So a realtor looked at our house

[Scarlett]

She wasn't as detailed as I would have liked. She gave us three levels of price for 3 levels of work completed.

 

It confirmed our feeling that we can't get what this house is worth mid remodel. With half remodeled houses you take a hit.

 

Dh and I looked over the comps with a fine tooth comb....and the closest ones to what we think we have are priced at $125ish. Realtor is saying our house is worth 91.

 

So we will keep on working on it. It isn't so much that we don't want to give it away ( which we don't of course) but we our goal is a decent place to live......selling it for 91 would mean we have to add another 30k to that price to get a house in town that doesn't need work.

 

If we finish it the way we want I think it will be worth $150k....putting in roughly $20k to get there.

[Scarlett]

Here is my question.....if a house is well maintained but waaaay out dated.....is that really any better than my kitchen which is not well maintained? Still needs to be gutted. The house that is well maintained has blue bathroom fixtures and blue countertops and yellow walls in the bathroom. Our bathrooms are totally remodeled and not cheaply....

 

Sigh.

[bettyandbob]

If your company are 126K, is it possible that you couldn't get 150K. It's hard to make one house 20% more than the rest of the neighborhood.

 

I'm not in real estate so I don't really know.

[Scarlett]

If your company are 126K, is it possible that you couldn't get 150K. It's hard to make one house 20% more than the rest of the neighborhood.

 

I'm not in real estate so I don't really know.

Well the 126 is a house that needs all updating. It is maintained but not updated. Ours is half remodeled. Some rooms are very new and remodeled....others need a gut job.

[Ausmumof3]

It depends on whether the remodel style is something that appeals to a wide range of tastes as well. Also how popular doing diy renovations are etc

 

One thing to keep in mind is some real estates agents prefer to list low for their own benefit. They get more commission out of two houses at a lower price than working harder to get a good price for yours. It can be worth shopping around for agents. You don't want one that is going to be unrealistic but you do want one that is going to make an effort to get a good price for you.

[bettyandbob]

Well the 126 is a house that needs all updating. It is maintained but not updated. Ours is half remodeled. Some rooms are very new and remodeled....others need a gut job.

Like I said I don't really know real estate. I think figuring out comps can be hard, unless you live in a cookie cutter neighborhood.

[snickerplum]

I can only speak from our experience of house hunting...

To the question of way outdated vs poorly maintained- when we look at houses that have obvious damage or wear in obvious places it makes me wonder what things have been neglected that are behind the scenes or not so obvious.

I would think the fact that you've updated the bathrooms would be very helpful. I would assume the kitchen would need to be done as well. Again, I would wonder - were the bathrooms worse than the kitchen and that's why they were done? Is there a can of worms in the kitchen and that's why it hasn't been renovated? But perhaps that's just me.

Did the real estate agent give you specific items that would help?

The kitchen in our first house was sad. It was super big, but the cabinets were yucky and the counter was bad. Our goal was to renovate someday. Well, we needed to move before someday happened. So we painted the cabinets, got new laminate counters (not too expensive) and it made it look so much better. Now, perhaps the people ripped out everything to start over (I hope they have) but what we did helped it sell.

I hope you can sell in a short time and get what you need!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[StephanieZ]

Yes, a house that is well maintained but terribly out dated is WAY better than a trashed (i.e., not well maintained) house. 

 

I could happily live  -- and have lived -- in a badly outdated house. I have done so many years. I can NOT happily lived in a trashed house. Lots of people would be perfectly happy in an outdated house, and your price range is certainly in the range where plenty of people would be fine with outdated. A "starter house" can be very comfortable and just fine with blue tubs and ugly counters . . . My first house had avocado green appliances (and I'm not THAT old!) and bright orange counters . . . Hideous. But, I LOVED that little house. I enjoyed replacing each appliance when it finally died, but I sold it with those horrid countertops (even though I'd updated most of the rest of the house . . . but counters are $$$ and, in my early 20s, I didn't have the tools or skills to DIY counters. (I could do it now if I had to!) In fact, the only ugly things I really left "undone" in that starter house was the pink tub (cast iron! Way out of my grad school budget to swap out a perfectly functional tub) and those orange counters, lol. I updated everything else, and it sold in days at a tidy profit. 

