Adding Value To Chez Bean: Every Tom, Nate, & Marty

/ Ally Bean
Just jawing here. Another day, another post about plans gone sideways.

As you probably know adding value to your home is a slow deliberate process that takes planning, chutzpah, dinero, and faith.  In my experience to make anything happen, one must have the patience of Job, sometimes more than his.

When it comes to this house my motto is IMPROVE DON’T MOVE.  We love Chez Bean and after a pandemic-related 20 month delay in our home improvement schedule, we’re back to fixing her up*.

Or at least starting to do so, supply chain be damned.

~ ~ 🏡 ~ ~

• Last week we had TOM, the landscaper, extend a stacked stone retaining wall so that next spring we’ll be able to plant some bushes or perennials in our new, dare I say classy, planting bed that frames the front yard.

Look for photos next spring, nothing interesting to see yet.

• We’ve talked with NATE about a new concrete sidewalk that’ll lead to our front stoop.  Our current sidewalk is 20+ years old.  It’s cracked and crumbling, with many an unwanted, albeit cute, chipmunk living underneath portions of it.

The question now is: do we replace it with what is there, standard brushed concrete, or for a price do we upgrade to stamped concrete?

Opinions or observations vis-à-vis concrete, anyone? 

• And then, because we’re finally ready to have our shabby dated powder room and guest bathroom remodeled, we talked with MARTY our previous remodeler** who done us proud.

We hope to bring the bathrooms into this century, thereby making them more usable, with modern amenities like toilets that flush consistently and drains that like to drain.

And wouldn’t that be nice?

~ ~ 🏡 ~ ~

Anyway that’s what’s up here. Anything new, home-related or otherwise, with you, my little chickadees? Chirp away in the comments below.  

* Fun fact: 2020 was to be the year we completed our home improvement projects, projects that started with remodeling the kitchen in 2009.  We’d hoped to begin traveling in 2021, comfortable in the knowledge that our home, our nest, was up-to-date and ready to nurture us upon our return home. BUT THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN, DID IT?

** Happy fact: Completed inside home improvement projects include the aforementioned kitchen + the primary bathroom + the laundry room + the upgraded fireplace surround. LIKE CHRISTMAS, WE’RE GETTING THERE.

163 thoughts on “Adding Value To Chez Bean: Every Tom, Nate, & Marty”

  1. Well, right before the pandemic we worked with an architect to get plans together to add a family room, remodel a couple of bathrooms and build a closet or two. Then quarantine. Then no one working inside in other people’s spaces. Then vaccines and now contractors are so backed up they are not bidding new business. In addition to the workload, building materials are scarce and expensive. It’s been a time of finding a way to love what we have. Sigh.

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  4. Maybe the delay will help hold the cost down. At least some building materials are starting to drop back toward earth in price. Of course if you need four things, one is sure to be on a boat in Long Beach harbor. I wish you luck, especially with the concrete. Is stamped concrete less expensive than something like bluestone? I’m just curious – our walk was only 16’ long and we replaced it with a ramp (just in case).

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  6. Our bathroom needs a remodel, too. The sheetrock is literally crumbling–well, rusting and crumbling. I didn’t know sheetrock could do that. But it’s the only bathroom with a bathtub and shower in our tiny house, so there was no way we were remodeling during the Pandemic.

    I need to find someone who can do the job quickly and well and now you know why it may never get done.

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    • AutumnAshbough, I know what you’re talking about. We had a condo with sheetrock behind the tile around the tub, and it crumbled and got moldy. It was a mess, but we sold the place to someone who didn’t consider it a problem. I can understand why your project may never be done.

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  8. I have no experience with concrete or retaining walls, but am pre-emptively envious of your raised planting beds.

    Toilets that flush and drains that drain sound lovely. Here in my house, we are facing a door failure issue. First the door to the garage lost its handle, and now we can’t really use it. One of the locks on one of the other doors doesn’t work properly. Well, it locks, but doesn’t unlock without FORCE. And an interior closet door has come off its track. Why all at once, doors? Feels like a metaphor for something.

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    • Suzanne, you do have your woes with your doors. Each problem is so idiosyncratic, that it does seem like there is a message hidden in your experiences. I’ve never dealt with a handle-less garage door, but have had an interior closet door lose its way. Hope you find fixes for all your wayward doors. Soon.

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  9. You all are making some good progress!!! Hubs and I would argue that we live in a nice house and I can’t flush the toilet in the primary bathroom. Drove me nuts!! So we redid it this summer. So nice. Good luck finding good peeps, but sounds like u have some 😊😊

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  10. I do have thoughts about concrete! We have stamped concrete and I think it looks lovely but it’s super slippery in the wintertime. I don’t know if you get really cold winters, but we sure do and the concrete becomes a bit hazardous without putting down gravel or kitty litter or what have you.

