What Would You Fix to attract homebuyers?

[Anon Inn]

There may be energy credits or utility incentives for new windows. You may want to consider covering the popcorn instead of removing it. I've been checking out articles recently on covering, including "How to plank a popcorn ceiling" from pop sugar.
Even just edging an old lawn and renewing beds with fresh bark can do wonders for an exterior.
Power wash concrete and also gently on siding if you have 'the green munge' that is common in our area.
Best of luck

 

[Lee2014]

Paint walls, scrub floors, shine up sinks, etc. Clean up the basement…. like what Mort said. Also check into used appliance stores that offers warranties on their stuff. (Places like Home Depot and Lowes send the trade ins and pieces that get damage in shipping to them so you can get a brand new appliances for less.)

 

[Jcam]

Thank you The kitchen has its original cabinets from 1986. The cabinets are sound, I was thinking of getting new doors and hardware and painting the sides and trim to match. New appliances. New sink, new counter tops and switching the crazy back door to open on the other side as it hits the stove!.

So, the popcorn ceilings are original as that was the thing to do in the 80's. They may not have primed first which means you'll hit the tape when you start to scrape. Possibly peeling off the sheetrock paper. I'd leave them alone. (Or, if one room has already been done, it might not be bad underneath!)
Definitely new hardware. You may just be able to clean the cabinet doors and shine them up again. Are they painted already?
.

if they are wood can you hire an acid stripping bath for the day? or in the UK there are places you can take then ie take all the doors off and then they dip them in acid for you takes all the paint off.

 

[EmptyNest]

It's scary if I think of all the details. The current renters tried to paint the cabinets red - with dad's permission - and got half way there. Look terrible. I'm meeting with my son this weekend who used to do carpentry and has done amazing work at his on home to brainstorm. See what he thinks..

I have to redo my parents' house once it's empty. Not looking forward to that.
.

You could just sell as is and take a lower price. Someone will snatch it up and flip or fix themselves. We are done doing to our place. It goes as is when we finally do put it on the market

 

[Jcam]

It's scary if I think of all the details. The current renters tried to paint the cabinets red - with dad's permission - and got half way there. Look terrible. I'm meeting with my son this weekend who used to do carpentry and has done amazing work at his on home to brainstorm. See what he thinks..

I have to redo my parents' house once it's empty. Not looking forward to that.
.

You could just sell as is and take a lower price. Someone will snatch it up and flip or fix themselves. We are done doing to our place. It goes as is when we finally do put it on the market
.

true but she has time time and wants the maximum return - where I am people don't want to do the work - just walk in and go and will pay over the odds for that - people are so busy they don't want to tackle it.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

I think the best thing you can do is focus on the basics. Paint, floors, yard. Rarely does a renovation give you a good return on investment. It may make the house sell faster, but you rarely get the money out of it that you put into it.
Here's something I just found on This Old House. I've seen these kind of comparisons a lot.

 

[EmptyNest]

It's scary if I think of all the details. The current renters tried to paint the cabinets red - with dad's permission - and got half way there. Look terrible. I'm meeting with my son this weekend who used to do carpentry and has done amazing work at his on home to brainstorm. See what he thinks..

I have to redo my parents' house once it's empty. Not looking forward to that.
.

You could just sell as is and take a lower price. Someone will snatch it up and flip or fix themselves. We are done doing to our place. It goes as is when we finally do put it on the market
.

true but she has time time and wants the maximum return - where I am people don't want to do the work - just walk in and go and will pay over the odds for that - people are so busy they don't want to tackle it.
.

I was referring to Mort..not seashanty;-)

 

[Jcam]

It's scary if I think of all the details. The current renters tried to paint the cabinets red - with dad's permission - and got half way there. Look terrible. I'm meeting with my son this weekend who used to do carpentry and has done amazing work at his on home to brainstorm. See what he thinks..

I have to redo my parents' house once it's empty. Not looking forward to that.
.

You could just sell as is and take a lower price. Someone will snatch it up and flip or fix themselves. We are done doing to our place. It goes as is when we finally do put it on the market
.

true but she has time time and wants the maximum return - where I am people don't want to do the work - just walk in and go and will pay over the odds for that - people are so busy they don't want to tackle it.
.