 

I love my fancy kitchen. It took me 25 years of home ownership before I "earned" a really fancy kitchen, though. Before that, most of my years were happily spent in really ugly kitchens. Ugly is fine. It can even be cute. As long as it "works" and can be clean and tidy, I don't mind 50 year old cabinets and odd colored appliances, etc.

 

But, half-taken-apart or broken/neglected stuff . . . no way, not for a week. I'd be sad and miserable living in that. 

 

So, anyway, my priorities for fixing up a house in your price range would be first to fix things that are broken/damaged and THEN to move on to fixing ugly. And, I'd prioritize making CHEAP fixes to ugly -- things like paint are cheap but make a big difference. Paint everything clean and neutral. Same with window coverings -- I'd rather have bare windows that broken and/or ugly, but you can get decent coverings cheap. 

 

You update a bathroom very cheap for everything but tub/tile work . . . If you can DIY the tub/tile work, than a total bathroom update (toilet, vanity, shower/tub) can be very affordable and will make a big impact on how things look.

 

I think, to me, it boils down to . . . I never minded being poor (i.e., living with old our out of style things or not perfect things), but I always mind being neglectful. I can't stand living around broken things or wrecked things. I mean, of course, sometimes I have a water spot in a ceiling that needs fixed from when the tub overflowed or caulking that needs to be redone . . . but THOSE imperfections BOTHER me immensely. Each time I see the broken/damaged/dirty thing, it stresses me out. Those orange counters never stressed me out at all, so long as they were clean and tidy. :) 

 

Hope that makes sense. 

 

My top priority for you would be make the kitchen tidy and in good repair. Then the bathrooms. Then move on. In good repair matters a lot more than in style, IMHO. 

 

Oh, also, most people buying a house in that price range don't have 10-20k or more handy to do fix-ups. They are often stretching to just get moved and into the house. So, you really want it to look like "I could live here and be happy!" the day they move in. That's why in-good-repair, clean and tidy mean a lot. (I know YOU are clean and tidy! I mean the HOUSE -- as in fresh paint, clean caulk lines, power washed siding, etc) Oh, plus, you'd be amazed at how many people can't hang a blind, let alone imagine replacing a toilet or vanity . . . So, even projects that would seem easy and cheap to an experienced home owner/ DIY'er would seem unimaginably stressful and overwhelming to many buyers. So, going ahead and fixing as much as possible to make it move-in-ready is really helpful to attracting buyers and getting top dollar. 

[Artichoke]

nm 

 

Edited April 23, 2017 by Artichoke

[Scarlett]

Ok. Thanks y'all. Your comments are helpful even if I think you can't quite get the pic of what we have.

 

When I saw the comp of the outdated house.....I knew I would NOT be happy with that stuff. My stripped down, bare house makes me much happier than dirty carpet or orange counter tops.

 

But I take your point that at this price point things need to be done, unless someone has cash wanting to buy a lake house and make their own.

[Scarlett]

Yes, a house that is well maintained but terribly out dated is WAY better than a trashed (i.e., not well maintained) house.

 

I could happily live -- and have lived -- in a badly outdated house. I have done so many years. I can NOT happily lived in a trashed house. Lots of people would be perfectly happy in an outdated house, and your price range is certainly in the range where plenty of people would be fine with outdated. A "starter house" can be very comfortable and just fine with blue tubs and ugly counters . . . My first house had avocado green appliances (and I'm not THAT old!) and bright orange counters . . . Hideous. But, I LOVED that little house. I enjoyed replacing each appliance when it finally died, but I sold it with those horrid countertops (even though I'd updated most of the rest of the house . . . but counters are $$$ and, in my early 20s, I didn't have the tools or skills to DIY counters. (I could do it now if I had to!) In fact, the only ugly things I really left "undone" in that starter house was the pink tub (cast iron! Way out of my grad school budget to swap out a perfectly functional tub) and those orange counters, lol. I updated everything else, and it sold in days at a tidy profit.

