Apparently my priorities are mixed up

[FINFAN]

I'll try to keep this short...
Ahouse on our block just went up for sale...asking $525.. Nice place, about 2600 sq ft, great curb appeal, 13 years old. I ran into a neighbor at Home Depot and the house subject came up. The neighbor stated that the house will never get that price as the kitchen has not been updated, no granite counter tops, and wood only in the kitchen/ foyer etc. That led to asking why I was at HD..(ummm, I paint, needed more supplies) anyway, before I could answer the obvious as to why I was there, neighbor says, "are YOU finally looking ot update YOUR kitchen? or are you planning ANOTHER WDW trip to spend on instead? Now, DH hit some job woes last Nov., and tho we kept that to ourselves, the neighbors do know things are tight. I held back, simply said no...followed by"I'm waiting for you to set the bar for the neighborhood.But I wil be sure and let you know when we start planning our next trip...Oh Look! Some new Mickey Mouse paint samples! Gotta Go!" and I walked off. I guess I would rather live in reality than in the glossy pages of BH&G.

Pam

 

[mtblujeans]

Sheesh! I'm probably way off base, here, but my kitchen could use an update too but I am not ready. I like it the way it is ~ doors need new hinges, fingerprints on everything. I like our family vacations!! There is plenty of time to do something different after the kids move on and we are alone.

 

[laurie31]

My kitchen is original to our house (18 years old) and I see no need to update it. I even have <gasp> almond appliances

One day I'd love to have solid surface countertops and new appliances, but not anytime soon. My kitchen is warm and homey And no child is ever gonna grow up and look back with fond memories on the high end kitchen countertops

Laurie

 

[Rozzie]

my family is always saying "for the price of your disney vacations, you could granite your countertops..." over and over again....
some people don't get the WDW thing, and they never will. That's OK, shortens the line for the dole whips!
Memories last longer than granite in my opinion!

 

[RobinMarie]

I hear you and I RAISE you mustard yellow Patridge Family Countertops. They've stayed that way through 10+ vacations.

THIS year I'm gonna do it, I swear by it!

 

[bballmom56]

Wow, that would really annoy me! But then my kitchen needs to be redone - it's definitely 70's - Brady Bunch orange counters and all! We'll get to it eventually and I wouldn't need my judgmental neighbor telling me that! Maybe I like it that way . (Shhhhh, and we're going to WDW in July - BEFORE we get to the kitchen )

 

[RobinMarie]

Wow, that would really annoy me! But then my kitchen needs to be redone - it's definitely 70's - Brady Bunch orange counters and all! We'll get to it eventually and I wouldn't need my judgmental neighbor telling me that! Maybe I like it that way . (Shhhhh, and we're going to WDW in July - BEFORE we get to the kitchen )

ahhh a soul sister

 

[bballmom56]

LOL, we could start our own sitcom!

 

[RobinMarie]

Ever see the kitchen on the show HAPPY FAMILY that was on ? I like that kitchen!

To the OP - don't sweat the small stuff! Keep smiling!

 

[MouseDogMom]

I prefer to think that we're the ones who have our priorities straight. Like Rozzie said, we have the memories, while they only have the granite. Our house is 40 years old and could definitely use some improvements (fortunately the kitchen was updated before we bought it 10 yrs ago). We've had trees fall on it 3 different times due to hurricanes, and all 3 times have used part of the insurance money to go to WDW! Our neighbors get a good laugh out of that one, believe me!

 

[ericamanda01]

I have some relative that both have great jobs and two kids in private school. They live in a big house in a posh neighborhood and have two brand new cars. But the last time they took a family vacation was over 3 years ago. DH and I are planning our next trip and saving for a house. We are both in collage so the saving will take a while, but we love where we live. You wouldn't believe the crap they give us for taking vacations before we have a house. I know that a house will be a place filled with memories, but we really just want to enjoy our time alone before we have kids, and if that involves a trip to WDW and a disney cruise then so be it. I can't tell if they really think were insane or just flat out jealous! I am gonna say jealous.

