have a sandy area at one end with a folly. A rifle with a scope for shooting out the neighbors’ yard lights (just kidding with that one, I think). This is a good off-the-cuff starter list. I forgot the fabulous antique furniture and such. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/53 "2012-08-30T17:18:46Z")
Oh yeah, putting in solar panels and a grey water re-usal system would eat up a big chunk of change, too. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/54 "2012-08-30T23:23:52Z")
Waterproof everything. Fill with water.😃 Didn’t you always imagine what it would be like to swim around in your house when you were a kid? ---
**Author:** ![MareIt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@MareIt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MareIt)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/55 "2012-08-30T23:51:18Z")
I could drop half a mil pretty easily and be really happy with the results. To drop the final half a million would probably require a lot of fighting with the HOA. But given the state of my particular development, I would probably ‘donate’ the other half a million to the common area right outside of my front door which would improve my home value and benefit my neighbors. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/56 "2012-08-31T00:26:52Z")
I would build an extensive underground layer. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/57 "2012-08-31T00:28:47Z")
Does my “house” include my land as well? Because I could fence all my acreage, put in a barn with an indoor arena (air conditioned?). For the house, I seriously need more insulation, new widows and paint. I’d like a new roof. I need central heat and air. I’d like to have all four fireplaces put in working order. I’d love to finish the upstairs attic and add two bathrooms. StG ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/58 "2012-08-31T00:35:35Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > Does my “house” include my land as well? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2012, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/59 "2012-09-01T09:05:16Z")
If you can’t build UP, build down! I could easily eat up a cool mil with multiple underground additions (and of course, a swimming pool on the very bottom floor!). And the ball pit floor, very important. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924/60 "2012-09-02T21:30:16Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > If you can’t build UP, build down! I could easily eat up a cool mil with multiple underground additions (and of course, a swimming pool on the very bottom floor!). And the ball pit floor, very important. Indoor racquetball/tennis/basketball courts? I think we could get together and work something out…🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-000-000-in-renovations-to-your-house/632924.md?page=4)