 

I love my fancy kitchen. It took me 25 years of home ownership before I "earned" a really fancy kitchen, though. Before that, most of my years were happily spent in really ugly kitchens. Ugly is fine. It can even be cute. As long as it "works" and can be clean and tidy, I don't mind 50 year old cabinets and odd colored appliances, etc.

 

But, half-taken-apart or broken/neglected stuff . . . no way, not for a week. I'd be sad and miserable living in that.

 

So, anyway, my priorities for fixing up a house in your price range would be first to fix things that are broken/damaged and THEN to move on to fixing ugly. And, I'd prioritize making CHEAP fixes to ugly -- things like paint are cheap but make a big difference. Paint everything clean and neutral. Same with window coverings -- I'd rather have bare windows that broken and/or ugly, but you can get decent coverings cheap.

 

You update a bathroom very cheap for everything but tub/tile work . . . If you can DIY the tub/tile work, than a total bathroom update (toilet, vanity, shower/tub) can be very affordable and will make a big impact on how things look.

 

I think, to me, it boils down to . . . I never minded being poor (i.e., living with old our out of style things or not perfect things), but I always mind being neglectful. I can't stand living around broken things or wrecked things. I mean, of course, sometimes I have a water spot in a ceiling that needs fixed from when the tub overflowed or caulking that needs to be redone . . . but THOSE imperfections BOTHER me immensely. Each time I see the broken/damaged/dirty thing, it stresses me out. Those orange counters never stressed me out at all, so long as they were clean and tidy. :)

 

Hope that makes sense.

 

My top priority for you would be make the kitchen tidy and in good repair. Then the bathrooms. Then move on. In good repair matters a lot more than in style, IMHO.

 

Oh, also, most people buying a house in that price range don't have 10-20k or more handy to do fix-ups. They are often stretching to just get moved and into the house. So, you really want it to look like "I could live here and be happy!" the day they move in. That's why in-good-repair, clean and tidy mean a lot. (I know YOU are clean and tidy! I mean the HOUSE -- as in fresh paint, clean caulk lines, power washed siding, etc) Oh, plus, you'd be amazed at how many people can't hang a blind, let alone imagine replacing a toilet or vanity . . . So, even projects that would seem easy and cheap to an experienced home owner/ DIY'er would seem unimaginably stressful and overwhelming to many buyers. So, going ahead and fixing as much as possible to make it move-in-ready is really helpful to attracting buyers and getting top dollar.

Both bathrooms have been totally remodeled. And both bedrooms.

 

The suggestions the realtor had made me cringe. We just can't put new countertops over cabinets that need replaced.

[StephanieZ]

Both bathrooms have been totally remodeled. And both bedrooms.

 

The suggestions the realtor had made me cringe. We just can't put new countertops over cabinets that need replaced.

 

Sounds like you're well on your way!

 

Sure, you can put new countertops on old cabinets. 

 

I recently bought a "starter home" for college girl + roomies. It's 50 years old or so, and is in a medium quality neighborhood near campus -- junior faculty live in some of the houses and most of the rest are college kid rentals. The house had been thoroughly updated prior to us buying it. The updates were critical to our purchase, and we paid probably 20-40k premium due to it being recently updated thoroughly. (170k vs maybe 140-150k for comparable un-updated homes). It had new mechanicals/roof/windows/carpet/paint/appliances and quartz counters. 

 

If *I* was living in it, sure I'd have hesitated to put nice new counters on top of the 50 year old painted cabinets. It's depressing and feels like a waste of $$, BUT > > > you're SELLING it, not living in it . ..

