Am I being selfish???

[KitKat]

So, dh and I buy a house, foreclosure, fix it up, and then sell it when he gets reassigned. We always fix the floors up last because we always only live there for 2 years, and well, we don't want to have to do the floors TWICE. So, we wait until a month before we leave.

Well, we will be in this house for another 5 years. And I HATE THE FLOORS!! It is one thing if it is only a couple years, but I can't look at these another 5 YEARS!! So, I want to get those carpet squares. They cost a little more but not as much as getting the floors done twice, and since you can just replace the individual squares if they get stained, they make sense to me. By the way, I am up because I just had to spend the entire night pulling up corroded and nastified tack strips from the mildew stained nasty carpet in the hallway, and guess what, THERE IS NO FLOOR, OK so there is a floor, but it is plain concrete. And in the living room is this nasty brown tile.

So, dh, wonders why I can't just finish pulling up the NASTY carpet, which I fully intend to do because it is NASTY. And wait until we get ready to move again to get new floors. I told him about the carpet square, he says he'll think about it but he doesn't know. Now mind you, we have already put enough work into the house to raise the value by about $30,000 so an investment of $5000 isn't going to be losing money. But, he thinks I am being selfish. OK so he didn't use that word, but he said, "are you just doing this so the house looks the way YOU want it to?" So, I think that is implying that I am being selfish. Anyway, just wondering what you all think. Am I being selfish?

[expatmom]

No, not selfish. 5 yrs is a long time to hate your floors. In answer to his question "are you just doing this so the house looks the way you want it to?" I'd say "Yes!" What is wrong with wanting your house to look nice? It is your home.

[cybelle1980]

Totally not selfish, especially given the increased value you've already achieved in your house. I hope you can reach an agreement. :hug2

[loveberry]

No, you aren't being selfish! That said...

Could you compromise? We lived with plain concrete with area rugs for 5 years and I complained a lot at the time but I kind of wish I could go back to it now. So much easier to clean, and you can lift the rug every couple months and get all the ick under it.

[KitKat]

No, you aren't being selfish! That said...

Could you compromise? We lived with plain concrete with area rugs for 5 years and I complained a lot at the time but I kind of wish I could go back to it now. So much easier to clean, and you can lift the rug every couple months and get all the ick under it.



That's what I'm doing right now. Area rugs. But, I don't know, I just want to be able to just vacuum and not worry about vacuum, sweep, mop. The next day, vacuum, sweep, mop. It's BUGGING ME!! I want to just vacuum and nothing else.

[milkmommy]

Not selfish.. Personally I LOVE concrete soo pretty but I would want some covering foe like the bedrooms and area rugs other places could you maybe do a combo?

[Herbwifemama]

That's not selfish! My house is my kingdom! Heck YEAH I want it to look the way *I* want it to! (At least, that is what I would say to my dh if he said that to me)- and you have logical reasons for wanting it done sooner- mildew in carpet could be a health issue- and all the other reasons in your OP.

[Lady TS]

I don't think it's selfish at all. I would love to have new floors. Even new linoleum would be a step up from what we have now in the kitchen/pantry/bathroom. (Want to see a pic of our floors there? ;))

As our house is now, I am a bit embarrassed to have anyone over. So much of it needs to be redone, but we don't have the money to do it all!

If we had the money, I'd say do the floors! Especially since mildew is a factor.

[crunchymum]

no way, i would want new floors, too! i wouldn't wait... :no

[mollobe]

The floors was one of the first things we did in our fixer-upper - every room in the house!

My question is why would you have to get new floors before you sell it? :scratch I would think that if you take care of them they'll still be in good condition in 5 years... :shrug

[KitKat]

The floors was one of the first things we did in our fixer-upper - every room in the house!

My question is why would you have to get new floors before you sell it? :scratch I would think that if you take care of them they'll still be in good condition in 5 years... :shrug


3 small children, 2 dogs, and 2 indoor/outdoor cats. Yeah, if we did hard floors,then it wouldn't be a problem. BUT, considering we do carpet, dogs coming in with muddy feet after raining. Children "forgetting" and carrying juice cups into carpeted rooms. Etc. So, for us, it just isn't reasonable to expect carpeting to remain completely stainless. Plus, when you sell, it is nice to have nice new carpeting without the dents from furniture in it.

[mollobe]

3 small children, 2 dogs, and 2 indoor/outdoor cats. Yeah, if we did hard floors,then it wouldn't be a problem. BUT, considering we do carpet, dogs coming in with muddy feet after raining. Children "forgetting" and carrying juice cups into carpeted rooms. Etc. So, for us, it just isn't reasonable to expect carpeting to remain completely stainless. Plus, when you sell, it is nice to have nice new carpeting without the dents from furniture in it.


Ah-ha. Makes perfect sense now. :yes

[Ali]

I was going to ask the same thing, but if you are for sure wanting carpeting, it would stink to do it twice. Our carpet is just 3 years old and between boy and husband, it's gotten pretty worn already.
I used to think I preferred carpet, but now I am wishing for hard floors (except for the bedrooms - I like carpet there).
Have you heard of finishing the concrete? My BIL has finished concrete floors and they look very pretty and are obviously kid/dog friendly. I prefer wood, but the concrete is kind of cool. BIL's is very simply done, but you can get a really elaborate look, too. It's new to me and kind of fascinating!
http://www.concretenetwork.com/photo-gallery/concrete-floors_1/

[ArmsOfLove]

I'd stain the concrete :tu and lay down an area rug or runner :tu

[KitKat]

I'd stain the concrete :tu and lay down an area rug or runner :tu


The problem I see with that is, there are cracks in the concrete.

[pastelsummer]

nope I am repainting my house so it looks the way I want it to.my MIL died before I married my DH and he got the house and the carpet is red and orange and black and the walls a poopy tanish yellow and a really light tacky pink color. so no not being selfish

[MarynMunchkins]

A concrete sub-floor isn't really designed to serve as everyday floor. I would definitely do *something* on the floor, whatever it may be.

[greendelight]

Your definitely not being selfish!

I'd fill in the cracks and "finish" the concrete. But, that's just me because I LOVE the look of concrete floors.

If you want carept squares then you should get carpet squares. It's your job to make it all homey-like, and you should do it any way you want (within reason). Your plan sure sounds reasonable, though!

[tempus vernum]

A concrete sub-floor isn't really designed to serve as everyday floor. I would definitely do *something* on the floor, whatever it may be.


:yes2

I do think though that you may still be able to do something to make it serve as everyday floor but don't know anything about that. I probably should as my dh is a carpenter but I am blissfully ignorant about all fix-it-up type things.

I don't think it's selfish at all. :hugheart

[SansSouci]

I just wanted to pipe in, a little late - sorry!

Your DH is just thinking like a man, that's all. And it sounds like his way of thinking has been going fine thus far with your experiences in buying & reselling houses. BUT this time you're staying longer - and it's actually going to be a home for a significant amount of time. You're looking at it as a place you're living in for 5 years; he's looking at it as a place you're selling in 5 years. Is there any way you can soften his heart a bit? Maybe explain that you really love the buying-selling thing, but this time you're also living in it for a considerable amount of time and you'd really like to be able to enjoy a home for five good years. (I can sympathize. We're here for 3 years, and we bought a fixer-upper which we will rent out when we move. So, we re-modeled the kitchen, but we didn't quite choose things that we would love to have for 20 years, but rather things that would be appealing to people looking to rent our home in 3 years!)