Homeowners - Don't you hate when...

[grinningghost]

...you're planning to remodel your home, and suddenly your neighbor is doing it BEFORE you?

We're getting our windows replaced this summer and what do you know - I look outside this morning and my stupid neighbors have contractors over putting in new windows!

Now it will look like we're trying to keep up with the Joneses.

 

[Hillbeans]

Well, it's at least comforting to know that others in your neighborhood are taking care of their houses so your house value will stay high.

I'm sure your neighbors won't mind, but it does take away some of your "thunder". That's the way things go though....when it rains, sometimes it pours.

 

[castlegazer]

We replaced our roof - and suddenly the whole neighborhood replaced theirs. We put on a deck - everyone in the neighborhood stopped by to pick up the contractors card and suddenly our contractor got pretty busy but finally finished our job.

Replacing windows is not a keeping up with the Joneses activity in my mind - putting decks and additions on is. Windows are a necessity IMHO due to lowering of heating bills or in my case because of the fact that you are falling apart because they date back to the revolutionary war.

Relax, replace your windows and enjoy the drop in heating costs and then laugh at everyone else in the neighborhood that hasn't kept up with you guys - like me.

 

[RitaZ.]

I don't mind at all. The way I see it, it can only increase or at the very least maintain the property values in the neighborhood.

I don't really understand why some people think that doing home improvements is keeping up with "The Joneses". We have done and had done many home improvements and it wasn't because of keeping up with neighbors or appearances. It was always something that was broken or wasn't working that needed to be replaced or simply for our personal enjoyment.

I'm sure there are people that do things to impress others, but I think they're in the minority. Who wants to spend a bunch of money to impress or "keep up" with friends or neighbors?

 

[JerseyJanice]

Look at it this way--the neighbor's house can be your guinea pig.

If you were thinking about trying something different with your windows, maybe you'll get a chance to see it on someone else's house first.

We're doing major work to the outside of our house this summer. The more redone houses I get to see, the more ideas I'll have about what does and doesn't work.

Right now, I'm fairly settled on doing vinyl cedar-look shakes on the front, regular vinyl on the sides and back, a cultured stone entrance way, and a wooden front door with an etched glass window. I need to figure out yet how we're going re-do the front stairs and porch.

The number of home products available nowadays is enough to make your head explode. So much new technology and materials. We just finished an interior mini-renovation, and I can't believe how much work it took to find the stuff we needed.

And when the outside work is done, we're re-doing a lot of my kitchen. My cabinets are in good shape and I like them, so they're staying, but we need a new floor, countertops, and back splash, plus some new appliances.

Good luck on your project! Homeowner's work is never done.