The House & Home section today uses the quest of the former editor and chief of Dwell magazine to find the perfect house for $100 a foot as a jumping off point to investigate whether in New York City it was possible to do a gut renovation for that number. They look at six renovations across the city that ranged from the Red Hook house above for $67 a foot to a Tribeca loft for $180 a foot. We know first hand that it’s possible: We did our house for about $75 a foot. We could have easily spent double that and close inspection quickly reveals numerous imperfections. Certain things don’t bother us, like the layers and layers of accumlated paint on the door moldings; others, like way the contractor mounted the old marble sink in the guest bathroom too close to the side wall, will bother us for the next twenty years. But the way we look at it is that an old house like ours is a lifelong project and, plus, we couldn’t have afforded to buy it if a “perfect” renovation was the only option. And, like most things, it looks great by candlelight!

We’d love to hear what readers have spent on their “on the cheap” renovations.

The Cheap Fix [NY Times]