Behind the times money wise

[44070dart]

I'm having my 1/2 bath remodeled, something > I < would have done five years ago. I received three estimates and two were close and one was insane. I look at the price of material and wonder what in the world has happened. Paint $55 a gallon, the cabinet and sink combo, $2200, mirror and lighting $1100. Through labor in, which I'm good with, and it's $6,500+ to redo a 5x8 bathroom. We did the toilet and flooring a couple of years ago so that was done. Maybe it's me, but I thought that I could have done it 5 years ago for half of the material cost. To do a full bath, which I would like to do, would be $30,000, I'm guessing. I haven't needed to do much with the house, as far as remodeling lately, so I guess I'm behind the times, but damn.

 

[MMissile]

I did a complete re-mod of our bathroom and kitchen, about 6 years ago with a friend. We downsized to a 1200 sq ft home, with some property and a huge garage/shop. Our single bathroom is about 5X10, and the galley kitchen was expanded by removing a wall from the tiny dining room. Took us about 8-9 months, and it still cost me over 50K. I did lots of the work, and shopped all the cool parts and appliances. It turned out great, but still put a huge dent in the funds. Everything I purchased was Kohler, Big Chill, quartz, etc...

same wall...

I didn't really take any decent bathroom pics.....

 

[ProjectBazza]

I'm having my 1/2 bath remodeled, something > I < would have done five years ago. I received three estimates and two were close and one was insane. I look at the price of material and wonder what in the world has happened. Paint $55 a gallon, the cabinet and sink combo, $2200, mirror and lighting $1100. Through labor in, which I'm good with, and it's $6,500+ to redo a 5x8 bathroom. We did the toilet and flooring a couple of years ago so that was done. Maybe it's me, but I thought that I could have done it 5 years ago for half of the material cost. To do a full bath, which I would like to do, would be $30,000, I'm guessing. I haven't needed to do much with the house, as far as remodeling lately, so I guess I'm behind the times, but damn.

Our Master Bath (new-to-us house) has a sloping/pitched floor, and based on what we found underneath we're having some foundation and structural repairs done this spring- along with the Master Bath renovation/remodel. The foundation and structural repairs will be T&M, but the cost of the bath remodel will be around $25k, according to the quotes we've gotten.

And like you I could have done this myself a few years ago, but I'm pushing retirement age, and I've gotten to the point where I just wanna write one big ol' check for things like this now.

Anyway, to answer your question: Yes, things have gone up. A LOT.

 

[44070dart]

I had quartz counter tops done last year, and it ran $16,000 including the back splash tiling. We have a big kitchen with an island, so I expected that. I think the price today would be half that again for material and labor. When she talks about remodeling, and I balk, she opens the garage door, and I have to shut up.

 

[ir3333]

Well the toilet is looked after so i'd say spend the $6500 on your car!

 

[A-Body III]

In general, my experience with houses and related structures, cars, trucks, tractors, machinery, and related items has been that materials and labor are about twice what they were 10 yrs. ago.

 

[44070dart]

Well the toilet is looked after so i'd say spend the $6500 on your car!

Nah, Mama wants it done, mama gets it done. There will be no peace on earth, or in this house, if not.

 

[junkyardhero]

I'm having my 1/2 bath remodeled, something > I < would have done five years ago. I received three estimates and two were close and one was insane. I look at the price of material and wonder what in the world has happened. Paint $55 a gallon, the cabinet and sink combo, $2200, mirror and lighting $1100. Through labor in, which I'm good with, and it's $6,500+ to redo a 5x8 bathroom. We did the toilet and flooring a couple of years ago so that was done. Maybe it's me, but I thought that I could have done it 5 years ago for half of the material cost. To do a full bath, which I would like to do, would be $30,000, I'm guessing. I haven't needed to do much with the house, as far as remodeling lately, so I guess I'm behind the times, but damn.

only 55/gal on paint? Benjamin Moore Aura is running a tick over 100/gal in my neck of the woods.

i built out a 1000 sq/ft ADU for my mom 7 years ago, and the interior paint alone was 4K. i shudder to think what that would even be today.

 

[ir3333]

Yup...Happy wife, happy life. I have the T shirt.

 

[Jeff Seighman]

Happy life, have no wife.

 

[YY1]

We just replaced our cabinet doors and drawer fronts with custom painted mail order parts that were paint matched to Sherwin Williams enamel cabinet paint.

$800 in parts and about $85 for 2 gallons of the paint, plus bondo (yes) and sandpaper to do the seams between the cabinets.

We did pay someone to lay 32x64 tiles on the countertop and extend the surface in the breakfast area.
$300 for the tiles. The labor was included with some other projects we had done such as tiling the entire living room/dining room/kitchen area and assembling a 16x42" above ground pool and building an 8x10 PT deck...and lay a paver path.
All that labor was $4800.
We saved a **** pile by doing the demo, and doing the stuff we could do.

 

[1MeanA]

I do most of my own work because I don't see the value in paying $1000/day or more for a carpenter or plumber. I used vacation days before I retired. Around here if you want somebody to do something that's what it runs even if they are basically laborers unless you find somebody who works on the side and then you don't know what you are getting. The only thing I sub'd out last time I did my bathroom was the wall tiling. I dread the day that I get my kitchen counter replaced and it needs it. My wife and I just painted most of the house (living room, dining room, kitchen, 2 bathrooms and hallways including ceilings) for about $600 using mid line Behr paint. I'm sure a contractor would want $5k-$10k around here.