 

We all know that new cabinets are $$$ and a BIG DIY project. If you can DIY them and buy cheap cabinets at Home Depot or Lowe's (I got some really nice ones for our laundry room from one of those -- white shaker, very nice looking, but cheap), then, sure, do cheap, tidy new cabinets. That'd be huge, and well worth 2-4k if you can do it for that. If your kitchen is small and you can find cheap cabinets you like all right, then that'd be a great idea. But, if you have to spend 10k++++ on having somebody come in and do new cabinets, do NOT put that sort of $$ into cabinets. Just put a fresh coat of white paint on them if they're painted (or clean thoroughly if not), put on new hardware and new counters. I'd have no problem putting on a nice looking but cheap new laminate counters if you can DIY that cheap, but otherwise, a cheap solid surface is close to the same price as laminate in most locales, so in that case, I'd go with the cheapest quartz or granite you can find. 

 

But, man, if your bathrooms are already redone and nice, I'd be tempted to just the cabinets in the kitchen to make it really nice, too. Look at HD and Lowe's (or similar in your area) online . . . They have lots of cabinets you can order to be delivered to the store -- very cheap and decent, perfectly good for this purpose. IKEA is another good option if you live near one. Order knobs/pulls online (Amazon) for great pricing. 

[Scarlett]

Sounds like you're well on your way!

 

Sure, you can put new countertops on old cabinets.

 

I recently bought a "starter home" for college girl + roomies. It's 50 years old or so, and is in a medium quality neighborhood near campus -- junior faculty live in some of the houses and most of the rest are college kid rentals. The house had been thoroughly updated prior to us buying it. The updates were critical to our purchase, and we paid probably 20-40k premium due to it being recently updated thoroughly. (170k vs maybe 140-150k for comparable un-updated homes). It had new mechanicals/roof/windows/carpet/paint/appliances and quartz counters.

 

If *I* was living in it, sure I'd have hesitated to put nice new counters on top of the 50 year old painted cabinets. It's depressing and feels like a waste of $$, BUT > > > you're SELLING it, not living in it . ..

 

We all know that new cabinets are $$$ and a BIG DIY project. If you can DIY them and buy cheap cabinets at Home Depot or Lowe's (I got some really nice ones for our laundry room from one of those -- white shaker, very nice looking, but cheap), then, sure, do cheap, tidy new cabinets. That'd be huge, and well worth 2-4k if you can do it for that. If your kitchen is small and you can find cheap cabinets you like all right, then that'd be a great idea. But, if you have to spend 10k++++ on having somebody come in and do new cabinets, do NOT put that sort of $$ into cabinets. Just put a fresh coat of white paint on them if they're painted (or clean thoroughly if not), put on new hardware and new counters. I'd have no problem putting on a nice looking but cheap new laminate counters if you can DIY that cheap, but otherwise, a cheap solid surface is close to the same price as laminate in most locales, so in that case, I'd go with the cheapest quartz or granite you can find.

 

But, man, if your bathrooms are already redone and nice, I'd be tempted to just the cabinets in the kitchen to make it really nice, too. Look at HD and Lowe's (or similar in your area) online . . . They have lots of cabinets you can order to be delivered to the store -- very cheap and decent, perfectly good for this purpose. IKEA is another good option if you live near one. Order knobs/pulls online (Amazon) for great pricing.

The uppers are fine. I mean outdated, but could be painted and spruced up. The lowers have the bottom shelf completed rotted out. We had to put a board in there, painted, so I could stand to put my pots and pans there. I am not convinced we could make due with these.

 

Our living room windows...the realtor says oh just frame them out,.....replace the one broke pane....they are so old and honestly Dh says replacing the entire window would be less trouble,for him than one pane.

 

I don't know. At this point we will probably hire a handy man we know to do a lot of labor for $500 per week as long as we can afford it.

[KungFuPanda]

Both bathrooms have been totally remodeled. And both bedrooms.

 

The suggestions the realtor had made me cringe. We just can't put new countertops over cabinets that need replaced.