I was referring to Mort..not seashanty;-)
.

true Mort does not have the time - perfect example is my neighbour bought a flat in need of reno put in new kitchen, carpet and bathroom cost £20,000 sold it for £60,000 more than she paid so £35 profit after legal stuff in 4 months

 

[Morticia]

It's scary if I think of all the details. The current renters tried to paint the cabinets red - with dad's permission - and got half way there. Look terrible. I'm meeting with my son this weekend who used to do carpentry and has done amazing work at his on home to brainstorm. See what he thinks..

I have to redo my parents' house once it's empty. Not looking forward to that.
.

You could just sell as is and take a lower price. Someone will snatch it up and flip or fix themselves. We are done doing to our place. It goes as is when we finally do put it on the market
.

I could but if it goes up for sale I want it gone quickly. It's essentially the worst house on a not so hot street. (The neighbors on one side are hoarders.)
If we don't sell it, my nephew is moving in, so he will be doing a lot of the repair work with us. We've got a budget that's a lot lower than ss's. And we're still paying all the utilities and taxes out of that.

 

[EmptyNest]

It's scary if I think of all the details. The current renters tried to paint the cabinets red - with dad's permission - and got half way there. Look terrible. I'm meeting with my son this weekend who used to do carpentry and has done amazing work at his on home to brainstorm. See what he thinks..

I have to redo my parents' house once it's empty. Not looking forward to that.
.

You could just sell as is and take a lower price. Someone will snatch it up and flip or fix themselves. We are done doing to our place. It goes as is when we finally do put it on the market
.

I could but if it goes up for sale I want it gone quickly. It's essentially the worst house on a not so hot street. (The neighbors on one side are hoarders.)
If we don't sell it, my nephew is moving in, so he will be doing a lot of the repair work with us. We've got a budget that's a lot lower than ss's. And we're still paying all the utilities and taxes out of that.
.

So will your nephew pay you rent for it..or will he just do repairs to stay there. Make sure he does work properly

 

[Morticia]

It's scary if I think of all the details. The current renters tried to paint the cabinets red - with dad's permission - and got half way there. Look terrible. I'm meeting with my son this weekend who used to do carpentry and has done amazing work at his on home to brainstorm. See what he thinks..

I have to redo my parents' house once it's empty. Not looking forward to that.
.

You could just sell as is and take a lower price. Someone will snatch it up and flip or fix themselves. We are done doing to our place. It goes as is when we finally do put it on the market
.

I could but if it goes up for sale I want it gone quickly. It's essentially the worst house on a not so hot street. (The neighbors on one side are hoarders.)
If we don't sell it, my nephew is moving in, so he will be doing a lot of the repair work with us. We've got a budget that's a lot lower than ss's. And we're still paying all the utilities and taxes out of that.
.

So will your nephew pay you rent for it..or will he just do repairs to stay there. Make sure he does work properly
.

So will your nephew pay you rent for it..or will he just do repairs to stay there. Make sure he does work properly

He'll pay rent. Right now, tho, given what he has to pay just for utilities and taxes, he can't afford it alone. So, we'd have to convert the living room into a bedroom. (Add a door and an armoire.) Odd how 4 people once lived here, but it needs Reno for two!

 

[user 26]

I am surprised to see how people lived in their houses when original owners pass on and the houses put up for sale.
A cape with one small bedroom on the first floor, two bedrooms upstairs to the right and left of the stairs. But there was no electricity on the second floor ... Multiple extension cords running up and down the stairs on each side near the wall. And no heat up there. Electric space heaters and electric blankets. Wires and extension cords running everywhere, even taped to the walls. Exposed wires on the first floor with a piece of cardboard painted white to match the wall to hide the wires. Basement had one electric light with pull chain in the ceiling but I saw no electric outlets down there. I keep thinking there must have been but maybe that's not how houses were built.
Another small house with bedrooms upstairs. Two bedrooms and one bathroom with claw foot tub and toilet, no sink! Looks like there used to be a sink there long ago ... parents and seven kids. And we are talking very small bedrooms. Downstairs a kitchen, a dining room and a small living room. And an illegal toilet. Sounds funny, but it was never permitted. I opened the door off the kitchen to go outside and found a surprise. What had been like a small mudroom off the kitchen housed a toilet with no seat but a package of toilet paper beside it ... again, no sink ... I guess upstairs they washed their hands in the tub and downstairs at the kitchen sink.
I understand being frugal and making do ... we did in my family growing up. But to have no bathroom sinks. Estimates to bring those houses up to code are enormous.