    We have been doing a major renovation of our vacation-house-that-will-be-our-retirement-home (think: putting on a second floor, kind of renovation) and it’s been quite the process. Prior to any of our renovations, the single bathroom featured a toilet that flushed at most one-third of the time. AT MOST. We started the renovation after the time I took a shower and the toilet backed up into the shower while I was in it. My thoughts were that either we renovate, or I wouldn’t stay there anymore.

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  11. You whetted my appetite for photos, foxy lady. When we moved in five years ago, the kitchen and bathrooms had been updated, so no problem. Now when I watch HGTV, I see sledge hammers being applied to kitchens with maple cabinets and black granite countertops. For shame! (I still like what I have.)

    We did replace the toilets with higher ones, so in our old age we don’t have to install grab bars to get up out of our perch. Ha ha!

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  12. I think this might be the season that I have to ask the landlord for a new stove. The fridge came last year, but the stove, including the oven just doesn’t heat as it should. They had two weddings this past summer so I tried to leave them alone $ wise, but now all bets are off!

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  14. The supply chain struggle is real. Rick is a construction coordinator for a remodeler/builder, and they are looking at huge delays right now. Monstrous ones, in many cases. If you are patient and not in a hurry, then The Force Is With You. Ditto with being flexible.

    We talked to someone about rebuilding our front porch–just the floor, and it’s very small–last spring. We said we knew they were busy, and we’re happy to wait until fall. Well–rain every day, practially, in October has put them so far behind that now, it looks like spring until they get to us. A whole year’s delay. Crazy times.

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    • Nance, I’m sure Rick is dealing with problems like ours, multiple by 100. My brain understands what’s going on and how we can only do so much to make our remodeling goals happen, but my heart wants this done NOW. Haven’t we suffered at home long enough? Shouldn’t good behavior be rewarded? [Rhetorical questions.]

      I hadn’t thought about how our wet fall has impacted exterior renovations. I’m sorry your porch floor will have to wait, but not altogether surprised.

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  15. Good luck with the reno projects, AB. We’re getting a new roof put on soon ~ but the HOA did all the negotiations and selections and gyrations necessary to line up a contractor, etc.

    Our job? We just need to bring our checkbook to the table.

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  16. My home is dated but I can’t see putting a lot of money into it. Right now my oldest son lives with me but if he decides to move, I probably could not handle the upkeep myself. Any changes I make may not pay off as styles change and buyers want what they want. I would rather knock dollars off the price and let the buyer do what they want. I do fix things that need it (appliances, roof,…) but I don’t mind my 90’s kitchen.
    The upside is my grandkids can visit and I don’t have to worry about the little ones wrecking things! 🙂
    Good luck with your improvements!

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    • Ellen D, I take your point. There’s something to be said for just letting a house age– and the grandkid angle is a valid one. In fact that’s our plan once all these improvements happen. Z-D will retire, we’ll live here for 20 year, let the place fall down around us, then sell it as a fixer upper!

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  17. The supply chain thing! I shouldn’t be, but am astounded by the fact that a seemingly unrelated medical issue ended up creating such havoc.

    Stamped concrete could look nice – but your might regret the cost and subsequent maintenance. Not to mention, it might look dated down the road?

    Speaking of regret: that’s me looking at the interlocking paving bricks that run alongside the herb garden, taking in the bazillion little seedlings of oregano sprouting in the cracks. Bad move, that.

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    • Maggie, yes, Covid-19 is the virus that keeps giving us trouble in new and unique ways. More reasons to hate it.

      I hadn’t thought about how stamped concrete could quickly look dated depending on how the trends go. Good point.

      When we plant whatever it is we’re going to plant in the new area, I’ll remember your experience with oregano. I think it’s going to be a few small boxwoods and leave it at that. I’m into simplicity right now.

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  18. We recently spent a somewhat staggering amount of money to have a tree taken down, and we’re girding ourselves to spend a stupidly staggering amount to have some major plumbing work re-done. These are not the kind of improvement expenses that bring a lot of joy, but they do improve value and bring peace of mind. (I will not have to fear that an ice storm this winter will bring branches of said tree down on our neighbor’s house, and I am looking forward to a spring in which our cars will not be covered with whatever that stuff was the tree dropped on them, constantly.)

    Wishing you good luck with your ventures. I suspect we will never be done with home improvements. By the time we get to the end of our list, I suspect the things we did at the beginning of it will need attention. If that tells you anything about how quickly we make progress. 🙂

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    • Rita, we’ve had trees taken down and I know what you mean about the price. Better to take them down before they fall on your house, something we learned the hard way.

      I fear you’re right about how once we finish my current list of improvements, the first ones will need to be updated. HOWEVER our plan is to finish this list, live here for 20 years in our golden years, and let the house fall down around us. Kind of like Grey Gardens, but without trash inside the house.

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      • That’s pretty much what my grandmother did. I don’t know if it was on purpose or more about a lack of resources (of all kinds) or a decision to prioritize bingo, dancing, and family dinners (one with which I would agree), but by the time she left her home (safety net for so many), it needed all kinds of work. The new owners gutted it, and although it made me sad I was also glad to see the old place reborn. The shell remains fairly intact, and when I drive by I can remember it as it once was for us.

