My wife and I lived in a 1954 era concrete block "bunker" with a shed roof and only a fireplace for heat; no AC. We did a "technical" remodel in that we left some existing exterior walls standing and razed the rest. We did our own general contracting and as much of the work that we were capable of (not much!). After living in our 9' 6" cabover camper for 13 months and 8 days we moved into our "new" house with a lot left to be done still. Temp kitchen, temp bathrooms, bare concrete floors. "Temp" lasted another 8 years. We didn't scrimp; appliances were high-end, cabinetry was custom, gorgeous tile work, lots of neat stuff was incorporated. When finally complete our house was wonderful, a modern showcase. The original house was $115k and the remodel exceeded $300k. We wrote the final mortgage check a few years before selling. When we sold it went for $725k. No change to the footprint, same square footage.
It was difficult, fun, and as it turned out a worthwhile ROI. Definitely not the method that most would/could choose but the ends justified the means in our case.
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Post: Breaking My Rules
Link to comment from May 13, 2023