 

[Morticia]

I am surprised to see how people lived in their houses when original owners pass on and the houses put up for sale.
A cape with one small bedroom on the first floor, two bedrooms upstairs to the right and left of the stairs. But there was no electricity on the second floor ... Multiple extension cords running up and down the stairs on each side near the wall. And no heat up there. Electric space heaters and electric blankets. Wires and extension cords running everywhere, even taped to the walls. Exposed wires on the first floor with a piece of cardboard painted white to match the wall to hide the wires. Basement had one electric light with pull chain in the ceiling but I saw no electric outlets down there. I keep thinking there must have been but maybe that's not how houses were built.
Another small house with bedrooms upstairs. Two bedrooms and one bathroom with claw foot tub and toilet, no sink! Looks like there used to be a sink there long ago ... parents and seven kids. And we are talking very small bedrooms. Downstairs a kitchen, a dining room and a small living room. And an illegal toilet. Sounds funny, but it was never permitted. I opened the door off the kitchen to go outside and found a surprise. What had been like a small mudroom off the kitchen housed a toilet with no seat but a package of toilet paper beside it ... again, no sink ... I guess upstairs they washed their hands in the tub and downstairs at the kitchen sink.
I understand being frugal and making do ... we did in my family growing up. But to have no bathroom sinks. Estimates to bring those houses up to code are enormous..

When were you in Gomez's house? Altho, they do have a sink in the upstairs bath. They installed that toilet so mom didn't have to go upstairs in the dark in the night. (There is a 3rd bedroom on the first floor.) I'm not kidding, either, the toilet is in the mudroom.
My parents' house just has a lot of deferred maintenance due to them being old, and then being sick. I wanted to come and paint but mom kept putting me off. And was then grumpy when it didn't happen. It's one of the things I regret - not fixing the surface stuff that would have made her happy.

 

[JimBoone]

I am surprised to see how people lived in their houses when original owners pass on and the houses put up for sale.
A cape with one small bedroom on the first floor, two bedrooms upstairs to the right and left of the stairs. But there was no electricity on the second floor ... Multiple extension cords running up and down the stairs on each side near the wall. And no heat up there. Electric space heaters and electric blankets. Wires and extension cords running everywhere, even taped to the walls. Exposed wires on the first floor with a piece of cardboard painted white to match the wall to hide the wires. Basement had one electric light with pull chain in the ceiling but I saw no electric outlets down there. I keep thinking there must have been but maybe that's not how houses were built.
Another small house with bedrooms upstairs. Two bedrooms and one bathroom with claw foot tub and toilet, no sink! Looks like there used to be a sink there long ago ... parents and seven kids. And we are talking very small bedrooms. Downstairs a kitchen, a dining room and a small living room. And an illegal toilet. Sounds funny, but it was never permitted. I opened the door off the kitchen to go outside and found a surprise. What had been like a small mudroom off the kitchen housed a toilet with no seat but a package of toilet paper beside it ... again, no sink ... I guess upstairs they washed their hands in the tub and downstairs at the kitchen sink.
I understand being frugal and making do ... we did in my family growing up. But to have no bathroom sinks. Estimates to bring those houses up to code are enormous..

I understand being frugal and making do ... we did in my family growing up. But to have no bathroom sinks. Estimates to bring those houses up to code are enormous.

Property becomes more valuable as time passes by and as a people we expect so many more comforts today, but unfortunately the income and abilities of the families in a home don't always progress with the times or the increased value of the property.
I grew up in town, we had indoor plumbing, but the heat upstairs was a little unvented gas heater in the bathroom and a hot water bottle to put under the covers to keep my feet warm, coal stove in the kitchen where we spent most of our time, gas heater in the living room might get turned on in the evening. Maxine grew up in the country, after we were married at her grandparents, grandpa had a fireplace in his room, there was a cold water tap on the back porch, cold water at a sink in the kitchen, no fridge, just a pie safe, outhouse across the chicken yard, so many changes.

