Kitchen reno vs. family vacation

[Calizzy]

Based on the sale of some property we have about 30k that we are willing to spend on either a kitchen reno or a family vacation- the vacation would not be that much but we do have to choose one or the other. Dh is a college professor and has the 2019-2020 school year off from teaching for a sabbatical. We are thinking about taking a month and renting a condo in Southern California. -OR- we can reno our ktichen. Our house was built in 1969 but the last owners remodeled the kitchen in 2003. The kitchen is fine, it's not horrible, but it's definitely not my style (brown granite counters and ornate oak cabinets). My pro/con list is that the kitchen reno adds value to the house whereas the vacation money is just gone. Also, the renovation will benefit us for years to come instead of a one time thing. However, I feel like to choose the reno is to choose material things over experiences with my kids who are only young once :( Also, we have this unique opportunity with dh's sabbatical. I need opinions!!

[Momto6inIN]

I would do a vacation for sure ... YOLO 😊 Plus the chance to have my DH be with us for an entire month is not something I would ever pass up!

But we are the type of people who aren't really concerned about the looks of our house either, as long as it functions, so there's that.

[KathyBC]

Assuming you have very good reasons that you can only do one (because my first choice would always be split the difference), I would vote vacation.

[Scarlett]

2 minutes ago, KathyBC said:

Assuming you have very good reasons that you can only do one (because my first choice would always be split the difference), I would vote vacation.

I could do both for $30K especially if my husband weren't working for a year because he could do the work on the kitchen.  And we took a nice vacation to NYC for around $5K....but if you have to choose I say vacation.

[Arcadia]

My husband had his first sabbatical in 2012. We opt for a vacation to visit our parents and relatives. Our boys were 7 and 6 years old then so the plane rides and airport transits were easier to manage. We opt for a vacation because my husband’s next sabbatical would have been in 2016 if he had stayed in that company. We figured we need that vacation for emotional and mental reasons while the money spent can be put aside from future paychecks. We spent about $8k though as we stayed with relatives so it’s much less than what you are budgeting for, so might not be comparable scenarios/situations.

[gstharr]

Maybe because I live in So. Cal, I don't understand why you couldn't do both.  Living in this area is expensive because of housing and commuting. But visiting on $30k for a month seems exorbitant.  Seems you could a couple of weeks in a decent room or two for a $2000 max (particularly outside of the major cities proper), and probably less if you went Comfort Inn level. Disneyland for a day or two, maybe $1,000. Food is what you are welling to spend, but it can be done comfortably on $100 or less per day. (We have every type of ethnic food).  So many other tourist attractions are free, or relatively low cost in comparison to Disneyland. You museum or zoo memberships might have reciprocals.  In all, I easily could plan a great time  for $10k, and possibly 2k less  with very careful budgeting.   On the other end, maybe refaced cabinets, instead of new. Floor sample/discounted appliances instead of new.   

[lavender's green]

I'd try to split it, (because 30 grand is a lot for a vacation), but if I couldn't I'd do the vacation.

[Calizzy]

The vacation wouldn't cost 30k. Probably 5-8k. But the kitchen will definitely cost 30k so that's why we have to choose one or the other. We are not the DIY type, we will have to pay for a contractor.

[Selkie]

I would do the kitchen renovation, because I spend so much time in my kitchen and would find it depressing to be looking at brown granite and ornate oak cabinets that I don't like.🙂Plus, it would add to the value of the home, so money well spent.

 

 

[Bootsie]

Unless I was planning on selling the house soon, or there were some serious functional changes to the kitchen, I would choose the vacation.

The problem I see with viewing the kitchen remodel an an investment in the resell of the house, unless you are going to be selling soon, whatever you do now will be dated by the time you go to sell your house.  Who knows?  People may want brown granite and oak cabinets again?  

[rdj2027]

I would probably do both.  Go on vacation now and keep saving money until I have made up what we spent on the vacation and renovate the kitchen a couple of years down the road.  

[DoraBora]

The vacation would be the priority for me, because a whole month sounds marvelous! 

I know you said this is an either/or situation, but if I was in your situation, I would also look at making smaller (less expensive) changes in the kitchen to make it more to my liking.  Could you paint or "whitewash" the ornate cabinets to make the room brighter.  Paint is cheap.  Could you add some of those under-cabinet "puck" lights to brighten things (very cheap)?  Change the backsplash, even with those stick-on tile things?  Add lighter colored accessories and spare, minimalist window treatments (or no window treatments) to let in more natural light, if applicable?