 

[2Poodles]

Our kitchen is 30 years old with cherry cabinets, white laminate counters and lineoluem floor. I'd love to update to new cabinets, granite countertops, tile floor and top of the line stainless steel appliances but I'll take a trip to Disney first, enjoy my life and have wonderful memories of my favorite place on earth.

I agree with Laurie31 "And no child is ever gonna grow up and look back with fond memories on the high end kitchen countertops"

&

Rozzie "Memories last longer than granite in my opinion"


Mary & the 2Poodles
(Sebastian & Winslow)

 

[Gymbomom]

"SIGH"
Everybody chooses to spend their money differently. Things that are important to other people are just not important to us.
Doesn't it get on your nerves when people give their UNWANTED opinions???

 

[disneysteve]

And no child is ever gonna grow up and look back with fond memories on the high end kitchen countertops

I couldn't have said it any better than this.

We vacation frequently (by some standards). We'll take two 1-week vacations and one 2-week vacation this year (7-day cruise, 7 days at Disney World and 2 weeks in California and Vegas including Disneyland). Could our house use work - absolutely. But so what.

We have good friends who happen to also be big Disney fans like us. They've gone a few times and always talk about trying to squeeze in another trip in a year or two. In the meantime, they have been remodeling their home room by room. The house is beautiful and they have done a great job, done a lot of the work themselves, and truly enjoy the process. But they have 2 young children who years from now, as laurie31 said, are not going to look back with fond memories of painting the living room or hanging new kitchen cabinets.

My DD is 9. She has been to Disney World 12 times, has visited 13 states and has been to 7 foreign countries. I like stuff as much as the next guy, but I'll take experiences and memories over stuff any day.

 

[Buckalew11]

I totally agree. Children don't remember the furnishing and quality of the countertops and such. They treasure the memories of family vacations. If I spent all my $ on house stuff I'd be worried about DD getting those finger prints all over things and ruining something. I'll take my little house and some great (WDW) vacations anyday! (I bet your neighbors kids would too!!)

 

[Winka]

I think I'd take the new kitchen, myself.

Not to state the obvious but a child will remember the kitchen of their childhood, but not bc it had a certain type of cabinet finish or state-of-the-art appliances. Many of the images I have as a child are in our family kitchen. If the kitchen is somewhere where the grownups feel happy and productive and feel compelled to draw their whole family into, that adds value to a family's dynamics. And hopefully, annual passes or no, you spend a heck of a lot more time in your home and kitchen than at WDW.

But I know what the OP is getting at-it's a personal decision.

 

[pyrxtc]

We choose family vacations over remodeling our kitchen (we remodel one room every year) and our kitchen is as original to the house as you can get since the house is over 200 yrs old.. Some of the prices that people have been asking for and appraised for are way more than I think they are worth. I have lived here only 3 yrs and I know our house will evaluate for 2 or 3 times what we paid. Our kitchen has barn board countertops. We have stained and plyed the cabinets and replaced the ugly linoleum with vinyl tile (can't use anything rigid like hardwood or ceramic because the floors are so uneven and slanted.
The biggest thing that will sell my house is the ski resort up the road and the huge lake even closer. Houses that were for sale 3 yrs ago for $60,000 are now selling at $250,000 for use as a vacation home. Makes us really think about moving.

 

[cobbler]

Add me to the list of having messed up priorities. I would rather take my kids on a very memorable vacation then worry about countertops

 

[cheyita]

First of all - if you're happy with your kitchen, definitely keep Disney a priority!

But - I needed to ask -- $525,000 for a 2600 sq ft. house? Wow...I guess I'm glad I live where I do.

 

[the kabuki]

IL's are the same way. They've taken exactly 3 vacations in their life, one when the kids were little to Niagara Falls, once back to the home country, and once when we took them to Disney.

They think I'm so strange cause I'd rather go to disney than get new tables, or curtains, or granite counters. The formica counters in my house are REALLY bugging her!!! She brings it up CONSTANTLY. I just smile and laugh and show her my disney pictures LOL