Send us your questions!

We got a letter! Well, an email but it's still very exciting!

Hi Stephanie and James! I love reading your blog (although, I wish your descriptions were more specific sometimes- my bf and I are not very handy)  I know you wrote your land lord is covering the cost of the bathroom, how did you manage that? I am lucky if my landlord will send someone to look at our running toilet.  Also how do you justify spending so much money renovating a rental? The floors alone cost more than most people would spend on a place they don't own. - Kate

First off, thanks for writing us! I love getting mail! I will try to be more specific in my project descriptions, but always feel free to ask questions in the comment section under each post.

Great questions. First off, it ever hurts to ask. Worst case-they say no! In our case, from the beginning we knew our landlords were willing to do some work on the place. They mentioned giving us new cabinets and then eventually re-doing the bathroom. That gave me confidence to ask if they would fix the bathroom instead of the kitchen right away. We also saved them money by doing the labor, so it worked out for everyone really.
Friends tell me that they have asked and been reimbursed for painting or re-caulking if the place really needs it. But if the place doesn't need work and it's purely aesthetic, you may be out of luck.
The rest of the costs we justify because we didn't pay a broker fee. In New York, it's uncommon to not pay a broker.  So we are capping our renovations at what we would have paid a broker. 

The rest of the costs we justify because we didn't pay a broker fee. In New York, it's uncommon to not pay a broker.  So we are capping our renovations at what we would have paid a broker. 

It is really important to me that I be happy in my home. I want it to be a place where I can relax and entertain and create memories. I am unable to chill if I am worrying about hiding the bad molding or how mismatched the couches are. Floors can change a room so drastically. $500 for a couple years worth a happiness is worth it to us. It's all priorities. 

Friends, send us your questions! 

We are almost ready to reveal the completed bathroom and kitchen cabinets. I promise we will have some curtain how-to's to post soon too!