 

[Jcam]

I am surprised to see how people lived in their houses when original owners pass on and the houses put up for sale.
A cape with one small bedroom on the first floor, two bedrooms upstairs to the right and left of the stairs. But there was no electricity on the second floor ... Multiple extension cords running up and down the stairs on each side near the wall. And no heat up there. Electric space heaters and electric blankets. Wires and extension cords running everywhere, even taped to the walls. Exposed wires on the first floor with a piece of cardboard painted white to match the wall to hide the wires. Basement had one electric light with pull chain in the ceiling but I saw no electric outlets down there. I keep thinking there must have been but maybe that's not how houses were built.
Another small house with bedrooms upstairs. Two bedrooms and one bathroom with claw foot tub and toilet, no sink! Looks like there used to be a sink there long ago ... parents and seven kids. And we are talking very small bedrooms. Downstairs a kitchen, a dining room and a small living room. And an illegal toilet. Sounds funny, but it was never permitted. I opened the door off the kitchen to go outside and found a surprise. What had been like a small mudroom off the kitchen housed a toilet with no seat but a package of toilet paper beside it ... again, no sink ... I guess upstairs they washed their hands in the tub and downstairs at the kitchen sink.
I understand being frugal and making do ... we did in my family growing up. But to have no bathroom sinks. Estimates to bring those houses up to code are enormous..

I understand being frugal and making do ... we did in my family growing up. But to have no bathroom sinks. Estimates to bring those houses up to code are enormous.

Property becomes more valuable as time passes by and as a people we expect so many more comforts today, but unfortunately the income and abilities of the families in a home don't always progress with the times or the increased value of the property.
I grew up in town, we had indoor plumbing, but the heat upstairs was a little unvented gas heater in the bathroom and a hot water bottle to put under the covers to keep my feet warm, coal stove in the kitchen where we spent most of our time, gas heater in the living room might get turned on in the evening. Maxine grew up in the country, after we were married at her grandparents, grandpa had a fireplace in his room, there was a cold water tap on the back porch, cold water at a sink in the kitchen, no fridge, just a pie safe, outhouse across the chicken yard, so many changes.
.

I think also its the money, but equally its the disruption - was with my EX 5 years and both his parents had good jobs - shower in main bathrooms was covered in plastic sheeting to stop it leaking - 5 years on still the same - shower cubicle is what? $600 ?

 

[Silverspoon]

Well it depends on where the house is and whether it could be a primary or second home for someone. For the most appeal in either case I would say, leave ceilings but paint them, paint all walls and clean up the woodwork. Install new storm windows rather than replace old interior windows. If you have any hardwood floors have them refinished...I think that fresh wooden floors make a big difference in a room. No stained rugs allowed, they stand out like a sore thumb. Either clean or replace old carpets.
Kitchen: If the cabinets are wood, paint them and replace the old hardware. Make sure all appliances are clean and working or replace with something more modern according to your budget. Same for counter tops. Sometimes one high end feature in the kitchen can make a BIG impression and make a difference. So pick one thing if that is all you can afford...like a lovely farmhouse sink and faucet, or a high end cook top, or a sub zero refrigerator. Not everything...just one thing with everything else clean and fresh.
Bathroom: New toilet and sink/vanity make a difference. If you can afford a new tub/shower go for it. Good linoleum on the floor, fresh paint and attractive towel bars etc also leave a good impression.
Declutter the place. Let the light in where it shows off some nice details but use filtered light in the places that may not want to be scrutinized. Clean the garage, if there is one, as well as the basement and attic.
Edge the flower//shrub boarders in the yard and apply fresh mulch. Make the entry attractive enough to distract attention from any less-than-perfect areas near the edges of the property.
Good luck SS!

 

[Hillbilly]

There is a fine line here on what to do. You need to look at comps and see how things are selling in this area. That will tell you a lot. Flippers generally will look for the worst house in the best area. For the most part they just update what is there and do not add levels, additions and so on. If you are going to remodel keep it simple. Go with neutral colors and nothing extreme. Do not remodel the kitchen and install white cabinets. This is an example of what not to do. Colors should not be to dark or light on anything. Simple changes like updated counter tops and appliances are a simple way to update a kitchen. Maybe even cabinet doors. You can spend $30,000 in a kitchen and not blink. I have remodeled a lot of properties. many of them for family and friends. One example of a home we helped with had a very different outcome than what we expected. The house was in a very popular area with very few homes for sale. We spent $25,000 on upgrades and small remodel projects. The house did sell and the buyers knocked the house down and built a different style house all together. So we spent all that money for nothing. That's why I mentioned finding out what is for sale and how popular the area is. There is no sense on spending $100,000 on remodel just to sell it for $100,000 more than what you would have before the remodel. Major remodels always cost more than what you think they will. You will find a lot of things not up to code or in need of repair once you start. Sometimes its best just to sell as is move on. Its kinda a gamble either way.
Good luck in the adventure!