 

You CAN.  Patch them. Paint them. Put new counters on. Then move on with your life.  You don't have to live there.  It's worth saving thousands for new cabinets.  Odds are they're actually made of wood too so you can refresh them in some way without replacing.  Go for the distressed look if that's all they can pull off, but make it work.

[Catwoman]

Can you post a picture of the cabinets so we can try to figure out some ideas for you?

[Incognito]

We had horrible cabinets in an old house (they sound almost as bad as yours).  Painted them, put in some shelf paper, and put a fresh countertop on (I think the countertop was IKEA? - something fresh but inexpensive).  It made it all look good, and while I felt awful about having anyone live with a kitchen like that, someone bought it (and hopefully re-did it as soon as they did).    

[Seasider]

You CAN. Patch them. Paint them. Put new counters on. Then move on with your life. You don't have to live there. It's worth saving thousands for new cabinets. Odds are they're actually made of wood too so you can refresh them in some way without replacing. Go for the distressed look if that's all they can pull off, but make it work.

Can't you just replace the bottom (rotted) shelves, kilz & paint, new knobs, and be done with the cabinets? Do you have a Granite Transformations type of company near you that can do a fast overlay for a new countertop?

[Carrie12345]

I feel your pain.

 

I would gladly give this house away to get into one that fits us more comfortably.  And it isn't so much about the work our house needs (which is a lot) but that our market stinks.

[PrincessMommy]

have you scoured Craigslist for cabinets?  People sell them on CL all the time.  Also, if you have a Habitat for Humanity ReSTore near you, they also sell cabinets.   

[poppy]

Functional low priced entry level houses are RARE to find around here. I have friends whose kitchens are more outdated than the ones I grew up with in the 1980s.... their kids still eat !

[Scarlett]

Ok I just asked Dh and he said yes we could rehab the ones we have.

 

We have a friend who does a lot of this type work...well Dh says he can do anything. He charges $18 per hour. We are going to make a priority list and just start going down it.

[Scarlett]

Functional low priced entry level houses are RARE to find around here. I have friends whose kitchens are more outdated than the ones I grew up with in the 1980s.... their kids still eat !

There is nothing to choose from here either. A lot of flippers buy total dumps and flip and sell quickly.

[Guest]

Flippers here are putting in the lowest grade possible cabinetry. Your buyer might like that,but mine would want the existing dated high quality cabinets with hardware and countertop update, simply because they fit the style of the home and the location means no one is going to put in high quality cabinets unless they are staying for the long term. At most, cabinet faces would be replaced by typical buyer. People prefer a dated, well kept home over a flipped low quality, high priced home unless location is critical.both homes will need everything cosmetic replaced, but with the flipped home, assume defects have been hidden, plumbing, insulation and wiring is not modernized and the well and septic may have issues. Flippers tend to do cosmetics.

Edited April 23, 2017 by Heigh Ho

[Murphy101]

What heigh ho said. My cabinets are 1980 oak. But they are in good condition, so it's best to leave them and get new countertops, which is what we are going to do. The cheaper stuff is all could replace them with and that's far below the quality of what's there even though it looks dated.

 

Also, it doesn't have to be all or nothing. You could replace only the bottom cabinets that rotted. Take the doors off the tops ones and paint all to match.

 

I don't personally like all white, but this link has some open cabinet ideas.

 

http://everyday-lovely.blogspot.com/2012/05/of-painting-kitchen-cabinets.html

 

ETA: You mention this being lake house? Nearly all the lake houses we have stayed in, have "open" cabinets similiar to what I posted. Sometimes iirc, it's referred to as a "pantry kitchen" too.

Edited April 23, 2017 by Murphy101

[Dynamite5]

Here is my question.....if a house is well maintained but waaaay out dated.....is that really any better than my kitchen which is not well maintained? Still needs to be gutted. The house that is well maintained has blue bathroom fixtures and blue countertops and yellow walls in the bathroom. Our bathrooms are totally remodeled and not cheaply....