 

[Back in Time]

We just replaced our Tub/Shower with a walk in Shower and a new handicap height toilet . Kept everything else as it was . Handy Man did the work on the shower and my neighbor and I did the toilet which is a wall hung unit which takes two people . The total on the shower was $ 5600 Labor and material and we just use a shower curtain because Glass doors would have been $ 2000 more and the toilet was $ 500 . I was happy with the shower price but thought the toilet was ridiclous .

 

[BSB67]

As we approach retirement, we’ve taken a critical look at actual costs of likely future expenditures and stuff (small garage, some remodeling, cars, one more boat, furnace, deck replacement, roof…) and baked them into a cash flow model. The numbers are a bit daunting.

 

[MMissile]

It's nice that all you rich people have the luxury of replacing the fixtures, cabinets, and countertops because your bored. If you were poor like me you won't have to worry about things like this, because you'd be happy to have a place to ****. So, not alot of sympathy here... It reminds me of the guy at the Lamborghini show that needed to replace his $25,000 exhaust with a $30,000 exhaust because it didn't sound good.

LOL. The 70 year-old crap was falling apart. If you gotta fix the **** in the walls and floors...it requires major surgery. I planned for my future. I can sell things to do others.

 

[ProjectBazza]

As we approach retirement, we’ve taken a critical look at actual costs of likely future expenditures and stuff (small garage, some remodeling, cars, one more boat, furnace, deck replacement, roof…) and baked them into a cash flow model. The numbers are a bit daunting.

That's exactly where we are at as well. I thought I could retire at the end of this year, but when we ran the numbers with our financial guy and added-in the issues we found with the house (see my response #3 above), that (not so) little expense just bumped my retirement to the end of '26.

 

[go-fish]

I have a friend who is a handyman and this has hit his business hard. Everybody wants yesterday's prices. I tried to get my son into lawn mowing this summer. Same deal. We thought we were giving great rates and would get dumped. People with tons of winter litter and big spring growth would have us do the hard part and then cancel on us after. "Could you just mow the front for 1/2 off". "I can't pay that much anymore, could you do it for less?". "Could you do this extra work, free of charge?"
As far as materials go? Car parts? Utilities? Everything is up. Everything is up for the laborer too. But just like the corporation, the consumer also wants to pay the laborer less. I look at at it like my laborer is me. He has to put gas in his truck too, feed his family. Now, if you can get a good deal on materials it helps. I like my places that give a military discount and has member deals like Lowe's. I also have a tax exemption and use my cash back credit card, pay it off right away, and use the reward like an extra % discount on the product. When buying flooring for my house I saved big time.

 

[1MeanA]

Its interesting that charge out rates are way up but pay rates don't seem to be.

 

[toolmanmike]

I'm having my 1/2 bath remodeled, something > I < would have done five years ago. I received three estimates and two were close and one was insane. I look at the price of material and wonder what in the world has happened. Paint $55 a gallon, the cabinet and sink combo, $2200, mirror and lighting $1100. Through labor in, which I'm good with, and it's $6,500+ to redo a 5x8 bathroom. We did the toilet and flooring a couple of years ago so that was done. Maybe it's me, but I thought that I could have done it 5 years ago for half of the material cost. To do a full bath, which I would like to do, would be $30,000, I'm guessing. I haven't needed to do much with the house, as far as remodeling lately, so I guess I'm behind the times, but damn.

Doing a freshening up of our rental house bathroom that my daughter is moving into. It started with a new tub surround. Of course a new tub, plumbing, and drywall needed. $5500. The walls were really rough so I hired the neighbor that is a finish drywaller. He did a real nice job. Only $500. I haven't primed or painted it yet but I expect a few hundred to do that. While we are at it, might as well do the floor. New vinyl. $1000 We decided against tile. Too expensive, too cold, too slippery, and too hard to keep clean. Of course there will be a new toilet. Haven't shopped for that yet. I will finish the base trim. Not too bad for a small room but probably $100 or so. Yep it all ads up. Probably $8000 when it's all done.

 

[1MeanA]

... Of course there will be a new toilet. Haven't shopped for that yet. ...

we bought Toto toilets years ago and they have been good

 

[toolmanmike]

we bought Toto toilets years ago and they have been good

I have seen the brand. There are a lot of choices nowdays. As long as you can buy flush valve parts down the road, I am good.

 

[BSB67]

we bought Toto toilets years ago and they have been good

They are good. But not inexpensive

 

[missing linc]

I did hardwood flooring in our living room a few years ago, and I suffered for a good few weeks with knee pain, not sure if I would do that again. We also painted most of the main floor at the same time, wife did most of that, I don't remember exactly what it all cost us, but it was probably about $5 to 6k. I also built my 24x30 garage myself 12 years ago, everything except the concrete, had some help from my wife and one of my friends, I might consider doing something like that again, but would only do it with no timeline.

 

[fishmens67]

Last major investment was the roof in 2023, that was a real awakening.

 

[Workingdog1]

Good thing I don't mind a little squalor lol.

IF I was thinking of replacing countertops I'd probably DIY poured in place concrete.

I've given up on many improvements I wanted to do due to an early retirement/disability as I'll be durned to break the bank.