I was just watching Trading Up (English fix this house for selling type show) and thought that since I am selling and buying in the very near future I'd conduct a little survey here that might help me with both ventures.
You see the show took a house that had some wild colours and neutralized. The issue for me was that in virtually every room there was wall paper as well as border mid way down the walls. When they painted, they primed and then applied a few coats of paint and the paper seams were obvious and to me that just made the house one I would never consider buying (given how impossible it is to get wallpaper off once it's painted). For me, it took it from just needing stripping and painting, to no way to fix this without it being a total nightmare.
So, what would be a deal breaker for you when it comes to the house itself (vs location which can't be controlled by a homeowner really)?
For me:
- walls being removed so it looks like a one room cabin (sorry, I really don't do open concept, it makes me nuts to live in although I know others like it)
- painted wall paper
- a violent past/death in house
- less than 900 sq ft
Comment Guidelines
We welcome your feedback on Houseandhome.com. H&H reserves the right to remove any unsuitable personal remarks made about the bloggers, hosts, homeowners and/or guests we feature. Please keep your comments focused on decorating, design, cooking and other lifestyle topics. Adopt a tone you would be willing to use in person and do not make slanderous remarks or use denigrating language. If you see a comment that you believe violates any of the guidelines outlined above, please click “Alert a Moderator.” Thank you.
this one, we did have a list of no-nos, but it was the first house we had been in that didn't leak or have a major hole in the basement or no leaning walls or whatever - it was structurally sound! I say we bought it because we could walk across the floor and it didn't squeak or rattle !
We completely re-did bath and kitchen - neither of which had been done sine the house was built in 1923 - well the kitchen had, sometime in the 50s and the countertop had been changed again in the 80s or so !
[FONT=Comic Sans MS]My dealbreakers, probably in this order:
1. The home had a murder or other violent crime in it.
2. If the home was previously a grow-op or meth lab.
3. Mold.
4. Not on a busy street. I want to be on a deadend road or cultasac.
5. Neighbours homes are maintained properly.
6. Little or no rental property in the neighbourhood.
7. No overhead powerlines.
I can get past painted wallpaper, bad carpet, textured ceilings, cleanliness ... those are things that can be repaired. I look for the bones of the house/the potential ... also the neighbourhood ... it's the resale value.[/FONT]
Looking at the issue from the point of view of a seller, I had a new house (two-storey Cape Cod style in the country on a nice lot) built in 1973. In the 1980s, though, we had a chance to buy my grandparents' Victorian home that had been sold out of the family, so we moved to it (and have been renovating ever since!) The Cape Cod we rented out, and the same family stayed there for twenty years. Eventually they left, and we had a succession of terrible tenants -- finally got the last of them out. The house was still fine structurally, and the landscaping was nice, but the decor was still from the 1980s. However the last tenants had totaled the bathrooms and the kitchen. So our dilemma was -- do we renovate the whole thing in a neutrally sort of way and then put it on the market, or just clean it up and put it on the market as was, at a lower price, so that the new owners could renovate it to suit themselves. We thought if we were buying we would rather get a good price and do the decorating ourselves, but there wasn't a soul, among potential buyers, who thought the same. So after a few months of it just sitting there, we did a nice neutral complete reno and it sold in no time for way more than we had thought of asking in the beginning. So I'm not sure that a lot of people (buyers) can visualize the potential -- they have to see it with their own eyes. I'd love to know if the new owners are over there painting their brains out even as we speak (EWWWW it;s so neutral, dear, let's throw up some nice purple). LOL
Homebody
Someone was telling me about a house near here that sold a month or so ago. The owner was in his 90's, died a couple of years ago and the house ended up in some sort of probate all this time. No one was living in it. I guess it was not really pleasant inside (stunk) but someone bought it anyway. After the sale (last month) the city came in and condemned it. Apparently it is some sort of standard proceedure for homes which have been vacant a certain amount of time or something.
