Costs of updates - bloggers exaggerate?

[downtoearth]

So, I was looking at this blog this weekend, www.thistlewoodfarms.com/how-to-remodel-a-kitchen-on-a-budget, and the blogger updated this kitchen for <$300 (not counting a new fridge) and I still can't really believe it.  It's cute and fits with her style (not really my style, but cute).



I just think so much of it she said, "already had, already had, etc." and I'm sure some of that was sponsored, but do all bloggers exaggerate the costs?  I know Bower and YHL do similar things that make me think they are estimating very low. 

When I go to do a project, I don't have house items or extra cans of spray paint just laying around, so it always seems like a $10 project ends up costing more like $35 after buying a bit of fabric, a jar of mod podge, a spray sealer, some extra nails, a little paint, etc. Anyone else feel like the costs in blog-land are subsidized to look much lower than they are?

[Deleted]

Ha! Yes. I've been saying the same for years. I feel like if you already own it, it doesn't "count" because most other people probably don't have it laying around. Or at the very least, most of us in reality don't have blog sponsors either.



I also think bloggers lie about how easy something was in addition to how much time it took. I see projects that they say "took 2 hours" and I'm thinking, "I couldn't get that done in a weekend."

[stephm0188]

The thing is... even if you already had that can of spray paint on hand... you still paid for it. It still cost you $8. When you purchased doesn't change the fact that you still bought it.

[downtoearth]

Yeah, @justdairy and stephm0188 - the time thing gets me also. I can't whip something up after 8pm when the kids go down b/c I also have to clean-up the house, find the craft supplies from 3 different closets, rethread the bobbin twice, stop and nurse the baby, check the driections/pinterest 3 times, and then start.

[SusanBAnthony]

We just re-did the kids bathroom (finally added the pics). YES YES YES.

The 35$ light fixture was a great deal, but we also needed a junction box or something to wire it.  Luckily DH knew how to do that, but for the average person, you think you will just swap lights out quick and easy, and then BOOM, calling an electrician, add 200$ to your total.

The paint was xyz cost, but we also needed drywall mud to fill holes (we did have that but many people wouldn't). The cabinet knobs cost 4$, but then i stripped a screw and had to go buy another one.

And that was for a very tiny project. Multiply that by a kitchen, and I get scared.

[Deleted]

^ ^  ^

What they said.  I think many bloggers do this in an effort to make it seem like it was soooo easy to do this for soooo cheap.  YHL used to do it all the time and it was annoying.  When I do a project I typically have to purchase, brand new, every single item needed for the project because I don't keep around an arsenal of spray paint or a roomful of fabric remnants. 

[emoflamingo]

Okay, so she painted the walls, painted the table and chairs she bought at a thrift store, painted the baskets she had, bought the rug and the plates from Ikea?

I can see that stuff costing $300 if the table and chairs were super cheap.

But the floor? What did that cost? And the light? The window covering? The paint for the lettering?

I will be honest, I could totally do lettering like that (except I don't have chipboard letters to trace, I'd have to improvise there) because I have tons of acrylic paint and tons of paint brushes. I have 2 cans of white spray paint, 2 cans of silver, a can of navy and a can of chalkboard too, so I could spray paint lots of shit. But I did spend the money, even if I accounted for it elsewhere.

[mrs.jacinthe]

I'm guessing that most of the discrepancy in time calculations comes from the fact that they're not counting prep - cutting, measuring, setting up, loading the nail gun, etc. They get all their supplies together, then get all their equipment together, THEN start the timer. Just a guess.

And I'm always pissed about people who don't include stuff they already have on hand, at least to some extent. I mean, to beat the spray paint example into the ground: a can of spray paint costs between $4-8, so even if it's just a leftover from another project, count some part of the costs. That's like cooking blogs that have 53 spices in a recipe that they don't count in the cost, which results in a $20 grocery bill just to obtain all the ingredients.

[simpsongal]

Yeah, it's annoying. "This Old House" does this too, but not too bad (usually it's leftover paint).

Sometimes I think the only reliable sources of remodel costs seem to be IRL stories (family, friends, and y'all), and the reviews on Angie's List

It's amazing how fast the money goes, even when you're trying to be budget friendy. I'm working on the nursery and I drop $100 here and there all the time.

[bunnymendelbaum]

I wouldn't call that a remodel.
The only thing that *really* changed was the flooring (and I'm going to bet it is just peel and stick over peel and stick.)

