Danny do You ship to Germany? :-)

I'm talking about true upgrades, not routine maintenance that every homeowner should attend to. For example, if your furnace dies, you need to replace it. That's not an upgrade, it's maintenance. But if you rip out all the fake paneling and put up drywall, that's an upgrade. Sometimes, they're mixed. For example, if your Kenmore range dies, you would need to replace it as part of routine home maintenance. But if you replace it with double wall ovens and put in both an induction cook top and a gas cook top and get a hand-crafted wood hood, that would be an upgrade, a big one. So what I'd like to know is how many of you do actual upgrades to your MH knowing that you'll be selling in five years (or whenever) and hoping to get a high percentage of your kitchen upgrade back, as given in the example above? When you paint walls, do you do it in a neutral that you know buyers prefer, or do you do it in the color you love? Or both? How many of you do upgrades with nary a thought of getting your money back? Perhaps if this is the last home you will ever live in, or perhaps you are in a strong financial position to not have to care about getting your money back, such as if it's a vacation cabin. And how many of you try to walk the line between doing what you will love to see and use every day while keeping an eye out on what's trendy for resale? In my case, I know for a fact that when my total gut remodel is finished, my MH will be worth more than I paid for it. I got it for $2,000, so even if I just clean it, I could sell it for more tomorrow. Not a lot more, but maybe $1,000 more. I'm going to spend a lot of money (a lot to me) refurbishing this ole 1979 single wide in a park community. Would I ever be able to get a high percentage of that money back? Not a chance. In our current economy, I will never be able to sell it for more than $10,000, and even that much is rather unlikely. My reno budget for my kitchen alone is $20,000. My total renovation budget for the whole house is between $40,000-$50,000, now that I have researched and found out how much things cost. I know, going in eyes wide open, that my remodel will not increase the value of my home on a significant scale. Not in my neck of the woods. So why am I doing it? Because of three reasons. First, buying an almost free house and then spending the next few years refurbishing it top to bottom, is the way that I am able to be a homeowner. It fits perfectly with my financial situation, that I will pay as I go in cash for the remodeling. Second, because I enjoy renovations! i know some people hate it, are stressed throughout the entire process, and marriages have even broken up over the renovation process. But I love it! And, instead of having to live with a house as is because I have a big mortgage, in my case I get to pick out the things that I love, within my budget of course. I get to pick the floors, the colors, the window treatments, the skirting/siding, etc. My house will be a reflection of who I am; my house will be my work of art. Third, this is my last residence. I will semi-retire there (I'll never fully retire), I can write there, and so I want what my heart desires in this space I hope I spend many, many, many years in. I do not need to worry about selling. I'll never sell. When I die, the house will go to my daughter. She has a big say in what I'm doing because it will be her house some day. She will never sell it either; the house will be given to her in a trust managed by my brother. Long story as to why, it's due to a disability, but that's not important here. What's important to this thread is that I never consider resale value as I plan my big refurbishing project, because I don't have to. It's quite freeing, really. But I realize that most people do have to consider resale value and I'm interested in how that all balances out. :-) Peace and joy, Debbie

That's the bad part about most sunscreens. It's the Avobenzone in sunscreens that causes the orange or yellowish stains. I looked at every single sunscreen in Walmart and could not find one without it. There have been threads on this board before about this issue so you might do a search for those. From what I remember them saying tho, it's nearly impossible to get it out. I think I would take them to the cleaners also, or at least call one and ask them if they can get it out. Ziplock bags are you friend when packing any type of liquids, even spray bottles....But please let us know if your friend has any success with the removal.

Two things come to mind. She may be overloading the washer...just because it fits doesn’t mean it all belongs in one load. I’ve seen my kids do that for years (now in 30’s). The other is that she may need to add something to help. When my son who sweats A LOT played football you can imagine what his clothes were like everyday after practice. I used to add an Arm and Hammer product (like baking soda or borax?) to the laundry with his things. I didn’t have a front loader then, but it worked.