 

Sigh.

Yes, well maintained beats not well maintained any day of the week. Sounds like you've done a great job with your bathrooms. What you really need is a contractor to come in and give you a couple of different quotes for levels of work to do in the kitchen. Getting rid of the rotten cabinets you speak of would be priority #1. 

[Lisa R.]

Ok. Thanks y'all. Your comments are helpful even if I think you can't quite get the pic of what we have.

 

When I saw the comp of the outdated house.....I knew I would NOT be happy with that stuff. My stripped down, bare house makes me much happier than dirty carpet or orange counter tops.

 

But I take your point that at this price point things need to be done, unless someone has cash wanting to buy a lake house and make their own.

I think you need to stop and think in terms of what most people would want in a house and not what is personally important to you. I think you're doing this by making this post and getting input, so that's great.

 

Many of us do not have the skills your DH does. So, fixing up a kitchen would cost a lot since we'd need someone else to provide all labor and might pay more for materials since we're not sure where it's the best value. So, unless someone is handy and/or has a nice remodeling budget, buying a house that appears like a lot of work is daunting and most of us would pass. Someone that can afford a house in that price range is unlikely to have he extra cash to remodel the kitchen themselves much less be able to pay someone to do it.

 

Here's another way you and DH are different from many others: both of you can visualize the potential and you see the value. Most people aren't good at visualizing. This is why realtors always advise making the front landscaping and front door beautiful because that first impression is vital.

 

I'd follow the realtor's advice. Maybe get a second realtor in there to compare and see which realtor works better for you. In that price range, I think you'll just want practical and functional. It won't be the beauty and potential you visualize and that's ok.

[Murphy101]

Some questions you might not want to answer here but to consider...

 

Why are you wanting to move? To something smaller, to something bigger, to avoid commute??

 

$90k is crazy low. That's almost slum pricing for in town. Have you compared your house to similiar housing in your area on zillow?

 

I'd price what you are willing to do to the house. If <$10k in improvements nets $25k in return, then it's worth it, but usually only major work, like a completely updated kitchen will net that kind of return.

 

I just redid my kitchen and dining room. After I get the new curtains and dining room light fixture up and the new countertops, I'm going to post before and after on FB. The work (done by me and my BFF's husband and conscripting my kids) will be less than $3k and the appraisers estimate it will add $10k. I'm not looking to sell yet, but I do want to maintain value in the house so I'm both making it the way I like it and improving it. If I wanted to sell, I wouldn't have painted it sage, sunshine, and plum. Which I LOVE in it! The most expensive was the countertops. Ouch. I'm not replacing my cabinets (which are in good condition and were high quality when put in in 1980) and I despise painted woodwork. So I'm cleaning and refinishing them and the rest of the woodwork in the house.

 

You mentioned lake house, but those aren't cheap! They can be really just as pricey as any other house. Dh and I have been dreaming about someday pitching in with the grown kids on a lake house as a family retreat. Not big or fancy, but still a nice place to build growing family memories. If for whatever reason your house is truely that cheap, the lot I say likely to still be worth more than you think and if it's truely lake house location, I'd keep it if possible bc he value WILL go up.

[Scarlett]

Some questions you might not want to answer here but to consider...

 

Why are you wanting to move? To something smaller, to something bigger, to avoid commute??

 

$90k is crazy low. That's almost slum pricing for in town. Have you compared your house to similiar housing in your area on zillow?

 

I'd price what you are willing to do to the house. If <$10k in improvements nets $25k in return, then it's worth it, but usually only major work, like a completely updated kitchen will net that kind of return.

