What is the best, and the worst, money you have spent on your home?

Just like you annsixty we fitted a conservatory onto our rather small new house twenty years ago.
Its a blessing as we spend all day in it and only go into the sitting room in the evening for TV etc.
It overlooks our pretty garden which we love looking at.
Twenty years ago it was 'the thing' to fit wardrobes and we had them in all the bedrooms. Wasteful and mostly useless extra space.

The best:
the conservatory
and the utility room (30 years ago)

I was thinking of having fitted wardrobes fitted, perhaps not.

The worst: the ceramic kitchen floor which was all we could afford and it chips easily. It will need hacking up.

My best purchase was definitely a new boiler even though the previous one was not that old and also a positive air exchange unit at the same time. I knew when I bought the house that the boiler was not big enough for the number of radiators and I had the electric fire removed so I could fit my furniture in. So I suffered with a number of damp problems for the first few winters in the bedrooms and hall. Also I struggled to get the lounge temperature to a comfortable level to relax in at night, visitors used to complain about the cold!

Since the boiler, togetger with an extra radiator, was fitted, I have been snug and warm with no trace of damp, greatly reduced condensation on the windows and a lovely fresh smell around the house. I think the positive air exchanger helped as well.

Worst purchase having new gutters and fascias fitted the year before a had a new roof, the gutters did not fit the new roof exactly which prevented the roofer from doing a neat job.

Thermostats on all the radiators were not that expensive but a hood buy.

A good buy

I’m with all you conservatory folks! DH built ours so double bargain and the most used room as it doubles as a dining room off the kitchen as well.

Haven’t made any huge mistakes as I’m painstaking on research before spending a large amount of dosh but I’ve wasted lots of money on smaller gadgets I thought I needed which promptly lived in a dark cupboard!

The back of my house is south facing. I didn't want a conservatory as for half the year they are too hot or too cold. I love to sit outside but cannot tolerate the heat like I used to. I therefore had an awning fitted, which I love. Money well spent.

I sometimes curse my ceramic kitchen floor tiles because anything that is dropped will definitely break.

A settee I bought several years ago now. I rented the flat furnished and have gradually changed things as time has gone on. The settee supplied was a 2 seater one and no good for relaxing on, so as soon as I could I replaced it with a 3 seater and which is far more comfortable.

Best job - the "new" roof. We put beautiful reclaimed tiles on and old chimney pots in keeping with the house and also Victorian fancy ridges. Lovely!
Safe and sound and looking great!

Regret... not finding the money for ALL the old chimneys to have new (old) pots. I sometimes notice in the winter when the trees are bare that two more pots would have made a lot of difference.

Best - having paving done in the garden. My partner wanted it all lawned but then didn’t cut the grass regularly.
I had decorative paving laid, with deep borders and beds. I love the garden, even when it’s a bit dishevelled, it’s still a pleasure to both of us.

Worst - the alarm system, which doesn’t accommodate three cats leaping around the house, whilst we are out. ???

I hate my kitchen wall tiles fitted last year. They are a definite mistake but I can't afford to have them replaced.

Best buy was having the 1970s flat window in my livingroom replaced with a lovely bay window. The sun streams in and I feel pleased with it every time I go into the room, even though it has been 20 years since having it done! The windowsill is now twice the size and my cat loves sunbathing on it.

I've just had a ground floor extension giving me a large family kitchen/diner and a study with a shower room so I can sleep downstairs if I have to, if I ever get incapacitated!

Things which have been a waste of money are items ordered online (which were not suitable) where I have to pay to return them and, as some are heavy, it has not been worth spending the money on postage.

Mr C would say the conservatory is the best thing as he loves it. For me the best thing is the kitchen. Used every spare inch of a small space and works.

The worst? I'm not sure, maybe the bathroom which everyone except me loves. I allowed myself to be persuaded by the plumber and Mr C, it does look nice but it isn't the bathroom I had my heart set on.

The best thing is definitely the kitchen. It was expensive but well worth it with floor to ceiling fridge and floor to ceiling freezer. Also every cupboard has drawers so I can get to the back.
Also the electric awning we have at the back of the house as we face south.

I don't really have a worst thing.

