Again, I'm seeking free opinions from you young'ens

[DianaCox]

"Turns out, there used to be a wet bar in there. Who knew?"
Charles said to remind you that he told you there might have been a wet bar in there.

 

[southernlady]

Age is a big part of this...so y'all beware!!

My cousin called today and we talked about this. She is a 73-year-old widow who lives alone...can't reach the top shelves in cabinets anymore. And the bottom ones aren't all that easy on her back.

My husband, especially, cannot deal with open concept...even more so with tile floors...because of hearing issues.

Meanwhile, my knees and hips are promising to boycott homes on concrete slab foundations.

And, while you're at it, make sure your (or your parents') bathroom doors open OUT...when elderly people fall, as they are wont to do, in a small bathroom, their floor-bound bodies block the door. If it's an inside bath, with no windows, rescue folks have to create A LOT of damage to get in and help that person.


ETA...pocket doors are not easy for people in wheelchairs (center of gravity issues), so they are not really ADA-recommended, but that's what we put in our newer bathroom. That door will open even with a body on the floor.

LOL, yeap and age is gonna get me here too!

As I mentioned, there is a serious lack of doors here when we moved in. We KNOW there was a door to the kitchen at one time cause we see the evidence in the frame but where the door went, who knows. The living room/dining room are defined areas but with a huge access arch to connect them, it's fairly open. But I'm discovering that when I am in the kitchen, and dh starts talking, I can hear him talking but dddaaayymmm, I can't hear WHAT he said..

My ceilings are 10 ft...even in the kitchen and my cabinets go to the ceiling. Step stools are a wonderful invention for the height challenged but as we age, not so easy. I need one with a handrail so I can be safe and yet still reach things.

But like others, I VALUE storage...on the other hand I need to SERIOUSLY declutter.

 

[marissamast]

As a contractor, this,


and this,


are the best answers.

I run into people asking my advice as to what they should do to their house frequently. What I tell them is if you are STAYING in the house, remodel it the way YOU want it and do not worry about the resale (as long as it is relatively updated and in good condition). Most people who buy will have plans already in their head as to the renovations they will make either immediately or down the road.

Now, if you are renovating to sell, again I tell people to proceed cautiously with their plans. Interior renovations (even kitchen and bathrooms) IMHO do not go as far in curb appeal as items like facade updates or new windows and roofs. These are things most people do not want to have to update or change (unless they are already planning on a huge renovation/addition). They are going to want to use their leftover money from the purchase for making the changes to the interior of the house (cabinets/counters, bath renovations, etc). If you have a 40 y/o kitchen or bath then yes this is going to increase purchase price (I think the norm is about 80-90% ROI on kitchens and 70-80% on bathrooms).

Remember, you can never really plan a renovation for the tastes of a potential buyer. Yours and theirs will never be the same.

Just my .02, hope it helps.

My hubby did say a new roof too.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

My hubby did say a new roof too.

We got that...uhm...covered!

 

[hilary1617]

@DianaCox , how about installing a cat door to make your suite fully private (in a non-cat being sense)?

 

[DianaCox]

@DianaCox , how about installing a cat door to make your suite fully private (in a non-cat being sense)?

We thought about it, trust me! We gave a try at locking the cats out of the bedroom first, so we could close the door from the other humans and because both of us are slightly bothered by all the cat hair in the bedroom - but they are used to sleeping with us and would rattle the door like crazy at being locked out (Loki was the most persistent, so I suppose we could try that again, but frankly, I miss them when they aren't nearby). And of course, if we bring a litter box into the suite, as well as food and water, then need to be OUT of the room anyway.

What we REALLY want is for the other humans to leave. Daughter had a good job interview yesterday, which will start the process of her moving in with her b/f; son and his g/f are planning to move back in together in the next few months, now that he finally has two part time jobs totally >40 hrs/week; stepdaughter is about to move in full time for a few months, until she gets a job, but I'm REALLY hoping she won't stay long - I am not comfortable having a toddler living in our house, which has a pool that cannot be completely child-proofed, for starters.

 

[hilary1617]

AH, so the solution does nothing for the root cause! That said, from a fire and burglar safety perspective, it might make sense to have the door shut (and locked), but with a cat door for the fluffy ones to come and go at will.

 

[DianaCox]

I will talk to Charles about installing a cat door (actually, a small dog door, because Onyx is a fat-ass) on an interior door, and he will laugh his damned head off.

 

[hilary1617]

Well, anything for a laugh!

 

[robs477]

I agree with almost everything Dave and Charles said. I have been my own General contractor for over 25 yrs building two separate successful restaurant Brewery Pubs of my own in the Houston Galveston area, built one house in the 90’s from scratch and have totally renovated the house we are living in now, so I come to this conversation with a LOT of experience.

I slightly dis-agree with one of Dave’s comments though. He said, “if you are STAYING in the house, remodel it the way YOU want it and do not worry about the resale (as long as it is relatively updated and in good condition)”…Unfortunately, It almost NEVER works that way. Situations change that dictate selling and moving and you should NEVER, EVER, NEVER, do a remodeling project without heavily considering the marketability to re-sell unexpectedly…period.

