It's the BONES of the Houst that Matter
I have worked with several buyers lately. (YEA!) They all told me that they are looking f
or a "fixer upper" or a "foreclosure" and don't mind to do some work to be able to get the house livable.
NASTY FORECLOSURE HOUSE------>>>>
So, ok. I get a list of properties together, we go look at them. The buyers are completely repulsed by every property. So, we regroup. I take them to some regular ol' house listings, where people still LIVE there, or they are STAGED, and they are perfectly good homes. They are priced $50,000 more than they said they initially wanted to spend, (not that I'm complaining about that point...but...)
They go into the "nice listings" and say, "well, we'd have to rip out these kitchen cabinets", and "Oh, no, we would have to replace this carpet", (which is new), and "We'd have to redo this bathroom" (nothing wrong with it, except it's maybe a tiny bit dated)....
It makes me want to SCREAM!!!! There is nothing wrong with these houses. They are perfectly livable. They have great bones. They have very livable floor plans. They have solid slabs that are in ONE piece, they have NEW roofs and carpet, fresh paint!!! That's what they need to LOOK at. Not if it's completely up-to-the-minute updated with the newest HGTV styles. TH
EN I realize: OH! SO THIS IS WHAT YOU MEAN BY A FIXER-UPPER!
80's House with GREAT Bones but plain ol' fixtures inside ------------------>>>>>
So I would be so happy to help any buyers find a house, but please be up front with me so we can go straight to exactly the type of house you would like to live in the most, within your budget. If you need all of the latest, fancy stuff in a house, you need to look at new construction, or fairly new construction. If you like wood paneling, then go for a 1980's era house, but be ready, they won't be all updated.
If you really think you want a "fixer upper foreclosure", then be ready to go into a dirty, nasty place where there are possibly DEAD animals ROTTING in there, and the first thing to do is rip out every carpet and scrub the slab. Then be ready to buy at least 10 gallons of paint, patch and scrub every wall then, paint, paint, paint. Be prepared to see graffiti. Be prepared for --the dreaded--MOLD and mildew. Be prepared to have to buy toilets, because the poor foreclosed sap took the toilets and pawned them or something.
If you look at a house built in the 1970's or even 1999, it probably won't be all updated with the newest stuff like stone countertops. It might, but if so, it will say so in the listing, so read carefully. One note of warning, if it IS updated, then the price will be higher. We make price adjustments based on updates. So, you PAY more one way or other, because you are either paying for the last homeowner's updates, or paying to update it YOURSELF.
Just please be realistic. You'd be surprised what you can live with. Those yellow Formica counter-tops will work JUST fine for a few years...and YES you CAN take a bath in an avocado bathtub for a year or two. Eventually, you can work through the projects on your list, INVEST in updating the property to get it how you like it, and up the re-sale value--if you do it right and don't invest in updates that will DATE the house in 10 years, (like sponge painting...)
Just saying.
I REALLY would like to help you find your dream home! I really am a nice person! Please let me help you find your next "castle"! I will be completely HONEST with you EVERY step of the way!
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