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        • I had an aunt who did what your grandmother did. Aunt Char just lived in her house well into her 80s, focusing on golf, books, and meals, letting the house decline around her. She fell and broke her hip in the living room, was carried out by EMTs, and that was that. The house sold quickly. The new buyers liked the potential in the house.

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  19. We have been remodeling our basement, which was in disrepair after a horde of children lived there with their pets through the years. Oh, and the mold that developed there after leaks on the floor above. The mold was a surprise, since we live in an arid climate. But with the pandemic, my husband stopped traveling and worked from home. He developed numerous issues which we believe tie back to the mold. I’ve had issues for many years, and we now see that they are also mold-related. So, surprise! We are remodeling. We’re half-way through the remodel (awaiting new flooring as it becomes available) and fully finished with the mold remediation. Whew! Bring on the good times! The basement needed to be done anyway, so we are making plans for new uses for it.

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    • KDKH, I didn’t know there could be mold problems in an arid climate. That’s news to me, too. I’m glad you figured out that mold-related issues were causing you both health issues, but odd isn’t it? It sounds like you’re on your way to having a great new space in your house. And how cool is that! I hope you enjoy it for all it’s worth.

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      • Apparently a leak behind the refrigerator, and another under the sink, accumulated in the space between the floors, and mold grew there. And in the attic, weirdly enough. Yes, we are hoping to be on the road to recovery and rocking the re-do of the basement. It’s not as much as you are doing, but it’s a start. The first rehab we did, several years ago, was to remove all the carpet and put down tile. That was REALLY nice in a home with so many pets.

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    • Jean, stamped concrete sidewalks are fancy and look like bricks or cobblestones, even though it’s concrete. They are often dyed some color other than cement gray. They’re a thing, but one I sense we’ll not be paying for. I agree BernieLynne’s sidewalk is lovely.

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  22. Sounds exciting. I don’t haven any info about regular concrete or stamped. In my experience, stamped concrete SOUNDS like concrete that was poured and then a bunch of unruly kids would maybe come and stick their hands in it or feet to leave a ‘stamped’ look. 😉

    We are actually getting our new siding this week. They came yesterday, but just to dump the new boards in a pile on the grass. We are going from white with red brick with black speckles to very dark gray with red brick with black speckles. I’m nervous because it is such a big change, but hoping it will be amazing.

    Envious that you have a contractor that did you proud. I didn’t know that was a thing. Good luck. Looking forward to pics of your results.

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    • Ernie, I like your definition of stamped concrete. While not exactly what we’re talking about here, it would be a distinctive look.

      New siding is exciting. I understand your anxiety about the dramatic color change, but it sounds good to me. Dark gray exteriors are popular around here. Very classy.

      We’ve had positive experiences with Marty and his company, so fingers crossed supply chain stay strong, we’ll get our remodeling projects done. If nothing else we’re in the pipeline now, so ever onward.

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  23. We built our house in the 1980s and started remodeling about the same time as you did (2008). Now some of the first projects that we did are looking a little worse for wear. It may be time for another go-round. When will it end??? I’m seriously considering downsizing.

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    • Laurie, I wonder the same thing. We had the kitchen remodeled with the intention of doing everything else soon thereafter, but we dawdled and now the kitchen, while lovely, is an older kitchen. How did that happen?

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  24. Your plans sound like they will make your home very welcoming indeed, especially the bathroom fixes. Though I do love the idea of your classy planter beds and retaining wall.

    I dream of the day when we could gut our kitchen and put in new cabinets. Ours are horrid. When we moved in way back in 1998, they had been painted white, but not treated or something, so the dirt really shows. We thought to fix it ourselves, but didn’t know what we were doing, so just slapped another layer of paint on, and now they look even worse. Especially since we probably painted in about 2000, so it’s been awhile. I consider just getting a face lift to them, but to be honest, the real dream would be to remove them entirely and put new ones in. Sigh. I’m just not eager to spend that kind of money. Perhaps I should bite the bullet, it would be nice to love my kitchen.

    We also need all new carpet and flooring. But we have so much furniture in our bedroom (bed, dresser, big desk, computer armoire, and big wood file cabinet, the downside of working from home in a 2 bedroom townhouse) that the idea of someone getting in here to paint (something else that needs doing) or put in new carpet is daunting indeed. My fantasy is that we pack the entire house up, culling the junk as we go, and put our belongings in storage. Then we go on a long vacation, perhaps a month, in Europe, leaving all of the fixing up in the capable hands of a project manager, and we come home to find everything absolutely perfect. As long as I’m dreaming, let’s say somehow it comes in under budget. But if I had that kind of money, we wouldn’t be living in a 2 bedroom townhouse with my office in my bedroom, to be sure.

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    • J, of all the things we’re talking about doing, getting the bathrooms in working order is our priority. For our convenience, for resale when it comes to time to sell. The builder who built this house is known for not doing plumbing well, so upgrading can only help add value to this house.

