Another option is cement, which can look amazing and is very low cost.

Delta Ara collection for bathroom fixtures, cement tile for the bathroom flooring, travertine pavers for pool decking, and diamond bite pool refinishing.

Delta Ara collection for bathroom fixtures, cement tile for the bathroom flooring, travertine pavers for pool decking, and diamond bite pool refinishing.

Lumber, labor, cement, brick, and even the fixtures are all more expensive from a year ago.

I'm assuming it's fiber cement, but I've never had fiber cement siding before, so who knows.

.- Potential space to move laundry into upstairs bathroom closet vs basement - Can maybe get away with toilet/vanity replacement in each bathroom- Uncertain if painting or replacing cabinets with ikea type is worth it- Any in-ceiling lighting will cause a disaster with electrical since it is out of date- Repave/fix concrete front porch and side porch - replace/paint railing- Replace front walkway cement, or remove walkway and replace with right angled walk to driveway (may not provide ROI)- Tear down vs paint garage port in back yard

id=1IaAr5B1WeT...Cleanup Job (Low cost fast flip): landscape package in front remove deckremove vines from house clean exterior, fix siding and wood rot, paint neutral beige/gray color clean driveway/weed, clean retaining wall/pavement replace flooring with mid grade flooring bottom level, carpet upstairs replace interior fixtures paint interior white trim, light color beige/gray walls, popcorn ceiling removal new kitchen appliancesRehab options: Replace deck with new one (kind of awkward that high to me) vs Remove and fill in wall or add large window to master.Potential space to move laundry into upstairs bathroom closet vs basement Can maybe get away with toilet/vanity replacement in each bathroomUncertain if painting or replacing cabinets with ikea type is worth itAny in-ceiling lighting will open up codes stuff with electrical since it is out of dateRepave/fix concrete front porch and side porch - replace/paint railingReplace front walkway cement, or remove walkway and replace with right angled walk to driveway (may not provide ROI)Tear down vs paint garage port in back yardWhich do you think provides highest ROI? 

We also noticed throughout the renovation that water was getting into the basement and we had to re-pour cement along the back side of the house and slop the grade away from the house this alone was an extra $3K expense.

My husband says he trusts me and supports me (knowing that I am the financially savvy one in the family), but he is a quite pessimistic given that he is a police officer and only sees the worst in people (think tenants pouring cement down the toilet, taking the water heater with them when they leave, or landlord/tenant eviction calls).

The high density polyurethane as mentioned in the other posts is much lighter than a cement/mud mixture making it less likely to cause additional settlement due to the weight, another benefit is that it expands and compresses the soil underneath it to a certain degree.