Summer is often the time when people undertake home improvement projects, DIY or otherwise. Over the weekend, I had a friend ask me to visit the house her daughter bought last year, to see what I thought the value of the upgrades would be. In addition, at my own house, we are in the middle of what I'm calling The Big Repair, where workmen seem to be there every day, and all the things that were new 22 years ago, or new with our "new" kitchen 15 years ago, are starting to fray, break, or wear out.
When I talk to my friends, or my husband, I basically say that homeowners should do what they want, what they can afford, and what they need, without expecting too much in the way of a monetary return. If something gives you joy every day (see Spark Joy for more on this concept), then why not go for it? Very few projects raise the market value in the amount that they cost, and most are simply to keep the property current. Some additions and changes are quirky enough, due to the taste or needs of the owner, that they add nothing, or possibly even subtract value.
But does that mean that The Big Repair should stop? No way! You live in your home, and anything that you would have to do to sell it, you may as well do now, so as to reap the benefits from it. Anything that you don't need to do, but that you want and will use (think pool, porch, garden pergola, fire pit as examples) and you can afford, are no different than what you might spend on a vacation. And why not have as much fun at home as you could somewhere else??
