Our budgetary constraints are the kids, and we had the kids before we bought the house, so in our case we have literally the same budgetary constraints XD
not sure that was monumentally wrong though, or was it?! XD
Though hopefully that will ease up a bit when the big two are earning enough to be paying board.
eldest didn't look as he was focused on adjusting from homeschooling to tertiary (seems like the only adjustment was having hard and fast deadlines), middle child has a job but it doesn't pay nearly enough for her to be paying board, and youngest has been doing his damnedest but not having any luck
J is thinking gut and redos with both and the bathroom will probably need it as we're changing the layout (it's a utility bathroom that we only use as storage and laundry). The kitchen I played around with layout ideas and said to J that I don't think we can change it much as it's a bit of an interesting space to work in (and currently the only alternate method we have of cooking is a Weber). We're going to look into kit things from IKEA and Bunnings and some place sibling dearest was telling me about but have yet to look up as she couldn't remember the name of it and see if the cost savings is worth how long those materials will last.
I do also want to replace the outer cladding on the extensions as it turns out they're asbestos (something we didn't know when we bought the house) but that one I also don't want to think about that one x_x
Your idea for just sprucing up the existing kitchen cabinets is pretty good too :D
Yes I get that, it's a big commitment and some sacrifices (maybe adjustments) are required. Not monumentally wrong at all, just the situation. I come from a family with five children and my parents gave up a lot for us...if asked they would have said they'd change nothing.
We paid board from the moment we started working, I was thirteen, it wasn't a lot, 35% of my meagre after-school income at the supermarket, but I learned some lessons and I know those funds did some good. I'm glad to hear you're will have the same responsibility.
Those IKEA and Bunnings systems are pretty good, I've rarely heard much negativity about them, but there's some fitment issues, it just takes patience and care to get it spot on, I reckon it's a good option. Good luck with the asbestos too...Best that's gotten rid of but that needs to be done right, as you would know I guess. Happy renovating...or sprucing.
There's definitely a few things I would have changed in my own behaviour had I known then what I know now (especially financially) and I think J would be the same, but yeh the kids would definitely have been had again if we had a do over XD
Good to know about the IKEA and Bunnings systems! I have some confidence and also soe reservations with IKEA, I guess it depends on what you get, like we got some cupboards from there and the one we built into our bedroom (the house is really old and has pretty much no built in storage) is amazing, the two we got for the big two's bedrooms (which have since been repurposed for other things) are both still in pretty good nick but the three smaller ones we got as linen closets are trying to lose shelves (for whatever reason the pegs keep flying off). Guess everything has to roll a 1 sometimes xD
I think IKEA stuff rebels against being moved once it's put together, that's my experience., although it makes it easy to pull apart and discard when the tome comes. 😆