This week, the folks at Cyberhomes will share our New Year's resolutions for 2009. Look for our home and real-estate goals for the upcoming year.
Caroline Dwan, Cyberhomes national advertising sales director
My resolution: To finish the update to our bathroom and make it an organized, contemporary space that will make getting clean almost as much fun as getting dirty.
Cost: I will budget $3,000. The double sinks and vanity should run about $800. We'll use the pre-existing big mirror over the sinks but jazz it up with a $100 contemporary frame. This will be our only DIY task. The removal and replacement of the old electrical light fixture will cost about $100 — we'll hire one of our electrician friends to do the project. Track lighting should cost around $100; new floor tile should run about $600 plus $400 for removal and installation. The deep grayish blue paint needed to create the contemporary zen oasis I'm visualizing will probably cost about $100. Because I have painted every room in our house at least twice and because I am not good at it, I will support the economy and hire a professional, which could cost another $100. I also want to install crown molding, which should cost $250 for materials and installation.
Last year's resolution: To resurface the bathtub, remove the disgusting attempt at a tub kit installed by the previous owners and install subway tile. I'm too much of an environmentalist to toss a perfectly good tub, so we got it resurfaced and cleaned up the existing fixtures. We were without use of our only tub/shower for more than two weeks and spent a lot of time at the health club. The workers caught on and gave me the hairy eyeball for showing up with toiletries and a towel and not even bothering to use the equipment — which leads me to my other New Year's resolution, but that’s not for this space.
The outcome: As a rule, we try to reinvest about $5,000 per year in our home. We are happy to have the new tub and tile; the maintenance projects we completed in 2008 are not as exciting, but we try to balance between the fun and the must-do. My husband is the project manager for anything "outside the bricks," so I am sure we will have a new patio and pergola by 2010. We are pretty good about sitting down around the first of the year and clicking off our accomplishments with the house and in our lives. It seems to launch us into action for making things happen in the New Year. Here’s to feeling fine in 2009!
Click here to read the previous resolution.
Click here to read the next resolution.—Caroline Dwan