Actual conversation

[philo]

The bathroom sink is leaking.

OK I'll rebuild the faucet, I have a kit. Now that I think of it, I've rebuilt it several times....I think I will just get a whole new faucet. You know what, I never did like that sink....I'm going to get a whole new sink AND faucet.

As long as you are going to do that, maybe we should put in a cabinet below the sink?

After going to Home Depot's website and taking measurements, I return to the bathroom and look at our worn out 65 year old bathtub and say: I think the bathtub has priority.

We both agree to having an expert replace it next year...

and I rebuild the faucet one more time.

After note:

I rebuilt the cold water tap, my wife told me it was the "hot" that was leaking.

[Ed Pawlowski]

So, do you have another kit?

I had a similar situation. Wanted to make the shower easier for my wife. Five months and $28,000 later both bathrooms are brand new.

[philo]

To elaborate, the faucets do not actually drip....just a bit of leakage around the handle...I have some grease impregnated string that cures the problem for a year or so. Probably enough to last 20 years.

As to the $28K bathroom....my house only cost $29k so even though that was 40 years ago could not psychologically spent that kind of money.

FWIW: My wife and I remodeled the kitchen ourselves. We hired a friend to help us and had a professional do the wallpaper and a professional do the sink and counter-top.

It looks absolutely wonderful and it cost under $3k.

A couple we know spent $60k for a kitchen remodel and it is the most generic looking thing I've ever seen.

[Ed Pawlowski]

That is about half what I paid for the house. Couple that with some new windows, new 8' slider, new deck, new boiler, etc I have doubled the original cost. Right now it is listed for sale at 3 1/2 times original cost to buy.

You got away cheap. Kitchens can be big bucks. If we stayed here that was the next project.

[Frank]

I just paid the dentist two grand for a new partial which was more than I paid for my first new car 50 years ago.

Tough for us old guys. We have been here for 45 years but with a couple of furnaces, several new water heaters, central air, a couple of roofs, all new windows and sliders and new deck we have put in much more than the purchase price.

You have to keep houses in repair. Neighbor that died a couple of years ago didn't and widow got half what houses go for here. A flipper bought it, took a year to upgrade and probably made $100,000.

[Tekkie®]

philo posted for all of us...

In my experience it's always the hot side...

A typical conversation, once you get started it doesn't end.

Come on; with all you have accomplished don't give up now! ;-)

Are you like me and only have one bath?

[philo]

My wife had been "hinting" for years about the kitchen but I did not realize she was going to pitch in and help!

As to the tub....I removed the old calk and re-did it....gave the tub a good cleaning too. I figure that 30 year calk should easily be good for another six months.

[philo]

So weird having owned a house close to 40 years.

Most of the repairs have been redone.

Still way better than renting.

The house next door was sold six months ago but it needed a ton of work. Contractors still working on it. I'm sure he is paying as much for the repairs as he did for the house.

He told me he is deciding whether to live there or flip it. Unless the contractors are working cheap, I'm not sure if he will make a profit.

[philo]

Yes usually the hot but this was the cold leaking

One bathroom in the house...it was built in 1898 and one bathroom was enough although there is an odd, non-working toilet in the basement.