Anyway, that has put the new owners in a bit of a spot to say the least as not only can't they live there, they have to go through some very tangled tape to get permits and such. Apparently they thought they could do some cleaning and basic upgrades and are now into a much more expensive proposition just to get the place uncondemned.
Why do you keep moving?
I have never and I don't think could ever live in a resale home. Every one of my houses has been a new one. I would feel like I was violating someone elses house. I don't mind doing the landscaping and development, but I just wish we could stay in a house for more than 2 years. We just get a yard and have to move again.
In my sisters neighbourhood out in the country, the RCMP closed down a grow op. They were told by a home inspector that all in behind the walls and ceilings was mold. The owners did not live there they just grew there. He wore a mask to do the inspection. Now the house has been sitting empty for a year.
No one seems to know what will happen to it. As far as decorating to sell I feel if your home is not cluttered and clean and has been maintained, not painted in deep purple or wild colours it will sell. Wild colours are difficult to cover and many new owners do not want to start painting right away until they live in and get a feel for the house.
Resales are often what many people prefer as the house has settled and most landscaping is done. Reno's can be done over time as money allows, but if you can see the potential in a home I see a resales as being just fine.
A colleague of mine bought a house from "the Queen" - I don't believe it was a grow- op, I think it was confiscated by the police. Anyhow - it sat empty for a very long time and had superficial damage to walls and floors. However, they had no fears of being bothered by anyone from the drug scene, as it was very well known to have been taken over by the police. They probably saved around $150,000, comparing to other homes in their neighbourhood. They did most of the repairs themselves and are now going to be doing some decorating renos - as it appears the drug people were not much into decorating - although they did enjoy their indoor pool! I guess you just have to be savvy, if you're going to go ahead with this kind of purchase. Certainly their neighbours are delighted they've moved in and are maintaining the place.
Jeep-good point. I forgot about the meth labs. Scary stuff! Of the recent big meth lab busts in the past few months, we felt wierd that we drove by 2 of those houses all the time.
In the grow-op we almost bought, I spotted a gun on the floor in the utility closet layng near the furnace. (when we were looking around closely to justify my suspicion) DH said it was an air gun. It creeped me right out and we left sooneafter that.
I remember thinking it was such a disgrace to ruin a perfectly good family home like this. I would have loved to have bought that house had the circumstances been different.
Decor doesn't really matter to me - that's something that can be changed. However, when we bought our house, we knew we didn't want a house that needed to be gutted before we could move in. We wanted to be able to move in and then make the changes.
Personally I like to live in the city, and I can't imagine buying a house in a brand new neighbourhood without trees, a place where you have to get in the car and drive to the nearest store to buy milk. I am definitely not interested in living in the suburbs.
I guess this really is something that is hard to put any one finger on. Just as my realtors have been telling me, some people don't actually care what the house is like when it comes to colours, condition, etc. as long as they can see a way to renovate the others want it ready to go without needing much more than some paint if they have to.
BTW tomorrow a stager is coming to my house to tell me what I should work on in the next week. It will be interesting to hear her veiwpoint on this house that is somewhere between needing a complete reno to being livable but out of date in some places.
They are serious stuff our Realtor said that it is a major problem if you try to sell a house that has had a grow op. That is why as Landlord you have to be so careful you can't sell your house after a grow op. The same goes with a Meth house. He told us of some very expensive homes in Vanc. in good neighbourhoods that are worth nothing because the owners can't legally sell them now.
right beside the property. Dawn did a really good summary especially about the grow ops in BC. It is a major problem. Also it is hard to know, but you don't want a grow op next door either - drive by shootings and home invasions are a reality.
Clean neighbours. Take a good look at the neighbourhood.