      We painted some cabinets in our primary bathroom before we had it remodeled. It was a fix, but they chipped easily. IF you decide to look for new kitchen cabinets I guarantee you you’ll be dumbfounded by how they’ve improved in the last 20 years. The doors and drawers shut with a nudge, and the finishes wipe clean.

      I love your idea that you go to Europe for a month and let someone else handle all your updates. We need to get our wood floors refinished, but like you I’m daunted by the idea of moving all the furniture, putting it in storage, then living somewhere else for a week or two while the floors are done. Still…

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  25. I too have spent a lot of time re-doing my exterior and interior. (as you know from my blog) Once I found a reliable carpenter and painter, I put them to work on many long overdue projects. There is still so much to do, but it feels great to get a few improvements done. I would love to see before and after shots of your work. It’s exciting to see transformation.

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    • Margaret, I know you’ve been making strides on your house. Finding the right people to do the work is one of our biggest challenges. You’ve found the perfect duo. I like to see the transformations, too. When any of this happens, probably next spring, I’ll take photos and share them here. At this point, it’s all just talk– and dreams.

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  26. You had my attention with stones and planting bed. I’ll be waiting for those photos. 🙂 I’m impressed you got three humans to come by, speak, and give you an estimate. 👏🏻 Around here, you get a “I’m straight out until next summer.” Plain or stamped with maintenance? Depends on if there is a difference that is obvious enough for you to enjoy. If you look at it and smile, the maintenance will be worth it. Deck still hanging on? 🙂

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    • Judy, next spring once we get some bushes or perennials in the planting bed I’ll take some photos. Maybe many photos, even.

      I hear you about getting contractors to return calls. The reason Tom and Nate and Marty have returned our calls, come to the house, AND given bids is that we have past history with them. We’re a known commodity.

      The new people who we’ve called haven’t been into helping us, thus we still have a deck hanging onto the house but with unusable stairs. That saga continues.

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  27. Our immediate(ish) plans are for an outdoor shed next year and possibly a kitchen island. We are also in the process of replacing all our kitchen appliances and will move on to the laundry room next year. Dinero is right!! And I ain’t referrin’ to the actor…

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    • Mark, an outdoor shed would be wonderful. We had one once upon a house and it was useful + pretty. As for appliances, our cooktop and oven are dodgy; if we order now we can get them replaced… wait for it… next May… probably. Please pray for our current ones until then.

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  28. We are getting into “queues” to get work done. Kitchen starts tomorrow (planning started in January). Landscaping will be done in July (yep that’s NEXT July, soonest they could schedule us). We’ve just put in an HOA notice to redo the deck for next spring. You have to work so dang far in advance that I get a headache! Good luck to you!

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    • Kate, you’re right, we’re getting into queues, too. So it took almost a year to get your kitchen project started? And next July for the landscaping? Honestly, I understand why and how things are happening, but I’m not pleased.

      I did all that was asked of me during the pandemic, stayed at home away from people, however now I’m tired of my home’s issues and want them solved stat. SHOULDN’T THAT BE MY REWARD FOR BEING A COOPERATIVE CITIZEN? Instead, I’m waiting… still… because of the pandemic.

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  29. Baby steps. Right?
    So nice that you at least have Tom, Nate, and Marty on the calendar. Or at least in your contacts. It’s hard to locate workers lately.
    I don’t know much about replacing concrete sidewalks. *eyeballing my crumbling driveway* Good luck on making your choices.
    You can never go wrong with updating kitchens (check!) and now your bathrooms. That’ll be fun!
    So maybe you’ll travel in 2022? or 2023?

    Me? Home improvements?
    *eyeballing the empty pool, ripped-out lanai pavers, and extra-large paint color choices/swatches on exterior walls*
    Nope. Nothing to see here. 😉

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    • Suz, we’ve worked with Tom, Nate, and Marty before so they were interested in coming back here. Other people we contacted blew us off.

      Our drive way is looking lousy, too, but we’ve decided to ignore it. The sidewalk, however, is a problem, potentially dangerous.

      Your ongoing projects sound wonderful, IF you can get someone to do them. And you can get the supplies. And you have longevity genes in your family tree so that you’ll live to see them happen. At this point we’re hoping to start traveling next fall, but who knows, eh?

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  30. Ah, best laid plans. I wanted ten hens. I have two and three more confirmed roosters to deal with. I’m glad for you for all the housing projects you DID get accomplished. I have no idea what the difference is between your two concrete options, so I’m afraid I have no opinion to offer there.

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  31. Yeah, we just had to replace all the pipes under the house – that cost a pretty penny and put a damper on doing anything else for quite a while but at least we won’t have to worry about getting backed up anymore. The old pipes were leaking and there was quite a puddle under the house. Don’t even want to tell you about the smell, which was what alerted us to the problem. Fortunately that’s gone now. I remember your remodel. Looking forward to seeing the pictures.