All but one of our homes have been fixer-uppers, and I like to decorate as quickly and inexpensively as possible, fixing things up to look "pretty enough".  I love pretty rooms, but spending a month together with my family exploring a new place would be a my choice, hands down.

[MrsRobinson]

20 minutes ago, rdj2027 said:

I would probably do both.  Go on vacation now and keep saving money until I have made up what we spent on the vacation and renovate the kitchen a couple of years down the road.  

That's what I'd do!

[Sherry in OH]

6 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

Unless I was planning on selling the house soon, or there were some serious functional changes to the kitchen, I would choose the vacation.

The problem I see with viewing the kitchen remodel an an investment in the resell of the house, unless you are going to be selling soon, whatever you do now will be dated by the time you go to sell your house.  Who knows?  People may want brown granite and oak cabinets again?  

 

I agree with this.  A remodel will look dated within 3-5 years.  If you plan to sell within that timespan and want to recoup most of your outlay, you will have to follow the latest trends.  These may or may not be to your taste.  If you plan to stay longer than 5 years, remodel to YOUR tastes because potential buyers won't pay any more for a 6-year old kitchen than they will for a decades old kitchen and some would actually prefer the older kitchen.

$30 is a lot for a vacation.  It will not go far for a kitchen remodel, especially if you are planning on new appliances.  Have you considered having the current cabinets refinished rather than replaced?  Perhaps a different wall color instead of starting completely from scratch?

[solascriptura]

I would try to do both.  You could scale back on the vacation to two weeks (still very nice) and get creative on how to save a little money on the reno.  

[Arcadia]

47 minutes ago, Calizzy said:

The vacation wouldn't cost 30k. Probably 5-8k. But the kitchen will definitely cost 30k so that's why we have to choose one or the other. 

 

If your husband won’t be working for the academic year, could he earn some money by tutoring? That could bring in the money for the vacation. 

[Carol in Cal.]

I think a sabbatical year should be at least somewhat relaxing, and that overseeing renovations is the least relaxing thing on the planet.  So I would prioritize the travel, but at the same time I would look into creative ways to make the kitchen more pleasant without a complete remodel.  For instance, can you replace just the cabinet doors, and maybe paint or refinish the cabinets with the new doors on?  I don’t love granite counters, but if the overall kitchen were bright and cheerful they would be bearable.  Ornate oak, though, is depressing to me—so that part is what I would focus on.

[Annie G]

I know you said one or the other but I would try to do both. The vacation is mostly lodging costs and some entertainment and eating out. You’d spend money to eat at home so you can use your normal grocery budget for most food.  Plan mostly low cost entertainment with maybe two splurges- one every other week. 

As for the kitchen, if you painted the cabinets you might brighten the room enough to make the granite acceptable. Or reface the cabinets instead of replacing them. No need to replace appliances if they are working, but if you do replace them, you can sell the old ones to earn some money towards the new ones. 

‘If you decided to do the vacation, what would you do with the rest of the money? You’d still have at least $22k left since you said the vacation would be $8k max. 

[shawthorne44]

I'd do the vacation and then use the rest to pay down your mortgage or any other debt.  

Plus, it doesn't sound like your kitchen is bad enough to really need a remodel.   The problem with 'not to my taste' is that you have to assume that whatever you do to the kitchen won't be to the taste of the next owner, therefore you won't get any money back on it.   Now, if the kitchen cabinets were falling off the wall (happened to me) and the counters were laminate, then I'd say do the kitchen.  

[mmasc]

Vacation. For lots of the points made above already. 🙂

[solascriptura]

32 minutes ago, Arctic Mama said:

I always pick the renovations and property improvements because they make me happy, but I’m not sure that’s the right choice a the kids get older.  It really depends!

I said both, but here is my thinking on it.  My family and I spend a lot A LOT of time in our kitchen.  I have wanderlust and will take great efforts to travel, but when I'm home, I'm home.  I spend 80 percent of my waking hours in our kitchen.  That said, kitchens can vary a lot in price.  If you are fine with the layout consider getting just cabinets and counters.  And if  appliances can be reused, a bundle can be saved there.  There is no need to get everything at once.  

[Storygirl]

If you think the kitchen will need to be updated before you would resell (whenever that might be), I would do the kitchen. My own kitchen needs to be redone, and my thinking is that I would rather get the most use out of my own money by doing it now and using it for the following years, instead of waiting and doing it closer to selling, where the financial investment will benefit buyers more than me. And I do believe that I can renovate a kitchen in a way that will not seem dated in ten years, by choosing classic styles and finishes.

