Q: I own a 250 sq. ft. co-op on the Upper West Side in Manhattan. I'm looking into doing a bathroom renovation. I want to get rid of the tub and just have a shower, but I'm concerned about loosing value by doing so. Any thoughts on it from the community would be helpful. (Good Question from Apartment Therapy)The the question made me think about all those things we have in our life that we don't like. It seems we are frozen in our steps by our fear of change and the lost in value that we worry over. Whether is it the bathtub or a cleaned out closet, we all need, we need to look at those choices weigh the benefits against the lost value. Really those old clothes may have cost a lot many years ago and the tub may work just fine. But doesn't a little personal pleasure count for something?
So how long do you wait before you rip that tub out and put something beautiful and stylish in it's place? Do you keep what does not work for you because the "perceived value" of that room in the house might go down? I could only think that, in that particular case, ordinary is always trumped by gorgeous. If the ordinary tub is removed and the stylish new shower is tiled and blinged, the woman would be ahead of the game. I would perceive the value as increased...but that is just me.
But I also wondered about the joy and fun of change. Doesn't that count for something? Doesn't your future comfort and enjoyment count for anything?
So this is the conclusion I have come to...change is good on so many levels we cannot even wrap our minds around the concept. As we age, the ability to make changes will keep our minds flexible and our outlook on life positive. Style in the bathtub is a very good thing!
We very much need to figure out a way to expand our tiny, galley-style kitchen. But, the $30-$40,000 for the type of renovation required to expand and rebuild it isn't going to happen. We will make do and continue to bump into each other.
ReplyDeleteThe woman you cited has a 250 sq ft co-op? I'm surprised there is room for a bathroom, let alone a tub!
I have learned a lot from Apartment Therapy. Many people live in very small spaces and seem to be fine.
ReplyDeleteI hear you Bob...remodeling is such a pain and very expensive. All I can recommend is make changes that make the kitchen look bigger ie get rid of the stuff, store the junk and hang things up on racks if possible. We have a rule at our house...only one person in the kitchen at a time. No kitchen is big enough for the two of us!
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