patrick.net

Probably a bit high on the bathroom expenses, maybe a bit low on the kitchen especially if you want to match the granite countertops and professional grade appliances.

It's not hard to do if you're at all capable, but it takes at LOT more time than you think. If you're not going to be living alone your housemate might really learn to hate your guts.

I'd start on the spare/guest bathroom so your first attempts at tiling etc aren't in the kitchen and master bath. For that matter, waste the $50-$100 in tiling materials and tile a couple sheets of plywood first in the backyard. Ditto for plumbing/electrical. Make some fake runs in the garage walls then cut them back out. Better to learn and make a big mess outside of the prime living areas.

You forgot to add the cost of hiring a contractor to fix what you screwed up, or to complete the job when your contractor absconds with your $ and leaves you owing subcontractors. It happens all the time.

Unless you're really good at home improvement, including plumbing, electrical, carpentry, etc expect to double your budget above. And it will strain your relationships & interfere with your job. Remember that the home improvement shows start & finish in half an hour, when the actual work can be weeks or months.

elliemae says

I would imagine that many people like myself who have never owned a home, nor worked on home improvements must weigh two options:

If you never did home improvement before, your in for a rude awaking. It's not as easy as they make it look on TV. There's a lot of contractors that have to go in and fix other people's bathrooms and kitchens that as half demolished cuase some fool seen it on TV and said I can do that.

elliemae says

You forgot to add the cost of hiring a contractor to fix what you screwed up, or to complete the job when your contractor absconds with your $ and leaves you owing subcontractors. It happens all the time.
Unless you’re really good at home improvement, including plumbing, electrical, carpentry, etc expect to double your budget above. And it will strain your relationships & interfere with your job. Remember that the home improvement shows start & finish in half an hour, when the actual work can be weeks or months.

Amen to that! While it's not impossible to do, it requires considerable amount of effort. I have tackled a number of home remodeling projects, including gutting and remodeling a small bathroom. Make sure your committed to a project before you start it. Also finish one project before starting another.

TechGromit says

elliemae says
I would imagine that many people like myself who have never owned a home, nor worked on home improvements must weigh two options:
If you never did home improvement before, your in for a rude awaking. It’s not as easy as they make it look on TV. There’s a lot of contractors that have to go in and fix other people’s bathrooms and kitchens that as half demolished cuase some fool seen it on TV and said I can do that.

elliemae no say the first part. I own a home, have completed home improvement projects, and know my limitations. One of the things that people can't handle is the way their house is torn up during home improvements. If you DIY, it'll be torn up longer.

Not just that, tho. People go & price things and don't figure in contingencies, tools, stuff like grout or drop cloths, etc. All that adds up quickly. I don't think that people shouldn't do stuff, they just shouldn't do it alone with no help if they don't know what they're doing. And if they say, "that's good enough..." when doing something, they should reconsidering hiring a pro. It's alot easier to do it right than to fix what's broken.