I don't think this is prioritizing materialism over family. Because the kitchen would benefit your family.

But I also would want to take advantage of the sabbatical. I would really try to find a way to do a vacation, as well. Perhaps choose a vacation location that is less expensive and go for less time. Or do many small trips throughout the year that would each be inexpensive, but that would create lasting memories of time spent together.

[MEmama]

I don't quite understand why it can't be both. 

$8,000 would get us several *months* travelling through Europe; I'd never spend that much visiting a different state. I can't even imagine how. But neither can I imagine spending $30,000 on modernizing a kitchen--I know one easily could, but it certainly isn't necessary. 

Maybe make a list of your priorities and start there. If going to California is important, where can you cut costs? What would you most like to change in your kitchen and how can you do those things for less? If you want both, make it happen. 

[marbel]

I would do the vacation, then put whatever is left into a kitchen fund and continue to add to it.  So, take the vacation now, do the kitchen remodel later.

I have lived with a kitchen I hate and which is dysfunctional for 11+ years now.  I'd still choose a great vacation with my family.

In 2005 my husband had a sabbatical and we spent a month in England and Scotland. Our kids were little so their memories are a little vague, but I am still so glad we did that when we had the opportunity.  Most likely we will never have a chance like that again.  

 

[Calizzy]

Thanks for these suggestions. It is helpful to clear my head a bit. If we did the kitchen we would still take a vacation, it would just be driving distance and more camping-ish. A vacation is expensive for us because we have 4 kids, so 6 flights, lodging big enough, and a rental van for a month.

[Annie G]

Just now, Calizzy said:

Thanks for these suggestions. It is helpful to clear my head a bit. If we did the kitchen we would still take a vacation, it would just be driving distance and more camping-ish. A vacation is expensive for us because we have 4 kids, so 6 flights, lodging big enough, and a rental van for a month.

But since you have plenty of time, you could drive and save a ton of money.  Saving flight costs and rental car is huge. We had four kids and dd has four kids, and while it’s more tricky to find lodging for six, it’s not that much more expensive. 

[J-rap]

I get the cost of a month rental in Southern California...  It's pricy!

My kids are all young adults now, and knowing how special, bonding, and truly memorable those vacation times were for them would make me choose that in a heartbeat.

As others have mentioned, could you just do minimal work in your kitchen instead?  I have no idea of costs for things like that.  But could you replace the countertops and paint your cupboards, or something along those lines?

[whitestavern]

Well, vacations are my love language, lol, so I'd choose that, though with that kind of time and money I'd hit Europe or somewhere else. I can't imagine why renting a house (especially if you found an airbnb or vrbo) would be anywhere near that much money, unless it were huge and waterfront or something.

[PeterPan]

I would do the vacation but do something more exotic. Can you rent a boat for that month or go on a cruise? You can do cruises back to back. You can cruise from CA to Hawaii I think or transpacific and then do the Singapore/east area. 

[Bootsie]

It sounds as if you will probably have a great deal of flexibility of when to travel.  With the opportunity to do something off season, you may be able to get a good deal.  We have been able to rent a place in Europe for a month cheaper than what we could spend a long weekend in the US.  I know of others who have found that if they have rented for at least 31 days in some localities that you do not have to pay hotel occupancy/tourism taxes, which is a significant savings.  

If you are in a college town, is there a visiting professor or grad student who would be able to rent your home while you are gone to generate a bit of extra cash?  

Is there a way for your husband to tie in the trip with his sabbatical plan in some way?

[homemommy83]

6 hours ago, Calizzy said:

Based on the sale of some property we have about 30k that we are willing to spend on either a kitchen reno or a family vacation- the vacation would not be that much but we do have to choose one or the other. Dh is a college professor and has the 2019-2020 school year off from teaching for a sabbatical. We are thinking about taking a month and renting a condo in Southern California. -OR- we can reno our ktichen. Our house was built in 1969 but the last owners remodeled the kitchen in 2003. The kitchen is fine, it's not horrible, but it's definitely not my style (brown granite counters and ornate oak cabinets). My pro/con list is that the kitchen reno adds value to the house whereas the vacation money is just gone. Also, the renovation will benefit us for years to come instead of a one time thing. However, I feel like to choose the reno is to choose material things over experiences with my kids who are only young once 😞 Also, we have this unique opportunity with dh's sabbatical. I need opinions!!

