(A Home Improvement Cautionary Tale)
Years ago, I was standing in my kitchen, looked into the family room, and had a realization no homeowner wants to have: “A guy could be standing in there and I wouldn’t even see him.” The room was that dark. Clearly, the solution was obvious.
We needed a skylight.
So we called a contractor and decided—since we were at it to add a skylight in the dining room and hallway too. Simple upgrade, right?
Well… the light came in. And that’s when the trouble started. Because once the room was bright, we could suddenly see things. Like the fact that the interior doors looked tired. And the paint wasn’t helping. And the patio door really had to go. Which led to:
New patio doors (family room and a bedroom)
New windows
New flooring
Two new patios
Raising the ceiling in one room
Bathroom remodeling
And, to finish it off properly, re-stuccoing the exterior of the house
All triggered by one innocent skylight.
This was about 25 years ago, and the final tab came in just over $80,000.
Today? That same project would easily be $200,000.
All because I wanted a little more light.
Home improvements have a way of snowballing once you start seeing things clearly. It’s also a good reminder that renovations—especially ones that improve light, layout, and livability—can dramatically change both how a home feels and what it’s worth.
Just be careful when you open things up. You might not like what you see.
