The Chicken Story

Any of my readers who have lived a decent number of
years have heard the chicken story. It is told on your
local TV news or in your local newspaper about every
4-5 years. Some young enterprising reporter discovers
that handling raw chicken with your bare hands is
dangerous to your health & presents this story to the
public as an expose’ of the most shocking & dreadful
news.
If you haven’t heard or read the story then it will be
coming to your neighborhood soon.

Sales of chickens plummet for a week or two & then
everyone forgets the story till it is repeated again in a
few years.

I have lived long enough to have heard or read the
story several times.

What reminded me of the chicken story was a new
issue of the old remodeling story that is repeated
about once a year on TV &  newspapers.

In the magazine section of our local Sunday newspaper
was the “remodeling” story. Same old headlines,

“Here is a list of improvements that will not return
most of your money when you sell.”

“Here is another list of improvements that will return
some of your money when you sell.”

“Here is a list of improvements that will not return any
of your money when you sell”

“Remodel your kitchen or bath, they are good
improvements”

"Don’t add a den or a deck for you & your nine kids,
you won’t get all of your money back”.

This kind of dribble & nonsense makes me want to
laugh or cry. It makes me laugh because it doesn't’
make any sense & it makes me want to cry because it is
terrible advice, not true & someone might actually
believe it.

Let’s look at this sensibly. People don’t improve their
home because they want to make an investment
(Although that’s what it turns out to be,). People
improve because they have a need.

Something is causing a hurt, discomfort or a problem.
There isn’t enough living space, the kitchen cabinets
are old & have marks from the kids crayons that you
can’t get off, you have a wall leak in the ceramic tile
around your tub, your kids are coming back to live with
you. (Ugh), your mother-in-law is coming to live with
you (oy), you need another bedroom. There are
hundreds of reasons why people want to make
improvements & additions

They are valid reasons, they make sense & people buy
them because it will solve a problem or an emotional
want. When water is dripping on your head in the
kitchen from the second floor bathroom are you really
worried about getting your money back if you remodel
your bath? I don’t think so.

The facts are these: Virtually all room additions, decks,
kitchen remodels, bath remodels, finished basements,
garages & anything else you can think of add value to
your home.
Add to this the increase in value your home will accrue
from inflation or other factors in your area.

Finally, remember the comfort, pleasure & enjoyment
you received from using & living with or in these
improvements.

Now, should you laugh or cry?


Any of my readers who have lived a decent number of
years have heard the chicken story. It is told on your
local TV news or in your local newspaper about every
4-5 years. Some young enterprising reporter discovers
that handling raw chicken with your bare hands is
dangerous to your health & presents this story to the
public as an expose’ of the most shocking & dreadful
news.
If you haven’t heard or read the story then it will be
coming to your neighborhood soon.

Sales of chickens plummet for a week or two & then
everyone forgets the story till it is repeated again in a
few years.

I have lived long enough to have heard or read the
story several times.

What reminded me of the chicken story was a new
issue of the old remodeling story that is repeated
about once a year on TV &  newspapers.

In the magazine section of our local Sunday newspaper
was the “remodeling” story. Same old headlines,

“Here is a list of improvements that will not return
most of your money when you sell.”

“Here is another list of improvements that will return
some of your money when you sell.”

“Here is a list of improvements that will not return any
of your money when you sell”

“Remodel your kitchen or bath, they are good
improvements”

"Don’t add a den or a deck for you & your nine kids,
you won’t get all of your money back”.

This kind of dribble & nonsense makes me want to
laugh or cry. It makes me laugh because it doesn't’
make any sense & it makes me want to cry because it is
terrible advice, not true & someone might actually
believe it.

Let’s look at this sensibly. People don’t improve their
home because they want to make an investment
(Although that’s what it turns out to be,). People
improve because they have a need.

Something is causing a hurt, discomfort or a problem.
There isn’t enough living space, the kitchen cabinets
are old & have marks from the kids crayons that you
can’t get off, you have a wall leak in the ceramic tile
around your tub, your kids are coming back to live with
you. (Ugh), your mother-in-law is coming to live with
you (oy), you need another bedroom. There are
hundreds of reasons why people want to make
improvements & additions

They are valid reasons, they make sense & people buy
them because it will solve a problem or an emotional
want. When water is dripping on your head in the
kitchen from the second floor bathroom are you really
worried about getting your money back if you remodel
your bath? I don’t think so.

The facts are these: Virtually all room additions, decks,
kitchen remodels, bath remodels, finished basements,
garages & anything else you can think of add value to
your home.
Add to this the increase in value your home will accrue
from inflation or other factors in your area.

Finally, remember the comfort, pleasure & enjoyment
you received from using & living with or in these
improvements.

Now, should you laugh or cry?


Any of my readers who have lived a decent number of
years have heard the chicken story. It is told on your
local TV news or in your local newspaper about every
4-5 years. Some young enterprising reporter discovers
that handling raw chicken with your bare hands is
dangerous to your health & presents this story to the
public as an expose’ of the most shocking & dreadful
news.
If you haven’t heard or read the story then it will be
coming to your neighborhood soon.

Sales of chickens plummet for a week or two & then
everyone forgets the story till it is repeated again in a
few years.

I have lived long enough to have heard or read the
story several times.

What reminded me of the chicken story was a new
issue of the old remodeling story that is repeated
about once a year on TV &  newspapers.

In the magazine section of our local Sunday newspaper
was the “remodeling” story. Same old headlines,

“Here is a list of improvements that will not return
most of your money when you sell.”

“Here is another list of improvements that will return
some of your money when you sell.”

“Here is a list of improvements that will not return any
of your money when you sell”

“Remodel your kitchen or bath, they are good
improvements”

"Don’t add a den or a deck for you & your nine kids,
you won’t get all of your money back”.

This kind of dribble & nonsense makes me want to
laugh or cry. It makes me laugh because it doesn't’
make any sense & it makes me want to cry because it is
terrible advice, not true & someone might actually
believe it.

Let’s look at this sensibly. People don’t improve their
home because they want to make an investment
(Although that’s what it turns out to be,). People
improve because they have a need.

Something is causing a hurt, discomfort or a problem.
There isn’t enough living space, the kitchen cabinets
are old & have marks from the kids crayons that you
can’t get off, you have a wall leak in the ceramic tile
around your tub, your kids are coming back to live with
you. (Ugh), your mother-in-law is coming to live with
you (oy), you need another bedroom. There are
hundreds of reasons why people want to make
improvements & additions

They are valid reasons, they make sense & people buy
them because it will solve a problem or an emotional
want. When water is dripping on your head in the
kitchen from the second floor bathroom are you really
worried about getting your money back if you remodel
your bath? I don’t think so.

The facts are these: Virtually all room additions, decks,
kitchen remodels, bath remodels, finished basements,
garages & anything else you can think of add value to
your home.
Add to this the increase in value your home will accrue
from inflation or other factors in your area.

Finally, remember the comfort, pleasure & enjoyment
you received from using & living with or in these
improvements.

Now, should you laugh or cry?