It’s been awhile since I provided an update on our home renovation, so I thought I’d take a minute to fill everyone in with what’s been going on… They actually finished the job late last week, and we’re very happy with the results. In total, we spent a bit under $50k, which covered:

(1) a 320 sq ft addition (enlarged dinette, new laundry room, and new closet for the boys)
(2) installation of a built-in desk in the dinette area for my lovely and talented wife
(3) the conversion of their old closet to a pantry (closed one side, opened the other)
(4) re-carpeting/painting the boys room
(5) replacement our deck with a new, and much larger deck (325 sq ft)
(6) conversion of the old laundry room to a powder room (i.e., small bathroom)
(7) installation of a utility sink in our garage
(8) a 12 x 12 foot standalone workshop (designed to match the house)
(9) painting the entire exterior of our house for a totally “finished” look

All in all, it was a very smooth process that seemed to be helped along by the slow real estate market. Indeed, pretty much every subcontractor was available within a day of contact (at the most). The only real hiccup was that the flooring subcontractor installed the wrong hardwood, which had to be torn out and replaced. As it turns out, the manufacturer had mislabeled the boxes and the work crew apparently didn’t notice the mismatch. The best part is that it’s virtually impossible to tell that it’s an addition (unless, of course, you crawl under the house and look at the foundation).

Needless to say, we’re thrilled to have this behind us, and equally thrilled that we were able to pay for it with cash. Thus, we can enjoy it without a monthly HELOC payment to remind us how much it cost.