Overhead lines and electri boxes in front lawn are things DH hates also in our neighbourhood the poor guy that has the mailbox in his front lawn what an eye sore that is. not only that all the traffic and junk mail being dropped never wan that.. I really feel for ours as they had it in one spot and then moved it so now the lot sits empty and the neighbours are all complaining.
in the past hubby and i bought some pretty nasty homes....but we were younger, no kids and still had the energy....one we bought at the time would have sold for 130 grand and we picked it up for 83, but we saw the potential, it was a sound house and just needed new paint and carpeting, but the carpeting was soooooooooo bad no one could see the potential....we painted and spent around 3000 on flooring and had real estate come back and it was back up to the 130.000 price range....the carpet had hugh bleach stains with holes from where they tried to clean it with straight bleach...ICK! In our situation now, i would not want to buy something that needs to much renos....dont mind some paint and minor things, but if i had the energy and time i would love to renovate an old victorian home
smiles
janetc
My dealbreakers, probably in this order:
1. if a violent death/crime had taken place in the home
2. If the home was previously a grow-op. We viewed a few homes that we later discovered were illegal marijuana grow operations, and we actually almost bought one while doing the paperwork for an offer in one of them. During the process we kind of figured it out. I asked the listing agent for a straight answer, but she had "no knowledge of that". There were clues in the home: slight 'stripes' like shadows on the LR wallpaper where each stud stood behind, tape/tape residue/plastic on and around each inside window, staple marks up the walls and across the ceilings. The slightly marked wallpaper is what got me to get it, as we'd been viewing fixer-uppers that had a lot of posters on walls and plastic on drafty windows, so that alone did not stand out as a red flag. Anyway, there was Block Watch info in the stove's drawer, and I remembered a name of a neighbour that was listed on it. After walking away, I called that neighbour and he said, "Oh yeah, that house was a grow-op. The police shut that operation down about a month ago". Some people don't mind buying these homes despite the moisture damage, as they have no problem replacing walls with a huge reno. That was out of our budget. What bothers me most about buying such a property is a visit from grow rippers, who do home invasions on the grow-ops. They are often armed with weapons. (not sure if they'd know the previous 'occupants' moved on-yikes! :eek: )
3. Mold. I don't mean a little touch of dirt that can be bleached like that on windows that are not cleaned regularly, but BIG problems like when a bathroom smells of it, even if you can't see the source of the musty odor. For this reason I would prefer an older home that was NOT freshly painted. I'd rather see the condition of the paint and/or wallpaper that has been there for a while. Beware of fresh paint that may be hiding something.
4. Crazy, wierd or unsafe-looking renos. People do crazy stuff to their homes, without permits, and as dh and I are not builders I would prefer not to have to rip out nasty ad-ons. A home inspection can soothe concerns about safety, as in when you think main supporting walls have been messed with, but that's something that would bother me. Both homes I've ever bought had strange and ugly storage rooms, but they were easy to remove. Some renos are not, and I'd probably walk away.
5. WALLPAPER. I can take a few rooms of it, if the home is one I really want, but I must say I've seen a few that were completely done in wallpaer INCLUDING CEILINGS and it was too much for me-had to walk.
6. Textured walls. I viewed a few homes that had little bumps on them much like the popcorn (spraytex?) ceilings I don't love. I can handle the ceilings (have those but don't love them) but not the walls. I prefer smooth walls. Removing texture on walls is not something I have ever done but I imagine it's even worse than removing wallpaper. BTW I should mention I viewed one home with ceiling texture resembling stalagtites, or is that stalactites? One word: NASTY.
7. I wanted an actual entrance, or foyer. I did not want a front door that opened into a LR, nor did I want a front door that opened onto a small landing of the stairs. We viewed a few homes with that stairs landing entry, and even if there was a small coat closet I could not imagine our family of 4 getting coats and shoes on in that space before going out. Grand entrances with double-height ceilings and a lovely chandelier were out of my budget, but I wanted a modest space at least 10'x10' with normal height ceilings.
8. I wanted a separate DR and Family Room. I longed for the DR, and I really wanted a separate space where the kids could play and entertain friends.