Absolutely the renovation😁...then take 1000 and take a short 2 day family trip when the work is done😁.  

[KathyBC]

7 hours ago, MEmama said:

I don't quite understand why it can't be both. 

$8,000 would get us several *months* travelling through Europe; I'd never spend that much visiting a different state. I can't even imagine how. But neither can I imagine spending $30,000 on modernizing a kitchen--I know one easily could, but it certainly isn't necessary. 

Maybe make a list of your priorities and start there. If going to California is important, where can you cut costs? What would you most like to change in your kitchen and how can you do those things for less? If you want both, make it happen. 

Wow, I think return airfare to Europe here is $1000 per person, so for 6 people that's $6000 right there.

[lulalu]

Vacation. The experiences and time are worth it in the long run. 

And then see if changing hardware, painting, and a few extra things can make the kitchen feel new. 

[goldberry]

In our last house we chose a Disney trip over new flooring.  This house now needs new flooring... and we are going on a cruise for our anniversary!  *sigh*  I'm normally very practical, but not when it comes to trips and vacations.  I grew up with vacations and they are so special to me.

[katilac]

Vacation for sure. 

[Corraleno]

I can't imagine spending $8K on a vacation in Southern California. I lived there for 10 years, and it's totally not my idea of a relaxing vacation spot. If you're looking for a beach vacation, there are plenty of cheaper places to go where you won't be spending half your time fighting traffic and breathing exhaust fumes. And if you're looking for lots of cultural and educational things to do, there are much better choices for that, too.

If a vacation is a much higher priority for you than the kitchen, then I would spend more money and go somewhere much more interesting, like Europe. But my own inclination would be to do both: I'd allocate ~ $25K for the kitchen and save $5K or so for the vacation, and then I'd do something fun like rent an RV and see how many cool places we could visit over the course of the summer until the money ran out. 

[Frances]

8 hours ago, Calizzy said:

Thanks for these suggestions. It is helpful to clear my head a bit. If we did the kitchen we would still take a vacation, it would just be driving distance and more camping-ish. A vacation is expensive for us because we have 4 kids, so 6 flights, lodging big enough, and a rental van for a month.

If you have to fly instead of driving, I would start looking for some credit cards where you can quickly rack up points for free flights. We rarely ever pay for any flights. But driving really seems far, far more economical. Then you can save your money for all of the fun and interesting stuff.

[MEmama]

7 hours ago, KathyBC said:

Wow, I think return airfare to Europe here is $1000 per person, so for 6 people that's $6000 right there.

We are near a major airport on the east coast--it can be very cheap to fly from here. :)

[DawnM]

8 hours ago, Corraleno said:

I can't imagine spending $8K on a vacation in Southern California. I lived there for 10 years, and it's totally not my idea of a relaxing vacation spot. If you're looking for a beach vacation, there are plenty of cheaper places to go where you won't be spending half your time fighting traffic and breathing exhaust fumes. And if you're looking for lots of cultural and educational things to do, there are much better choices for that, too.

If a vacation is a much higher priority for you than the kitchen, then I would spend more money and go somewhere much more interesting, like Europe. But my own inclination would be to do both: I'd allocate ~ $25K for the kitchen and save $5K or so for the vacation, and then I'd do something fun like rent an RV and see how many cool places we could visit over the course of the summer until the money ran out. 

 

My idea of relaxing IS SoCal, but I love it there and wish I had never agreed to move away.

However, just to add.....renting an RV is very pricey.  We looked into it once and it was like $100/day for one large enough for the entire family.  It was better for us to get hotels along the way, and then rent a condo when we got to wherever we were going.

Two summers ago we drove from NC to SoCal.  We stayed with two friends for a total of 3 nights, otherwise we did hotels.  Marriotts along the way and a Residence Inn while visiting my parents in Phoenix (they can't host all of us anymore, it is just too much for them), and then we rented a 3 bedroom condo in Anaheim for 7 nights for $900.  If we had stayed a month I probably would have stayed further out in an AirBnB, but we just needed 10 nights and 3 were with friends.

I had budgeted $5K for our CA vacation (3 total weeks, including drive time) and I came in just under budget, even with some extras we hadn't planned for.

We are considering doing it again this summer.  I need to go see my parents and have a high school reunion of sorts, but we aren't sure about the house situation yet.  If the house stuff is still in flux, I will just fly out alone for a few days.  Otherwise we will drive and enjoy.

