An inch quickly turns into a mile in this business.

Consider finishing several inches of the outside edges of the treads and risers, and doing a carpet runner in a simple but very elegant material, different from the upstairs, maybe in a subtle pattern.Then, gotta replace all that outdated tile in what I assume is the entry, and make that guest bath an absolute KNOCKOUT! 

It's a good 4 inch crack down the pipe and it looks ceroded.

Either way unless you have been developing projects of this size you may be just spinning your wheels. 

So you already k is you need to dig six inches.2.

Especially in the kitchen area where the top of the cabinets are less than six inches from the ceiling. 

First I went and got the Mercedes CLS550 with the custom 20" Lexani wheels, then I later traded up to the Maserati Quattroporte (which is a beast of a vehicle by the way).  

Check out the post "The 2 year road to redemption".You are presently sitting spinning your wheels and will not accomplish anything in life if you keep changing direction. 

We make better money on a 3 inch storm than a 20 inch storm .  

When you give someone an inch, it's very difficult to take it back.