 

I just redid my kitchen and dining room. After I get the new curtains and dining room light fixture up and the new countertops, I'm going to post before and after on FB. The work (done by me and my BFF's husband and conscripting my kids) will be less than $3k and the appraisers estimate it will add $10k. I'm not looking to sell yet, but I do want to maintain value in the house so I'm both making it the way I like it and improving it. If I wanted to sell, I wouldn't have painted it sage, sunshine, and plum. Which I LOVE in it! The most expensive was the countertops. Ouch. I'm not replacing my cabinets (which are in good condition and were high quality when put in in 1980) and I despise painted woodwork. So I'm cleaning and refinishing them and the rest of the woodwork in the house.

 

You mentioned lake house, but those aren't cheap! They can be really just as pricey as any other house. Dh and I have been dreaming about someday pitching in with the grown kids on a lake house as a family retreat. Not big or fancy, but still a nice place to build growing family memories. If for whatever reason your house is truely that cheap, the lot I say likely to still be worth more than you think and if it's truely lake house location, I'd keep it if possible bc he value WILL go up.

I cannot wait to see the pictures of your kitchen.

 

As for our house....it is not on the Lake but just over a mile from the lake. And it is a very nice area. No junky places at all. The lots are an acre at least and many people near by have 10 acres each. Ours is an acre with beautiful mature trees and nice big shop. (40 X 30) and a big gunite pool 32 foot .

 

And I know as I describe it people are getting a picture of a dump but it is very livable....we have lived here 5 years. Also it is not a house I would describe or think of as a starter house...I think some may think that because of the price but the price is too low and we are also low COL area.

 

We are wanting to move to be in town and to have a smaller yard.. We hope to still have close to same SF....looking at one place that has 1600 vs the 1900 or so we have here.

 

90 would not buy much in town. One place we are looking at for $125 is pretty nice. Just needs paint and new flooring....still be a chunk of change for just that...maybe 5-8k depending on what flooring we decide on. So we will be getting a small mortgage.

 

Here is the thing. I know the market. I know all the places for sale, where they are, how they look inside. I know that if my house was completely finished....the right way....new flooring, kitchen, Windows/ doors and siding/paint...that it would bring $165.

 

I also know a half refinished house takes a hit. So we either have to decide to take the hit or to bite the bullet and finish it out even if that means taking a small loan out.

 

We know we aren't selling it for 90. That is too much of a hit. Because someone could put $25 into it and make it worth 165...so the someone may as well be us. I don't know how far we will go but we are making a list and going to hire some things done and then we will see. We had wanted to be moved by August when both boys start back to vo tech but that isn't likely to happen.

 

And in the meantime we do what we can. We have no mortgage here so we will appreciate that fact and just keep on keeping on.

[vonfirmath]

Here is my question.....if a house is well maintained but waaaay out dated.....is that really any better than my kitchen which is not well maintained? Still needs to be gutted. The house that is well maintained has blue bathroom fixtures and blue countertops and yellow walls in the bathroom. Our bathrooms are totally remodeled and not cheaply....

 

Sigh.

 

I'm perfectly happy living in an outdated house. Not well maintained houses end up having problems that can not be lived with. So yes, outdated but well maintained is worth more.

[teachermom2834]

Here is my question.....if a house is well maintained but waaaay out dated.....is that really any better than my kitchen which is not well maintained? Still needs to be gutted. The house that is well maintained has blue bathroom fixtures and blue countertops and yellow walls in the bathroom. Our bathrooms are totally remodeled and not cheaply....

 

Sigh.

Yes. I have always lived in outdated homes as that is what our budget allows. If it works, I can work with it. And there is always daydreaming about the someday I can update it.

 

Our perspective is one of people short on cash who are not at all handy. Outdated? Ugly? We can roll with that and meet our family's needs just fine. But something like you describe your kitchen? I just wouldn't even know what to do with that. That would be simply overwhelming to me to try to figure out what to do with and it would feel urgent. Outdated doesn't feel urgent.

 

Again- we are the opposite of you. Once it gets beyond the basic coat of paint we are hiring it out 😟

Edited April 24, 2017 by teachermom2834

[Scarlett]

I'm perfectly happy living in an outdated house. Not well maintained houses end up having problems that can not be lived with. So yes, outdated but well maintained is worth more.

