For the past few years, I've been trying to improve my house in a piecemeal process by using my tax refunds to finance the various projects. Looking back, I feel this approach hasn't worked for me. Contractors and home improvement folks just don't take your job very seriously when it's "only" got four digits. It bothers me, but I've got to be realistic about it-- if I had to pick between a small job that would earn me maybe 3 thousand dollars, or a big job that will let me earn five times as much money, I'd be lying if I said I'd treat both jobs with equal degrees of care and diligence.
So, I've applied for and received a home equity line of credit. I've already got several ideas on how I should improve my house (e.g. replacement windows, get rid of the carpets and go for wood floors or laminates, increase my storage space, etc.), but I know I haven't thought of everything. It's tempting to put a lot of the details about what I've got in mind up online in a blog and let people comment on them, or make new suggestions-- but at the same time, I've got some trepidation about putting out that kind of info. It's not so much that I'm expecting someone will figure out where I live from the blog info and do me like Sean Taylor, but there are some aspects of the home improvement project that just isn't anyone else's business.
For example, last December my house was burglarized. Although I have no way to know or prove who did it, more than one person I've spoken to about it indicated that there were some peculiarities about it that suggested the person(s) responsible knew things about my house that a complete stranger would not have known. I've taken several steps to improve the security of my house. I'm not going to list them here, because-- let's think about it-- one part of security is not to run around and divulge details about what precautions you've taken!
I mean, if I told people that forcing entry of the front door triggered a series of tear gas cannisters embedded in the door frame, they might bring gas masks. Then they'd only have to worry about my blood thirsty, guard ferret, Grendel.
( Bugger! Did I just say all that out loud? ) O o . ;)