 

[Morticia]

I am surprised to see how people lived in their houses when original owners pass on and the houses put up for sale.
A cape with one small bedroom on the first floor, two bedrooms upstairs to the right and left of the stairs. But there was no electricity on the second floor ... Multiple extension cords running up and down the stairs on each side near the wall. And no heat up there. Electric space heaters and electric blankets. Wires and extension cords running everywhere, even taped to the walls. Exposed wires on the first floor with a piece of cardboard painted white to match the wall to hide the wires. Basement had one electric light with pull chain in the ceiling but I saw no electric outlets down there. I keep thinking there must have been but maybe that's not how houses were built.
Another small house with bedrooms upstairs. Two bedrooms and one bathroom with claw foot tub and toilet, no sink! Looks like there used to be a sink there long ago ... parents and seven kids. And we are talking very small bedrooms. Downstairs a kitchen, a dining room and a small living room. And an illegal toilet. Sounds funny, but it was never permitted. I opened the door off the kitchen to go outside and found a surprise. What had been like a small mudroom off the kitchen housed a toilet with no seat but a package of toilet paper beside it ... again, no sink ... I guess upstairs they washed their hands in the tub and downstairs at the kitchen sink.
I understand being frugal and making do ... we did in my family growing up. But to have no bathroom sinks. Estimates to bring those houses up to code are enormous..

I understand being frugal and making do ... we did in my family growing up. But to have no bathroom sinks. Estimates to bring those houses up to code are enormous.

Property becomes more valuable as time passes by and as a people we expect so many more comforts today, but unfortunately the income and abilities of the families in a home don't always progress with the times or the increased value of the property.
I grew up in town, we had indoor plumbing, but the heat upstairs was a little unvented gas heater in the bathroom and a hot water bottle to put under the covers to keep my feet warm, coal stove in the kitchen where we spent most of our time, gas heater in the living room might get turned on in the evening. Maxine grew up in the country, after we were married at her grandparents, grandpa had a fireplace in his room, there was a cold water tap on the back porch, cold water at a sink in the kitchen, no fridge, just a pie safe, outhouse across the chicken yard, so many changes.
.

I think also its the money, but equally its the disruption - was with my EX 5 years and both his parents had good jobs - shower in main bathrooms was covered in plastic sheeting to stop it leaking - 5 years on still the same - shower cubicle is what? $600 ?
.

Oh, yes, the plastic bag in the shower. Taped to the wall. It's getting his mother to let anyone in the house that's the problem. When we lived there we tried to fix stuff but she thought we were too stupid to know how.

 

[victorianmarcia]

Hi,
I am an aspiring innkeeper and plan to make the career change in about 2 years. I am currently a realtor so I will give you my advice.
Every area has different trends that buyers are looking for.You should call three different realtors (recommended by friends) to come by and give you an idea of what your home is worth.They will do this for free, as they are looking to eventually get the listing. Discuss with them your concerns about whether or not you should renovate or sell as is. Be honest about what you have in mind for a budget, and that you only want to do what will give you a decent return on your investment. A good agent will not advise you to spend any more than you have to. They will know the local market well enough to know which features matter to the buyers who are likely looking at homes like yours, and be able to tell you which things are most important to upgrade. After you get 3 different opinions, you should not only have a good idea of what to improve, but hopefully, you will also find the right agent to list your property with when the time is right.

 

[Morticia]

Hi,
I am an aspiring innkeeper and plan to make the career change in about 2 years. I am currently a realtor so I will give you my advice.
Every area has different trends that buyers are looking for.You should call three different realtors (recommended by friends) to come by and give you an idea of what your home is worth.They will do this for free, as they are looking to eventually get the listing. Discuss with them your concerns about whether or not you should renovate or sell as is. Be honest about what you have in mind for a budget, and that you only want to do what will give you a decent return on your investment. A good agent will not advise you to spend any more than you have to. They will know the local market well enough to know which features matter to the buyers who are likely looking at homes like yours, and be able to tell you which things are most important to upgrade. After you get 3 different opinions, you should not only have a good idea of what to improve, but hopefully, you will also find the right agent to list your property with when the time is right..

Sounds like good advice.