 

I can see your point. But we aren't living with anything unsanitary or unsafe. Just half finished.

[Scarlett]

Yes. I have always lived in outdated homes as that is what our budget allows. If it works, I can work with it. And there is always daydreaming about the someday I can update it.

 

Our perspective is one of people short on cash who are not at all handy. Outdated? Ugly? We can roll with that and meet our family's needs just fine. But something like you describe your kitchen? I just wouldn't even know what to do with that. That would be simply overwhelming to me to try to figure out what to do with and it would feel urgent. Outdated doesn't feel urgent.

 

Again- we are the opposite of you. Once it gets beyond the basic coat of paint we are hiring it out 😟

Yeah, well I think we are going to hire it out. Dh was so funny talking about some electrical he has to run upstairs where we are adding an AC ......he hates doing electrical....I said hire it done. He said I wouldn't pay $50 for someone to do it and it would probably be $300 to actually hire out! So that is how we end up with things not getting done.

 

However I do think he is ready to hire some of it out. I am going to work on my list and then he and I will talk.

[Seasider]

Yeah, well I think we are going to hire it out. Dh was so funny talking about some electrical he has to run upstairs where we are adding an AC ......he hates doing electrical....I said hire it done. He said I wouldn't pay $50 for someone to do it and it would probably be $300 to actually hire out! So that is how we end up with things not getting done.

 

However I do think he is ready to hire some of it out. I am going to work on my list and then he and I will talk.

My dh can be like this. He is truly skilled and can do a lot of things, but doesn't always factor in how much time he actually has available for a task. When a project starts to drag, I'll just ask him, "Hey, what's Bob's number? Maybe he can give us an estimate on this." Bob is our handy man, and I have his number, but my implying I'm going to make a call to him is a signal that I'm getting tired of waiting for something to get finished. It's dh's cue to either clear his calendar and finish the job or actually call Bob!

[Lisa R.]

I can see your point. But we aren't living with anything unsanitary or unsafe. Just half finished.

 

I think this is where you're getting hung up and not hearing many of us. I have no doubt your home is sanitary and safe.

 

You're seeing your house as half finished. We're seeing it as *half of a project left to do*. If there is half of a project undone, we're referring to that as needing maintenance. People may also refer to this as not maintained. It's probably not the best term to refer to your house, but that is how some would see it. You're insisting that it is well maintained just unfinished. 

 

"Half of a project left to do" is very overwhelming to many of us. It is very difficult for most of us to estimate the cost of the remodeling/repairs. It's just a big risk a select group of people would be willing to take or don't have the cash to spend.

[Seasider]

I think this is where you're getting hung up and not hearing many of us. I have no doubt your home is sanitary and safe.

 

You're seeing your house as half finished. We're seeing it as *half of a project left to do*. If there is half of a project undone, we're referring to that as needing maintenance. People may also refer to this as not maintained. It's probably not the best term to refer to your house, but that is how some would see it. You're insisting that it is well maintained just unfinished.

 

"Half of a project left to do" is very overwhelming to many of us. It is very difficult for most of us to estimate the cost of the remodeling/repairs. It's just a big risk a select group of people would be willing to take or don't have the cash to spend.

It all depends on who she's going to market it to - as is to an investor, or move in ready to a new resident owner.

 

Sounds like she's aiming for the latter, in which case I agree with the above.

[Scarlett]

Good points and thank you all for the various comments.

 

There is a third group of people who buy houses. People who want a family home and can see the potential. That is what we were. Maybe we are rare.

 

The trouble I get into with putting lipstick on a pig so to speak is what if it doesn't sell. I don't want to be stuck with a home remodeled on the cheap. So that is where I keep going back and forth on things like the siding (do we patch and paint or do new siding). And the kitchen ( against patch and paint with new countertops or a total gut job) .

 

The kitchen is way down the list of things we will do if we stay here. So we have a while to decide.