But man, those old pipes... they’ll eat your budget for breakfast.
Funny thing, I actually lucked out with my old pipes—turns out they were copper under all that grime, just needed a good cleaning and a couple new joints. I get what you mean about the tile, though. I kept mine and just re-grouted, but yeah, it’s a pain to keep looking fresh. Sometimes the “quirks” are worth it if you’re stubborn (or cheap) like me, but I can see why folks just rip everything out and start over.
I hear you on the quirks—sometimes they’re half the charm, even if they drive you nuts. I actually kept my original hex tile too, even though it’s a little uneven in spots. There’s just something about that old character you can’t fake with new stuff. Did you run into any surprises once you started opening things up? I swear, every time I touch a wall in this house, it’s like a history lesson (and sometimes a wallet-drainer).
every time I touch a wall in this house, it’s like a history lesson (and sometimes a wallet-drainer).
Man, I felt that. When we pulled up our old vinyl, we found three different layers of flooring—each one uglier than the last. Thought I’d save money by keeping the tub, but surprise: the plumbing was a mess and had to be redone. Ended up spending more than I planned, but at least the quirks give the place some soul.
I hear you on the “wallet-drainer” part. Once you open up walls or floors, it’s like rolling dice—never know what you’ll find. We tried to keep our old vanity to save cash, but turns out the water damage underneath was way worse than we thought. Ended up gutting more than planned. Honestly, if you’re dealing with older plumbing, I’d argue it’s almost always worth budgeting for a full replacement upfront. Saves headaches later, even if it stings at first.
Can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “we’ll just swap out the fixtures and call it a day,” and then bam—hidden rot, ancient pipes, or some weird DIY from the ‘70s lurking behind the drywall. Happened to us too. We thought we’d just update tile and paint, but once we pulled up the floor, there was this mess of old galvanized pipes and a patch job that looked like someone used chewing gum. Ended up redoing all the plumbing, which wasn’t cheap, but honestly? No regrets. The peace of mind knowing we won’t have leaks or weird smells down the line is worth it.
I get wanting to save where you can, but in my experience, patching over old stuff just kicks the can down the road. If your house is older than 30 years, I’d say bite the bullet and budget for more than you think. It stings at first, but it’s way less painful than having to rip everything out again in a couple years.