Best buy the sunroom, we’re in it till 11 most nights. The beautiful Indian slab patio is second. We could do with a new kitchen but we did the important things first

Back in my last house, into which I moved in summer 2003, the survey I had said that it required major work to the bathroom, due to leaks, etc.

So, foolishly, I panicked and as soon as I moved in I contacted a major, large company - so silly that I did make any contact with local bathroom companies. ANywhere, they did this work - it was horrendously expensive for the time, and nothing particularly wonderful. They used a local man to do the actual work. There was nothing wrong with the work he did, and the bathroom functioned well and was in good condition throughout my time there. BUT, for the amount I paid, it was functional, but not very designer in any way. Always annoyed me, and little things, at the time I asked the company if I could have the small radiator in there changed for a proper towel rail.

I do not know if they did not stock these, but I got some strange story as to how inefficient these were, etc.etc. Ten years later, when I was having an en-suite installed that I paid another company to change that.

Would never use this company, or their joint ones who do wardrobes, again. Always go to local companies for such work now. Interesting that the cost this year of having the guest bathroom in my flat re-done )and this will involve some electricity work and changing of plumbing is almost the same as I paid 17 years ago. Local company this time.

Best buy - I can think of several. The excellent, low-priced double oven I had installed, still working absolutely perfectly when I moved out. But think it was that en-suite that I had put in as my retirement present to myself. Very small space under stairs going up to loft room. But they managed to get in there a small shower cubicle, basin and loo. Beautifully and brilliantly done and so very useful. Would never be without an en-suite ever again. Small, specialist local company did that for me.

Nortsat You can get pet sensors for burglar alarms which don't pick up the motion of small pets like cats. I don't know how they work, but I had all my sensors changed to these and my cats have never set off the alarm.

The best money we spent was on porcelain flooring through hall and dining room. It looks like a wooden floor and no one can tell the difference and it has underfloor heating. I just mop it over and it’s looks as good now as when it was laid. Bit pricey (more than ceramic tiles would have been) but definitely worth it.

Worst buy was a large Indian rug. Quite expensive. On New Year’s Eve after we got it, a Bacardi Breezer the colour of egg yolk was spilt all over it. I got a rug specialist to come and clean it the day after New Year but the stain could not be removed completely.

Best things are laminate floors throughout and tiled floors in the kitchen and bathroom. Plus the massive cupboard under the stairs which holds everything. Worse thing is not asking for a bigger window in the kitchen, which is very dark.

The best thing is having two thermostats in the house, one up one down. It saves faffing about with the radiators and we just have the upstairs heating on for an hour or so in the morning. It has cut our heating bills tremendously.

The worst, like Franbern, using a national company to do our bathrooms. Expensive and not particularly good quality. I wonder if it was the same company?

The best was the block paved drive the flipping shingle that was there when we bought the house got everywhere and always needed weeding.
Worst the tiled floor in the refitted bathroom. So cold in winter.

The best was definitely having the conservatory added, and thank you ( again) annsixty for your helpful advice on what to have done and not to have with regards to it.It was quite a few years ago now, and we use it all the time every day throughout the year.
The worst was a new bathroom ( a long time ago in another house) where the plumber turned out to be useless and in the end we needed to get another plumber in to undo all the bad work, it cost an arm and a leg.

Best: A very large sofa from Habitat, in the 1990s. We have had it recovered and reupholstered twice. Love it and it is much admired by others.
Worst: A potato ricer. I would rather use a fork, and we don’t eat potatoes much.

A new build house and I have been here for just over a year, I have many best purchases

my garden which has magically turned into a potager with obelisks and bee friendly plants and veggies and flowers and vegtrugs

My quickstep top of the range flooring, looks exactly like oak but isn`t

The fitted cupboards in 2 bedrooms, hand made by a time served cabinet maker, painted in matt white, gorgeous and very very practical

The tall fridge and tall freezer by miele, I use them every day and they are both full

My worst purchase was cutting corners and I bought a large poly whats it rug from costco. Looks cheap and the corners are still curled after 2 months. So pale that I tipoe around it

I do have another worst purchase, a coal bunker on a stand. It is good but I don`t need to store so much fuel. I will sell it when I empty it, in about 5 years