9. Busy streets: I didn't look at homes on busy streets. I wanted a home within a subdivision.
10. Picky little things I did not want include overhead wires, utility box on the front lawn, ditches, one or more gigantic trees that looked out of place on the property, electric (baseboard?) heating, gas stove, chain link fencing. Picky little things I did want are street lights and sidewalks in the neighbourhood.
(Painting over wallpaper is a crime!)
Some of the things that turned us off when buying was what the neighbours place looked like you can control your place but not theirs. One other house we were looking at was rancher and there was a huge 2 story beside it so no light and always feeling like you were in a shadow. If the house was new and the hard surfaces like flooring and cabinets i didn't like color of I would have a hard time with replacing something just because of color. But most of all if the garage was to small most times you can't increase the size of the garage and that just wouldn't do. Smells would turn me off but if I was doing a reno I could live with that.
thanks Foxxy that's really pretty...i'll keep my eye out for it
I remember that iron fence from last year. My suggestion would be a Silver Lace vine. They cost about $8.00- 15.00 depending on the size of the pot. They aslso look like they are half dead lol, but then they grow like crazy.
I have attached some info for you.
also try http:springgardencanada.com (Oakville)
and [url]http://botanus.com[/url] ( B.C.)
Watch for plants suitable to your garden zone though.
Hardy to Zone 6
Bloom Time - Late summer (Sept.)
Color - White
Foliage - Small, light green
Size - Climbs to 25+ feet
Exposure - Full sun
Pruning - Cut back to the ground in early spring
Silver Lace Vine - Polygonum aubertiCulture - This is one of the fastest growing vines that I know. The photo at left shows one season's growth (the arbor is 15 ft. high). Silver Lace vine blooms late, beginning in the sweltering days of late August and early September, a time when most plants have petered out. The clusters of tiny greenish white flowers are fragrant. This vine is not fussy about soil and does fine in poor soil. Don't plant it where it can intermingle with other plants - it will take them over. It should not be placed above a sitting area either because the falling blooms are very messy. Prune to the ground in later winter or early spring before new growth starts.
thanks for the pics Foxxy...not too crazy about birdfeeders...i have a hummingbird one for the boys...but i really like that planter...i'm gonna take a look at it at LV...i also just got the new Vessey's catalouge...oh there is soooo much i wanna order from them...i'm gonna concentrate on landscaping the pond the year....i have that old black iron fence laying around and i'm gonna use it behind the waterfall and get some climbing plants for it...i can't wait to start
I have seen some pics of you home and it is lovely. I would not want one that long with so many rooms as I would never be able to furnish it all. LOL But I will accept the pond.
Take a look at the Lee Valley order that just arrived, both would be great for your home. The planter holds a lot of soil t hat you fill from the top so the soil drying out would not be a problem as you can water from the top also very easily. Fade proof and crack proof and can be attached to a wall, fence etc.
The huge bird feeder (which includes a 7' pole) would be nice out by your pond if you are at all interested in attracting birds.. I have spent so much money on cheezy feeders over the years and this one is pricy, but I could have bought 3-4 with what I spent on the other ones. This one is squirrel proof and carries a lifetime warranty.
It holds I think 10 lbs. seed and each tube can have various seeds. I love it.
It can also hang as a hook is provided. Gotta love Lee quality.
low long bungalow you say Foxxy....my house would be perfect for you...from end to end on the outside it is 80 feet long and 4 bedrooms are on one end master all the way at the other end...LOL....not much of a backyard tho'.,..i'm all front...i've got a big incline at the back of my house...which is good for toganning in the winter...LOL
First the lot would have to have many mature trees and be about 30' or more from the next house's side lot line with some lot depth in front from the street. No garage stuck out in front of the home if possible. Nice size back yard for a future sun room and preferrable fenced. Long low bungalows are my favourite with bedrooms at one end and the rest of the living space at the other.