[mommyoffive]

4 hours ago, MEmama said:

We are near a major airport on the east coast--it can be very cheap to fly from here. 🙂

 

Yes, there are amazing flight deals all the time from all over the US.  1000 for a ticket, no.  Watch for deals.  Atleast 4 times a year there are sales to Europe for $400 from all over the country.  And there are deals all the time for 2-300.   

theflightdeal

secretflying

SAS airlines usually runs a kids fly free deal once a year.  You just pay taxes.  Frontier has that too. 

[mommyoffive]

10 hours ago, Frances said:

If you have to fly instead of driving, I would start looking for some credit cards where you can quickly rack up points for free flights. We rarely ever pay for any flights. But driving really seems far, far more economical. Then you can save your money for all of the fun and interesting stuff.

 

Yes if you travel hack you can get free flights.  We do with our family and we have 5 kids.  It is really easy. 

[mommyoffive]

17 hours ago, Bootsie said:

It sounds as if you will probably have a great deal of flexibility of when to travel.  With the opportunity to do something off season, you may be able to get a good deal.  We have been able to rent a place in Europe for a month cheaper than what we could spend a long weekend in the US.  I know of others who have found that if they have rented for at least 31 days in some localities that you do not have to pay hotel occupancy/tourism taxes, which is a significant savings.  

If you are in a college town, is there a visiting professor or grad student who would be able to rent your home while you are gone to generate a bit of extra cash?  

Is there a way for your husband to tie in the trip with his sabbatical plan in some way?

 

Yes.  Going off season is huge.  We go to Europe because it is the same price wise vs going somewhere domestic.  We don't have to rent a car, so that adds savings too.  And if you go a country that is cheaper you can really live save money. 

[mommyoffive]

21 hours ago, Annie G said:

I know you said one or the other but I would try to do both. The vacation is mostly lodging costs and some entertainment and eating out. You’d spend money to eat at home so you can use your normal grocery budget for most food.  Plan mostly low cost entertainment with maybe two splurges- one every other week. 

As for the kitchen, if you painted the cabinets you might brighten the room enough to make the granite acceptable. Or reface the cabinets instead of replacing them. No need to replace appliances if they are working, but if you do replace them, you can sell the old ones to earn some money towards the new ones. 

‘If you decided to do the vacation, what would you do with the rest of the money? You’d still have at least $22k left since you said the vacation would be $8k max. 

 

Such great ideas.  I think if you did some fixes to the kitchen maybe you would like it more. 

But yes we think that vacations are not as expensive as you think.  You have to eat at home, so that money carries over the vacation.  We end up having lower water and heating costs at home. 

[shawthorne44]

Another idea, since you will have a chunk of money at the start and will be doing a long vacation.  Buy a used RV and then sell it when you are done.  
 

[Catwoman]

On 2/15/2019 at 4:04 PM, Calizzy said:

Thanks for these suggestions. It is helpful to clear my head a bit. If we did the kitchen we would still take a vacation, it would just be driving distance and more camping-ish. A vacation is expensive for us because we have 4 kids, so 6 flights, lodging big enough, and a rental van for a month.

 

I would definitely prioritize the kitchen and do a less expensive vacation.

If you can’t afford to do both the kitchen and the expensive vacation, should you really be spending that kind of money on a vacation? Also, should you be spending $30k at all, or should you be saving most of it for the future?

If your kitchen truly needs remodeling, at least spending the money on that has long-term value. Once you spend the money on a vacation, the money is gone, and if you don’t already have substantial savings, $30k is a lot of money to throw away unnecessarily. Wouldn’t it be more sensible to try to save at least some of that money?

It is very possible to make great memories with your family on a budget.  

Edited February 21, 2019 by Catwoman
Why is there a giant smiley in my post???????

[Catwoman]

Why is there a gigantic smiley in my post above this one???

I didn’t put it there and I can’t get rid of it! When I try to edit the post to remove it, it’s not there at all, but when I reload the page, there it is again!

GRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!

If anyone knows how I can delete that stupid smiley, please let me know.

I’m a happy person, but I’m not THAT happy!

Edited February 21, 2019 by Catwoman

[Scarlett]

29 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

Why is there a gigantic smiley in my post above this one???

I didn’t put it there and I can’t get rid of it! When I try to edit the post to remove it, it’s not there at all, but when I reload the page, there it is again!

GRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!

If anyone knows how I can delete that stupid smiley, please let me know.

I’m a happy person, but I’m not THAT happy!

That is the funniest thing I have seen in a while Cat.