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    • Janet, replacing pipes under the house sounds like a messy and pricey project. I’m glad you got them replaced but can understand how they have hampered your ability to do other [fun] things. Ain’t it the way? I’ll take photos when [if?] things happen on these projects. Like next spring if we’re lucky.

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  32. Congratulations on getting things going in home improvement mode, Ally Bean! We have been busy upgrading our Little House in the Woods for several years now. We had contractors ready to remodel the kitchen just as the pandemic hit. They finally came in and did it in April, 2021. I lived in the basement while they sawed and hammered and yammered and such. But it’s so nice when everything gets all spiffed up, isn’t it?

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    • Kathy, I love the idea of you living in the basement while your kitchen was being spiffed. I remember when ours was done, so much noise & dust. But like you said, it’s nice when it’s finished. Keep my eye on the prize, I will.

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  33. With us, it’s definitely the bathrooms that need remodeling … one has the pink and burgundy tiles and the other baby blue and yellow. The house was built in the 40s and so I’m sure all sorts of horrid things are in the walls just waiting for us to find them! I might just put up with the “vintage” look.

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    • Jan, I get your point about learning to like the vintage look. I don’t know what I’d do in your situation. I don’t like those color combos BUT finding out what’s behind those walls sounds scary.

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    • Janis, I want our deck replaced but cannot find anyone to do it. I know the price of lumber/trex is high but *IF* we can find someone we’ll probably go for it. Of course my *IF* is a big one…

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  35. We are living parallel lives. Started looking for a contractor in Jan. 2019 to redo our powder room/half bath. What a disaster…..between being ghosted and estimates in the $25k range, we finally have someone AND a date of Dec. 6th…..fingers crossed.

    Also started in March ‘21 looking for a landscaper who could do a hardscape project (new front and back walkways, new front porch, new lighting). Only found one business willing to do it. Told they’d start in May, then it was June . . . Long story short, it was started Sept 30th and finally finished this past Friday. We got Belgrade pavers. Previous owner did stamped concrete in 2009 and it did not last at all. Totally discolored from the sun and cracked. Hope that helps.

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    • Bijoux, we really are living parallel lives! Our powder room estimate is about the same as yours, but the soonest they say they might be able to start is next spring, probably May. We’ll see, won’t we?

      As for getting projects done outside the house, that’s a crap shoot trying to figure out who’ll consider doing them, who’ll show up. Very interesting about the stamped concrete. Thanks for telling me this. I never thought about how the sun might discolor it– and I wouldn’t like that at all.

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  36. Fortunately, we did a major remodel in 2016. We did replace our washer/dryer recently. Our tenant was happy to get the ones we took out. The washer wasn’t very old, but I decided I dislike front loaders.

    Best wishes for all your projects coming together.

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    • Eilene, we put off these improvements, always saying next year. Then, of course, the pandemic struck and we were stuck inside our house, that we love, BUT began to realize it needs more tender loving care. We have a front-loading washer and dryer. I can understand why you got rid of yours. They take getting used to.

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  37. My dad was a carpenter, and every time we moved, he built his shop first on an adjoining lot. Sometimes the shop was almost as big as the house. Mom got used to it.

    I had my kitchen remodeled about 10 years ago, and it still looks good, although you can always think of something. Now I’m thinking I should replace my gas stove with an electric stove. It’s supposed to be better for the environment and also for my lungs. Hmm. I’ll think about it.

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    • Nicki, how funny about your dad’s shops. I’d guess that being a carpenter requires space and a love of sawdust! 😉

      Like you our kitchen remodel is still looking good. We are going to have our cooktop and oven replaced when we do the bathrooms. We have electric already so it’ll just be newer upgraded models. I didn’t know that gas stoves were bad for the environment. Interesting.

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  38. Ohhhh pics of the updated, renovated areas please 🙂 I love home renos but they are indeed a pain when you’re in the throes of one!

    Drains that like to drain 😂🤣😭

    I’m not sure what the difference between brushed concrete and stamped concrete are bc I didn’t pay attention when our contractor replaced our porch steps but I’m quite a fan of them… Sorry, no help here! 😳

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    • bosssybabe, I’ll take some pics once there’s something to take a pic of. Right now this is more planning than doing. Commenters here have steered me to brushed concrete because it’s less slippery. Glad I put the topic out there, the things I learn while blogging are amazing and useful.

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  39. Congratulations on finding good workers. That’s always the worst part for me, finding people I can trust. I started my house renos in 2009 too, with a major project each year, windows, doors, deck, roof, kitchen etc. I stopped with the pandemic, although I was almost ready to order new window treatments/shutters I couldn’t make up my mind and the pandemic became a good excuse to pause. But I need to get back at it again. Plus bathroom floor to be installed, I have the tile just need to find an installer.

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    • Joni, you sound like you’ve made consistent progress on your home improvements even if you did have to pause during the pandemic. We bought new window treatments a few years ago. There were so many choices! Good luck with that.