What annoys me is when it is not taken into account all the tools you have to buy to really remodel. Table saw or at least a circular saw, drills, screw guns, etc. That adds up.

[pitterwoo]

Totally. We have such a huge arsenal of tools and supplies to support our DIY habit. We do save money, but purchasing and storing that stuff has a cost.

A couple years ago all the blogs were featuring adorable signs and lettering that was so easy to DIY....with your Cricut machine. Now just enter this contest 8 different ways and maybe you can win one and label your pantry jars too. Eyeroll.

[downtoearth]

You guys are right about tools and real remodels. I guess I just feel like this blogger knows she is lying. I mean...look at the faucet. That alone has GOT to cost at least $150 (even on sale) and that is new compared to the first picture. Right?

[peach]

I agree - how is that can of paint free just because you bought it last year? You still paid $40 for it whether it was last year or yesterday.

[Marmee]

Oh, that is BS. She has all the decor items plus light fixture, flooring, cabinet hardware, new faucet, the rug, furniture, window covering...no way was that under $300--start to finish. I mean, the pillows alone usually are costly. Gahhh....yeah, that bugs me.

[mrs.jacinthe]

Sept 23, 2013 15:13:02 GMT -5 downtoearth said:

You guys are right about tools and real remodels. I guess I just feel like this blogger knows she is lying. I mean...look at the faucet. That alone has GOT to cost at least $150 (even on sale) and that is new compared to the first picture. Right?

This is the closest I can find: 
www.efaucets.com/detail.asp?Product_ID=KPF-1612&ca=gpsl&CAWELAID=227457086&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CIXt17Kx4rkCFaU5QgodnUQAtg

It's $159.  Ikea sells something similar and it's possible she found one in as-is ... but the cheapest I've seen that faucet in the as-is section was $59, and it was missing the sprayer.  

It's *feasible* but not likely.

[mrs.jacinthe]

I also can't get over how poorly those spray-painted number baskets came out. I just want her to do them over. LOL

[stephm0188]

So let's do the math here.
Ikea plates, according to the website, are $2.99 for the large and $1.99 for the small. I count 8 large plates and 12 small. $23.92 + $23.88 = $47.80 for plates.

The sign from Hobby Lobby is $14.99 (that's at 50% off.)

The rug was $39.99.

We're already up to $102.78.

Paint is what? $30 a gallon?

So that leaves roughly $160 to spend on the table and chairs, cabinet hardware, ceiling light fixture, window treatment, lamp, shade, and fabric, and that new faucet. That little white Ikea stool is $40 alone.

Yeah. No.

[bunnymendelbaum]

And isn't a lamp and 3 vases such a good use of half your counter space?

Sorry I'm in a mood today.

Those wall words make me want to throw food & chew w my mouth open.

[emoflamingo]

I give props on bloggers that are real about what they spend. YHL does a breakdown like that.

[shopgirl07]

I don't know, I can believe this one. They sell that light fixture at Home Depot for $40. She could have gotten the faucet on craigslist or something.

[heygrey]

the one thing i like about young house love in their budget recaps is that they usually say it was a leftover, but give an approximate price if you were buying new. they also account for the cost in the initial project so they might only use $7 worth of paint, but it gets listed at $30-40 with the caveat that there is leftover for other projects.

i hate giving budget breakdowns for projects because i'm the queen of finding crazy good deals and i have a distinctly unfair advantage of working at a second hand store. furnishing your entire living room with high(er) end and/or vintage mcm furniture for $500 is not remotely realistic for the average person. doesn't mean i won't AW the shit out of a good find, but i can't pretend it can happen for everyone.

[pitterwoo]

ugh, the wall words. Stop telling me what to dooo!!

[kaylie]

Sept 23, 2013 16:17:39 GMT -5 bunnymendelbaum said:

And isn't a lamp and 3 vases such a good use of half your counter space?

Sorry I'm in a mood today.

Those wall words make me want to throw food & chew w my mouth open.

The lamp and vases were ticking me off too. Who has a freakin' table lamp on their counters? How will they get to the plates that are behind it? What a stupid idea.

[auntie]

It seems like there were a whole lot of kids who grew up without ever getting that dollhouse they wanted and who've taken to blogging.