Never a flat roof or small windows. No well or septic.
I could buy a home messy but not grungy dirty.
If the house was steal I could handle renovating a kitchen and bathrooms and newer windows.
I would want hardwood, even if under carpeting. It would have to have a fireplace even if it had to be converted to gas later on.
As far as that show I saw it...the various colours were wild and so many colours going on in each room. It really was wild! LOL
Geez wallpaper + borders in all the rooms and they painted over it all.. What a mess to change.
I could live in an older home with character that I could update over time as I wished. I am really not a fan of newer box style homes on a street one after the other.
but it also depends on your stage of life or whether you are DIY inclined. DH and I would have taken on way more before we had kids. Now, we would walk away from a house that had too much work as we just wouldn't have the time or patience to completely renovate, even though it can be completely rewarding, from a self-satisfaction and finacial point of view. :)
Something just occured to me....how funny
Only 3 1/2 years ago we bought a 130 some year old home, with melamine cabinets in the kitchen, barnboard in the dining room,
ugly carpet in the loft, a junk yard out back, way too many doors closing off a great space..
we renovated everyroom in the house except the bathroom...on our wish list...
everyone thought we were nuts to buy it...but the location was fab and the bones were great.......after tearing down walls, putting in a new kitchen, removing plaster (and barnboard) to expose limestone walls, making the nicest courtyard, ripping up carpet and laying wide plank floors...it's the envy of all our friends...and more importantly it's ours..and we love it.
so, I guess it's all a feeling as well......sometimes a place just welcomes you, no matter what it looks like initially.
I can't believe they painted over wallpaper. Although it shouldn't surprise me. That reality show with Dr. Phil's son where they makeover homes renovated a home but it was falling down by the time they left and they never finished it.
I feel sorry for those who believe everything on tv.
would be a sign to me of lazy homeowners. I too saw that show and couldn't believe it. I have seen this done on trading spaces too. I would wonder what else was shoddy about the home.
For me, it would be a house that's dirty and not well-cared for. Messy is OK -- but I mean stuff like grunge on the walls, stains on the floor & carpet, gooey stuff in the bathroom, etc. I also don't like tiled countertops. Although if it was the right house, that wouldn't be a deal-breaker.
I can see past paint colours and pictures on the walls and knicknacks -- heck, our entire house was painted green & pink and had wedding pictures and wedding flowers and wedding dolls and doilies everywhere!! Although I'm not so sure I could overlook the colours in the house on Trading Up last night -- that would probably put me off!!
actually that wouldn't stop me from buying the house...i didn't see the show btw....the one major thing that would prevent me from buying a house is the well pump...we were gonna buy a 10 acre horse farm complete with stables and horses before we bought this one...we had the offer in our hand and went to go see the house one more time just to look one more time....and while standing in the basement looking around...i nudged DH and told him i didn't want the house....he couldn't figure out why cuz he knew i wanted the horses...and the house...but the well pump was going off every 5 minutes (i timed it) and no one was using the water...then upon further investigation we found out that the well wasn't dug deep enuff....so i told him i didn't want the house...and we didn't buy it....well pump is only about $1500 to change...but it scared me off...the house was listed at $549,999 we were gonna offered $500,000 and it ended up selling for $425,000....we would have gotten ripped
The first time I saw on tv painting over wallpaper I was horrified. I know it's major work to remove wallpaper but that is what you do, remove it. NOT paint over it so it's even that much more difficult to eventually remove. Some people believe everything they see on tv so I think that gives these people the thumbs up to go ahead and do that.
It would be doubtful that I would buy a house that had that done to it.
I need about 1500 sq ft of living space since I work from home a lot of the time and have a large dog. I have had 4 bathrooms and 2 kitchens renovated so I don't mind buying handyman specials IF it's worth it in the end. I probably wouldn't buy a place that stank of cigarettes, or stank of anything for that matter :eek: I'd probably never buy another house in a city or other built up area.