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      • Thanks Ally. My dilemma was between California shutters and those pull down shades, both pricey. I still like the look of the shutters even though they may not be the current fad and they would suit my old house and afford more privacy, but I have new and very pretty windows and wanted to be able to swing the shutters open to see the view and the let the light in, but the salesperson said I can’t do that because they would sag over time from the weight of the shutter. I may try a different company. I’m of no help to you with the concrete question as I’ve only ever done my driveway and it’s just standard stuff, which they did not get level in one spot so I have a puddle for ducks and curse them every time it rains a lot.

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        • We went round and round on the window treatment issue, too. Years ago I tried to have California shutters installed here, but ran into trouble because the way our windows are positioned, we’d not be able to open the shutters completely, ever. That didn’t sit well with me, so I never looked into them again.

          We had roller shades put on some windows. In two rooms they’re manual, in the kitchen they’re motorized. We like them because they open completely so light can come in. We also got some faux wood blinds for a couple of rooms. They look great, in a traditional, more private, sort of way.

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  42. I had to look up the difference between brushed concrete and stamped concrete, unaware as I was that there was a choice. Looks like brushed concrete requires little maintenance and isn’t slippery so I’d probably go with that. Having had problems with drains that don’t like to drain I can relate to wanting that problem fixed! Hope Marty will do you proud again. Wishing you much luck finally getting your nest up-to-date.

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    • Barbara, until we spoke with Nate, I didn’t know much about concrete. Now, having seen umpteen photos of sidewalks, I am an expert [well almost]! Talking with commenters here we’ve decided to go with brushed for the reasons you mention. I truly don’t care what kind of concrete sidewalk we have, I just want it safe and chipmunk-free.

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  43. I tackled a few updating projects at the beginning of Covid. Painted our master bedroom, spare room (granddaughters room), main bath & kitchen. Restained the top of our banister & painted out all of the spindles (that was a job!) and had new carpet put in all of our upstairs. Considering changing out the sink in our little powder room to a vanity….to be continued! All the best with your renos!

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    • Lynn, you’ve done some fun things, or at least projects that are almost instant improvements. New carpeting is always a joy. Painting the spindles would be tricky. [I’m looking at ours now.] I applaud you for having the patience and eyesight to do that. [Have decided ours are fine as is.]

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  44. We rent…and have been house hunting for the last year…we actually lost 6 housing bids…6! AND now, we might have to move out of NY which brings other issues…ANYWAYS, thanks for the smiles.

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    • Linda, oh I’m sorry to read that you lost 6 housing bids. That’s incredible– and frustrating, no doubt. I know that it’s a sellers’ market right now, but we don’t want to sell… so we’ll focus on our home improvements. Hope you find what you’re looking for, wherever it might be.

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  45. It is like Christmas!
    Hope everyone shows up, supplies are secured easily, and timetables kept.
    If there is no real reason to move, why not just fix it up. Makes sense in that case.
    Like you we had planned on traveling, but no. What a curve ball. (and a boring one)
    So you’re evicting your under sidewalk livestock. I never think of that. The big winds we’ve had took down 2 squirrel nest in the back trees – they were rather cute to watch – I think Molly thought those were strange cats – she enjoyed watching them, also. Now we don[‘t see them…they apparently thought we had ordered the evictions.
    Some type of pave stone is popular here – less slick and they can be re-leveled if necessary – with all our rain and heat, concrete cracks or moves up and down making it dangerously uneven ( constant source of new repair jobs for some locals)
    Can’t wait for spring to see your elegant new flowerbed!

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    • philmouse, we’ve thought about moving but decided we’re happy here, except for a few things about the house. One of the unintended consequences of being at home all the time during our Covid-19 lockdown was we noticed more things that were wrong in and around the house. So now our list is longer, right when qualified workers are scarce.

      I didn’t know about re-leveling paver stones but it makes sense where you are. We have lots of squirrels but they don’t bother our front sidewalk like the chippies do. I’m glad your squirrels gave Molly something to do. We all find our own kind of fun.

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    • Yeah, Another Blogger, the landscape and concrete projects aren’t impacted by the supply chain situation; the weather will affect when they happen. However I’m told that we’ll have to wait about 4 months longer than the usual 2 months to get what we need for the bathroom remodel projects, meaning we can expect to begin next May, at the earliest.

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  48. Oh the things one learns when visiting your blog Ms Bean. I’d no idea about the variations in concrete and have learned much via your blog and the comments. The only brushed anything I’m currently familiar with is brushed cotton (or flannel as I call it) as I’ve been hunting for a second set of bedlinen. It’s been “delivered to our courier” says my order update, so with baited breath, here I sit. I’m currently ordering & opening many boxes of seasonal deliveries for others, but this order is in the way of self-gifting 🙂 Looking forward to seeing updates on your re-modelling.

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    • Deb, before we started talking with Nate about concrete I, too, was unaware of all the concrete possibilities. Having now talked with commenters here I’m going with the brushed style. Less slippery, which seems like a good thing to me.

