Apartment Therapy Re-Nest | Has the Economy Affected Your Home Improvement Plans?

Has the Economy Affected Your Home Improvement Plans?

A survey conducted in September found that many are still spending on their home despite the troubled economy. We're wondering how Re-nest readers have been affected by the turmoil, so we're asking a few questions. When we have enough responses we'll put up another post showing how Re-nest readers stack up...

Check back later today or first thing tomorrow for the results.

Image by ratzz via sxc.hu

Comments (4)

We're re-doing our kitchen - cabinets and countertops and a new refrigerator. I've been working on the research and planning for a year and really figuring out how to do it for nine months. We thought briefly about holding off, but we're going to be in this apartment for a few years more at least and this will make a huge difference in the usability (and saleability) of the place. Plus we're ditching our old, huge clunker of a refrigerator for the smaller Energy Star-rated Blomberg. I am pretty sure that for us this is the right thing to do at this time.

posted by phoneill on October 21st 2008 at 7:42am
view phoneill's profile

I think that the people using this site might also have a different perspective on things then the average re-modeler. There is a consciousness towards all things green and being efficient, whereas most of your home depot shoppers aren't thinking that way. Yes I am going to buy energy star appliances. Not because they save me money, but because they are better for the environment. I just pulled up all the carpet in my house (which isn't that big) and instead of throwing it all out on the curb, I found a local carpet warehouse that recycles it, with a cost to the one recycling. Costs like that may slow down the time frame of a project, but overall its what is best for the environment.

posted by Maffei on October 21st 2008 at 8:11am
view Maffei's profile

I have put off plans to redecorate my home and buy some new furniture to instead reinsulate part of my home. I am also redoing my basement because it flooded, and so I am fixing that. With everything I am doing, I am deciding to cut back on eating out and purchasing other odd luxuries so that I can make the green choices, not the cheap choices. I am not doing this for the resale value of my home. I am doing it because it is my home home and I am planning on living there for a long time. I doubt I will ever get my money out of it, but it makes me feel good that I am doing something, while it may not be much in the grand scheme of things, to better the life of my son.

posted by mozmun20 on October 21st 2008 at 11:58am
view mozmun20's profile

We decided to put off our trip to Norway where the dollar is so weak, and put that money into a remodel instead. The trailer just got here, and we are starting our kitchen demo here. Not quite in time to be a part of our own affordable modern kitchen contest, but still..

I should be posting some pics of the destruction over at http://Grassrootsmodern.com

posted by creede on October 24th 2008 at 5:55am
view creede's profile