Ch-Ch-Changes

We've been busy! Well, the contractors have been busier than us, but we've been busy with the planning, some other small improvements, and the cleanup.

We've been in our house almost five years. It was not new when we bought it, and we did a ton of things to it for two weeks before moving in: had the polybutylene replaced, painted every room except the living room, had new tile installed in the bathrooms, laundry room and entry way, had the carpet replaced, and other minor things.

One thing we wanted to do but never did was replace the kitchen countertops. I spend a fair amount of time in there so they get a workout. Well we finally had enough: they were worn-out, dirty, stained, scratched up - way past their prime. So we started pricing our options. We dreamed of granite but figured it was out of our budget. Well thanks to a weak economy, and a very talented and generous contractor who was apparently desperate for work, we were able to get granite for not much more than some charge for laminate or other less durable surfaces. And this should also add to our resale value and overall appeal if/when we decide to sell someday.

The guys installed the countertops in the kitchen and half-bath on Tuesday, and the plumber came yesterday to hook everything up. We are so pleased with the results!

Here is the before of the kitchen…

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And here is the after…

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I can’t find the before pics of the bathroom, but here is what it looks like now…