      I’m hoping your flannel sheets have arrived by now. Since the beginning of lockdown we’ve ordered many things online, then waited… waited… waited for them to arrive. Often in your exact situation, just watching the tracking notices and wondering when we’ll see our stuff.

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  49. We moved into our spiffy new mudroom on Valentine’s Day weekend earlier this year, but we’re STILL NOT DONE with construction. There’s one more thing that needs fixing – very small, very minor – but I told the company they ain’t gettin’ a dime more from me until it’s fixed (we still owe a couple thousand of our final payment). We’ve been dealing with the punch list from this project for nearly 9 months. We signed the original contract to do the work a year and a half ago. My aunt and uncle built a new house from scratch in less time than our 2-room addition has taken, and theirs was built during COVID, too, so the company can’t use the COVID excuse. OK, vent over. (Breathe, Travel Architect, breath . . .)

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    • The Travel Architect, that’s so lousy I don’t even know where to start. I’d do like you have and withhold payment, but apparently that isn’t the motivation you’d hope it would be. The thought of a year and a half fussing around with a home improvement project makes my head spin and puts my stomach in knots– especially when your aunt and uncle got a new house during those months. My condolences

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  51. Congrats on the progress of your home improvement plans! I wish I had good advice. But you don’t need advice from a nonhomeowner. 😄 So many people I know are doing what you’re doing–adding value to their homes. My parents just put in a walk-in shower.

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    • L. Marie, a walk-in shower is a great feature in a house. I figure we’re here for a long while more [fingers crossed] so why not make a few upgrades? Of course that’s the optimist in me talking, not the pragmatist who knows this is going to get messy.

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  52. We’ve postponed a bathroom remodel for two years and the project has expanded greatly and hopefully will be commencing in March. Lead times are definitely playing a part. The toilet I wanted was out 280 days.

    I was tempted to push it out a bit in the hopes that costs would ease a bit more, but we’re at a point where it really has to be done or we’re going to be replacing broken faucets only to replace them a second time

    Your projects sound fun, though I think traveling sounds “funner”. I really miss travel.

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    • Katie, we’re at the same point as you are about remodeling. If what we have breaks, I don’t want to replace it with filler items, only to have to replace them soon thereafter. 280 days out is crazy, but I suppose we’re going to find the same thing once we get to the picking out part of the remodel. Right now, this is all on paper.

      I miss traveling, too. But if we can’t go somewhere at least we can spend some money and make where we are better. The travel industry’s monetary loss is the local subcontractors’ monetary gain.

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  53. I admire your dedication to home improvement. We also don’t want to move, but I have a horror of renovations (strangers in my house! Decisions to be made! Having to move all my crap somewhere else!) so we’re more of the “let the house fall down around your ears, don’t move” persuasion. We did do some painting and minor reflooring and light fixture replacement during Lockdown Number One, since my husband wasn’t traveling or commuting and my daughter was doing school online and decided to repaint her room. Now husband is traveling again and the slow decay resumes.

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    • bibliomama, I understand your aversion to having people traipsing through your house while they remodel it. It is stressful [+ noisy] for me, too. And the decisions are overwhelming. However our plan is to make these improvements, retire here, then let the house fall apart. We’ll sell the house in 20 years as a fixer-upper. 😉

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  54. Good luck with your home improvement projects, Ally! We need to replace the concrete on our porch steps and probably the driveway too. We won’t start until spring, so hopefully I’ll gain some advice from your experience. We’ve also been talking about repainting the entire interior of our house. I look forward to the end result, but the process–not so much.

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    • Christie, learning about the different kinds of concrete surfaces is interesting. It’s something I knew nothing about but now am noticing concrete everywhere I go. In theory I’d like to have the interior of this house repainted, but like you, just thinking about the process is daunting. Maybe, someday…

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  55. That’s an ambitious agenda Ally and I wish you luck on all of it. I’ve not done any home improvements in a while, but will be doing something in the backyard, but not until I’m retired as I’m not sure what to do with the landscaping yet. Sometimes I’d like to recreate the butterfly garden I once had, but lost in the first Polar Vortex, but I hesitate to do so due to the erratic weather, with drought or torrential rain as well as unseasonable temps the norm, so we shall see. I’d like to get the driveway lifted as it is uneven as I’ve seen it done in the neighborhood and was impressed. I’ve seen stamped concrete and I liked it.

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    • Linda, it’s amazing how necessity makes a person ambitious! We’ll see how this all plays out…

      About having concrete lifted: 10 years ago we had that done on the sidewalk I’m talking about here. All was well for about 8 years. Then one day we realized that the side walk was sinking again and had large horizontal cracks in it. As a temporary fix the lifting was great, but in the long run we were just putting off the inevitable.

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      • Hmm – well that is good to know and I’m glad I mentioned the concrete being lifted. My driveway and sidewalk are not even at all. The job down the street was recent, maybe two years ago, as the homeowner put the house up for sale shortly after the “fix” was completed. I’m guessing it didn’t pass an inspection beforehand.

