Mayra David

After a round of "auditions" (see Bathroom Redo Part 1 - Finding a Contractor) we felt we had found our guy. The scope of work included removal of tile, reglazing of tub, replacing the branch lines to the fixtures, painting, and installation of everything that needed installing, from the toilet to the toilet roll holder. We had decided our budget should include a reserve fund of about 10% of the cost of the project--cash on hand in case anything should go wrong, The price we had been quoted ($13,850) was the maximum we felt like spending on the remodel. So we asked the contractor if there was any wiggle room and/or any way at all to lower the costs.

It's hard to live in New York City and not have some sort of real estate regret. But you don't have to live them to learn from them. Here's what 8 first time buyers told BrickUnderground they'd do differently next time: 1. I wouldn't hire a friend to be my broker--and I wouldn't believe everything the seller's broker says. As a native New Yorker, I thought I was thoroughly street savvy and knew how to manage the whole process.

From the ultimate closet to the simple dream of an in-unit washer/ dryer, these five New Yorker share what would improve their city living lives. •Some peace and quiet- I wish I didn’t live above a restaurant. It’s fine in the winter, but in the summer it gets really loud with people outside. I wish I could afford soundproof windows. -Chet, Upper West Side •The kitchen fantasy- I'd love a chef's kitchen: a pot filler by the stove, a marble slab for making pastry, counterspace for my Kitchenaid, SubZero with glass doors, a wine cooler, and of course, a dishwasher. -Leila, Flushing

There comes a time in any homeowner's life when they realize (in my case, with a mixture of joy and trepidation) they will have to completely redo their bathroom. For me, that time came within the first week my husband and I moved into our Harlem co-op. We had always known we would like to completely overhaul the bathroom eventually, but we didn’t know we would really have to undertake the remodel so soon. We thought we'd have another few months to settle in and "get to know the space" as so many designers advise before undertaking a major renovation. Then the toilet broke--I should say, broke completely--within the first week, and we decided there was no point in delaying the inevitable.