I totally agree with bunnymendelbaum on the waste of the tiny amount of counter real estate for vases and kaylie on the lamp. How exactly does she access one of the 6 plates she has without knocking it on the floor?

What is the purpose of this Gate House? Is she going to rent it? Is it a guest house? A life size doll house where she plays HGTV?

The low-balling bloggers make me nuts. I have spent a lifetime making stuff- I have most of the tools and many of the skills- but seriously. IRL, the fabric I have lying around is not bolts of current Dwell Studio designs, it's random yards of Waverly florals from 2002. Jewel tones anyone?  The only left over paint I have in any quantity is the dreadful mint green mismatch I bought at Home Depot (5 gallons for $10) to paint my garage.

[OrangeBanana]

That stupid lamp really irritates me.

I am sure it's just staged that way for pictures, but I always think it's stupid when people stage rooms in such a way that it's not practical for everyday use.

[kwynn]

I'm new to H&G and to decorating, having bought my first place 5 days ago.

That said, I call BS.

I have only tackled VERY small projects - replaced kitchen knobs, replaced a shower head - but every trip to Home Depot costs $100-200.

I dislike the blog post linked here because:

1. That lamp is not even plugged in! And it's pointless.
2. That mini table and chairs looks ridiculous and it's too tight to be functional.
3. People don't think of resale/rental/replacement when they do these things - the next person will have to deal with the half-ass quality years from now and it is hard to cover over those words, replace that ONE plate that broke in the scheme (since they are decor and not just plates to use), etc.
4. So much junk - why do you need those vases, table lamp, wicker baskets with numbers on them (what does this hold) and then wire baskets across the top that hold nothing?
5. The stuff doesn't seem to match? Some looks orange, some looks pink, some looks red?

I think this is one of those things that looks awesome on a blog and cheap/weird IRL.

[nomad100]

I get what you mean.

I made a table and a cooler box using wood salvaged/leftover from a fence we had replaced this past summer. So I joke that they were either free since I didn't have to buy the wood or together cost over $1000 (the price of the replacement fencing).

And that does't even account for the cost of the mitre saw, nail gun, compressor, paint, etc. I used to finish off the project.

[sailorgray]

Sept 24, 2013 9:52:48 GMT -5 kwynn said:

I'm new to H&G and to decorating, having bought my first place 5 days ago.


3. People don't think of resale/rental/replacement when they do these things - the next person will have to deal with the half-ass quality years from now and it is hard to cover over those words, replace that ONE plate that broke in the scheme (since they are decor and not just plates to use), etc.

eh, I don't think you should have to limit what is done to your home bc of resale.  I think you should do what you want because it is your home. Have fun with it!

in terms of that kitchen, the wall words are bad. The colors instantly made me thing of Target. I do love the baskets and use similar for storage here. I also admit that I like the warmth lamps on counter tops give off.

kwynn, welcome to our board and congrats on the house!

[kwynn]

Sept 24, 2013 11:50:27 GMT -5 sailorgray said:

Sept 24, 2013 9:52:48 GMT -5 kwynn said:

I'm new to H&G and to decorating, having bought my first place 5 days ago.


3. People don't think of resale/rental/replacement when they do these things - the next person will have to deal with the half-ass quality years from now and it is hard to cover over those words, replace that ONE plate that broke in the scheme (since they are decor and not just plates to use), etc.

eh, I don't think you should have to limit what is done to your home bc of resale.  I think you should do what you want because it is your home. Have fun with it!

in terms of that kitchen, the wall words are bad. The colors instantly made me thing of Target. I do love the baskets and use similar for storage here. I also admit that I like the warmth lamps on counter tops give off.

kwynn, welcome to our board and congrats on the house!

I think you should definitely have fun with your house! I just try to think of "What if such and such breaks, would I have to re-do the whole thing? Would I be able to find X again in that size?" Like for me, I'm looking at the fact that the table BARELY fits there now and still covers some of the words. If that table breaks, where can you get a new one that will still fit there and not cover the words?

Okay, so say it covers the words...then you need to repaint the wall. I'd imagine painting gray over red/orange isn't the easiest. And I see in the close up photo of the table, she's missing her quarter-round on the right and something weird is near the table leg?

I don't know - I think in real life, this probably looks incredibly cheap.

[sailorgray]

kwynn, I guess I just don't worry about the what-ifs. I kinda think if it breaks, I'll figure it out then.