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    • Rae Cod, we started then stopped for a few years, then started and stopped again. Now we’re back at it, with an end goal in mind. We want this house as improved as possible when we retire, then we plan to let it fall down around us for the next 20 years. It might be much of a plan, but it’s a plan!

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  57. Congrats on getting moving on projects again. We’ve seen many semis and trailers with wood being hauled around our area. The siding trucks, not so much. Many houses sitting without likely have new homeowners worried. I have a girlfriend that started a bathroom remodel last February and it’s still not done due to a tiny strip of metal for the shower door that is out of stock. My neighbor had stamped concrete put on their walkway and driveway, concrete is concrete and will crack if not properly installed. Done well, the stamped stuff looks classy. But, I don’t have it, and our brushed concrete is 31 years old and still holding up. As far as our own projects, remember the windows? Well, in a driving rain this week, one of them leaked. I found a huge puddle on the kitchen counter. We think it’s due to the siding but aren’t sure? With today’s arrival of snow hopefully, we won’t end up with a snowdrift in the kitchen. Although, that might be a blog-worthy topic. 🤔😉😂

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    • Shelley, I haven’t seen any trucks with wood or siding around here. I think building has stopped in the newer part of this subdivision. I do see windows being installed every so often– and think of you, wouldn’t you know! I am not happy to read that one of your windows is leaking because THAT STINKS. However a snowdrift in the kitchen would be a good story. As for the concrete we’re going with the brushed that needs no ongoing maintenance. I can’t justify the upcharge for the fancy stuff.

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      • We have a new housing development about 3 miles from our house. There are at least 6 houses sitting with windows in them, no siding, and no garage doors. We saw a semi truck hauling the framing wood to another new house. There’s another house that has been adding an addition for 2 years now, still doesn’t have plywood on the walls. Definitely a tough time to get supplies.
        Aw, glad you remembered me and the windows. Yes, the window leaking STINKS. I hope we have another ‘warmer’ day so Mr. can squirt some caulk in the cracks before it gets too cold and snowy.
        I think you chose wisely on the concrete!

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        • I don’t know that I’d be at. all. happy. if it took 2 years to complete an addition to the house. That’d stress me to the nth degree. Those poor people.

          I hope you get the chance to do your caulking. It’ll help. It’s always something, isn’t it?

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          • I agree. And by the time they get it done the wood that hasn’t been covered is starting to rot.
            Today is the only day this coming week that we may have warm enough weather to squeeze some caulk on the house to help. I may be extra loud in my suggestion to use the warmer day for that. 😉
            Yes, it’s always something. 🙂

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  58. While outdoor upgrades and additions are consistent in the warm months here, I don’t think we’ll be trying any spending or even consulting on the interior until the spawn are in their own spaces. Thus, I enjoy reading, seeing, and hearing of others’. If anything gets redone inside, it may be our powder room, done by me/us. I do believe most of that room is 70+ years old and I would love a pretty place to preen 🙂

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    • joey, I understand your logic. We’ve let the bathroom updates go because we keep saying we can live with what it is, so at least you have a good reason for holding off on yours. Us? Just living in denial, fingers crossed the toilets will flush. As for the exterior improvements, that sidewalk is getting on my very last nerve. Looks ridiculous, it does.

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  59. Congrats on getting the home improvement projects moving! We’d planned to do the same when we moved in last year, but instead it’s been home *repair* projects, which aren’t nearly as much fun. New sewer lines, anyone? Now the A/C unit is leaking all over the roof, and the dishwasher won’t drain. *sigh*

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    • Janet, your repair problems sound important but I get what you mean about them not being fun. Hope you get your dishwasher working again, I’ve dealt with that, too. I’m happy to be moving forward with our home improvements, but I realize it’s going to be a slow long process.

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  61. We went with stamped concrete when we remolded our old house and needed a new front walkway. We widened the driveway too, but the concrete cracked in two spots pretty quickly so in hind sight we wished we’d sprung for pavers, but the remodel was expensive so we thought we’d save money.

    We don’t have to do anything yet on our current house as it’s only 7 years old, but we’re thinking about pavers when the time comes to redo our driveway and walkway to the front door.

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    • Deborah, I hadn’t thought about what would happen if stamped concrete cracked. I know all about lifting concrete slabs which is what we did as a stopgap measure on our sidewalk.

      Pavers aren’t popular around here. I don’t know why exactly other than you can’t use a snow thrower on them, but you can on solid concrete. Hence the concern about shoveling snow trumps the style of pavers.

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      • Huh! I never thought of that! We too have to shovel the snow on our driveway. Several people in the neighborhood have recently put in pavers. I’ll be paying attention as to how the shoveling goes this winter! Now, you’ve given me something to think about!!

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        • A friend put in pavers for her sidewalk and hated them because they were easily scratched when she shoveled the snow with her basic metal snow shovel. Maybe there are different kinds of pavers, some of better or lesser quality?

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