The house we are living in now was built in the 80’s and the style then was small master baths and HUGE walk-in closets. I was not in this house for less than a year and I completely demolished the master bath and cut one of the walk-n closets in half giving it to making a larger all marble master bath with a jetted whirlpool Jacuzzi bathtub. This has TOTAL re-sell ability and the closets are still large.

As far as open vs closed concepts, in ALL my designs I have always incorporated both. I create the illusion of closed areas from open, creating little “Nooks” of privacy, but yet they have an open feel. It’s hard to explain, but it really is about segmentation and can be done as easy as just totally changing up the theme or décor even within the same room. It really does work and has that “Feel good” aspect that people can’t really explain.

As far as what you’re doing right now Sue, I think you are RIGHT ON TARGET. Just keep the remodeling costs to a minimum and not too radical, generic over specific or you will never get your ROI in the short term.

 

[jojo99]

I'm a Realtor and I think for the small amount of money you are spending, updating the bath and adding the pantry are a great idea. In fact, the pantry may be the best idea because although people can imagine a bathroom remodel, it can be harder to have the vision to see around spaces to convert them to new spaces - like the pantry.

The thing to remember about updates and even new roofs, HVAC, paint, etc is that you usually can't just add the amount you spent to the price you thought you would get and get a new price. Contrary to HGTV (like love it or list it) it doesn't work like that. Now, for the small amounts of money you are spending on inside updates, you may get your money back. Putting on a new roof or new paint if it is needed doesn't really get you anything more (people expect the house to be in working and maintained order), BUT what it does often get you is a faster sale. Selling faster does save you money - and significant stress.

It sounds like you have knowledgeable advisers Good luck!!

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I'm a Realtor and I think for the small amount of money you are spending, updating the bath and adding the pantry are a great idea. In fact, the pantry may be the best idea because although people can imagine a bathroom remodel, it can be harder to have the vision to see around spaces to convert them to new spaces - like the pantry.

The thing to remember about updates and even new roofs, HVAC, paint, etc is that you usually can't just add the amount you spent to the price you thought you would get and get a new price. Contrary to HGTV (like love it or list it) it doesn't work like that. Now, for the small amounts of money you are spending on inside updates, you may get your money back. Putting on a new roof or new paint if it is needed doesn't really get you anything more (people expect the house to be in working and maintained order), BUT what it does often get you is a faster sale. Selling faster does save you money - and significant stress.

It sounds like you have knowledgeable advisers Good luck!!

Thanks. As of the last appraisal, a few weeks ago, we have invested maybe $6-10k more than the appraised amount. So...subtract that from the gross and then subtract commissions and fees and I'm out a few bucks for sure. At this point, we can throw a few thousand more at it, hope to increase the value a little and then rely on our broker...who is a little bit magic...(last time she had buyers for us two days BEFORE we wanted it put on the MLS)....to find a cash buyer who just can't live without a pantry! Lol

Because we had planned to stay here forever, the house already has...among other things:
A new tile roof.
An operable skylight that closes itself when it rains!
A new variable speed pool filter pump.
Newly replastered pool and spa.
New KoolDeck.
New reverse osmosis system. (Ask Diana, she can tell you our regular water tastes like feet.)
Redone driveway...epoxy type redo.
New garbage disposal.

All of which are "invisible" AARGH!!!

Also..we have:
One completely redone bathroom. Spa-like, kinda. New tub, sink, toilet, floors, wall tile.
Another upgraded bath, but my builder likes to surprise me, so I can't describe it.
New kitchen sink. (It's black...kinda cool.)
Granite kitchen counters.
New desert landscaping...lotsa rocks....thousands of dollars worth of rocks...and a Chinese Elm! Lol

If we don't get reasonable offers, we CAN stay here longer. But...we are going to start hitting the 90s later this week and it won't be going much below that until October...so as the temps increase, so will the interest in a pool. And...we are a single story house in a community where 30% of the population is OLD and not interested in climbing stairs.

So...all appendages are crossed!

 

[jojo99]

I know it is so frustrating that the maintenance things we do to our homes can't count more! Your house sounds great and all those little things will hopefully result in a very quick sale. Just remember the number one thing is that your house be absolutely spotless. In the real estate world, cleanliness really is next to godliness

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I know it is so frustrating that the maintenance things we do to our homes can't count more! Your house sounds great and all those little things will hopefully result in a very quick sale. Just remember the number one thing is that your house be absolutely spotless. In the real estate world, cleanliness really is next to godliness

I am so neurotic about that, that in the pre-listing cleanup, I'm having housekeepers in 2 hours one day and replaying that the next day...first thing in the morning. I don't want tired housekeepers, and I do not even want sand (this is the desert) in the sliding glass door tracks.

Picky, picky, picky...

 

[JackieOnLine]

bet it sells fast - hope so