The $23,000 Laundry Room Renovation in Cleveland, Ohio

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Age: 32

Location: Cleveland, OH

How much did you pay for your home?

$500,000–$750,000

What was the project and why did you do it?

Renovating our laundry room and mudroom. We're converting our laundry into a multi-use space and adding a desk area so that we can reclaim a bedroom for our growing family. The room is a decent size and has become a catch-all for anything that doesn't have a "place," so we're desperate for more organization/storage. 

The mudroom is a little bit simpler—we're taking an existing closet and turning it into built-in cubbies. At the moment, we just shove things in the closet, and coats end up all over the first floor. Crossing my fingers that this space stops the clutter.

How many quotes did you get? Did you price shop at all?

We got several because they were kind of all over the place: our [first two] quotes ranged from $12,000 all the way up to $35,000. The difference prompted me to have other contractors come and take a look—I needed more numbers. 

We had a big range of folks come out: two smaller contractors we found on Angi, two from neighbor recommendations, and one larger building company. We ended up picking someone who came in in the middle.

What did you think it was going to cost?

We budgeted $15,000 before we spoke to contractors.

What did it actually cost?

$23,949

Why the difference?

We didn't anticipate doing the mudroom but decided to go all in, and it could end up being cheaper than doing them separately. 

Just one hour into demo, we were already up another $350.

How did you get the money to pay for the project?

My parents loaned us $18,000 to put toward the project. We'll be paying that back over the next few months. The rest came from our savings.

What did you splurge on that was totally worth it?

We splurged on the washer and dryer units—upgrading from side-by-side to smart stackable units for $1,998.

What did you splurge on that totally wasn’t worth it?

Probably the hardware. I spent $100 on a few hooks—which doesn't sound like much but definitely wasn't necessary. I tricked myself into believing the high-traffic area deserved it. Time will tell!

Did you cut any corners?

We decided to go with what our builder called "quick-ship" cabinets—essentially cabinetry that is pre-sized but can look like built-ins. Unfortunately, it limited our color and style options, but they cost 1/3 of what totally custom Amish-built cabinetry would cost.

What was the most surprising cost?

We needed to move a few outlets and relocate some of the plumbing. It seemed super small but definitely cost more than expected.  

Any regrets?

Not a regret exactly, but one thing I wish we were able to do was smooth the ceilings. We have very dated Midwest-textured ceilings and they drive me absolutely insane. We decided to wait until we can do our entire first floor. 

I was also bummed to find out during the design phase that beadboard is actually twice as expensive as board and batten. I love the look but decided it wasn't worth the extra cost.

Any advice?

GET LOTS OF QUOTES! Speaking to so many contractors made my husband and me super confident in our final decision.