We are considering selling our house. There are some major projects (i.e.
putting a bedroom and additional bath in the basement) and some minor prouects
(i.e. calking, painting, etc.) that we are considering doing to up the resale
value of the house.

I was wondering if there is an information source that I can read to get advice
on what should be done. In other words, what should we focus on to get the
biggest bang for our buck??

Kind of an open ended question, I realize, but if you don't ask you don't get a
"yes", I figure!

Thanks.

Rileyesi wrote:
We are considering selling our house. There are some major projects (i.e.
putting a bedroom and additional bath in the basement) and some minor prouects
(i.e. calking, painting, etc.) that we are considering doing to up the resale
value of the house.


I vote for the paint and caulking. Consider steam cleaning the carpets. I
doubt you'd get your money out of finishing the basement, though no doubt the
next owner would enjoy it.

Have you ever wondered why we generally finish all these projects right before
selling? We should get some use out of the improvements ourselves first!



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN


http://www.mortimerschnerd.com

Binary Bill is right on the mark. Don't spend a lot of money or work
doing anything but making the place look bright, uncluttered and
clean.
Des

"Rileyesi" wrote in message
...
We are considering selling our house. There are some major projects
(i.e.
putting a bedroom and additional bath in the basement) and some
minor prouects
(i.e. calking, painting, etc.) that we are considering doing to up
the resale
value of the house.

I was wondering if there is an information source that I can read to
get advice
on what should be done. In other words, what should we focus on to
get the
biggest bang for our buck??

Kind of an open ended question, I realize, but if you don't ask you
don't get a
"yes", I figure!

Thanks.

What others said is correct and yes the basement will probably be a
waste. Be sure all mantenance and code issues are covered. But your
broker should guide you. we cant see your house from here

According to :
The bottom line is that there is usually almost nothing you can do to increase
the sale price of a house enough to offset the cost of the work. All you can
really do is make it easier to sell.

I've been told that, aside from cleaning/painting existing stuff, about
the only larger-ticket items that can possibly have a return-on-investment
are landscaping and certain mostly-cosmetic upgrades in bathrooms.

Certain _not_ pools, kitchens, or finishing basements.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

wrote in message
...
On 30 Mar 2004 21:57:35 GMT, (Rileyesi) wrote:

We are considering selling our house. There are some major projects (i.e.
putting a bedroom and additional bath in the basement) and some minor
prouects
(i.e. calking, painting, etc.) that we are considering doing to up the resale
value of the house.

I was wondering if there is an information source that I can read to get
advice
on what should be done. In other words, what should we focus on to get the
biggest bang for our buck??

Kind of an open ended question, I realize, but if you don't ask you don't get
a
"yes", I figure!

Thanks.

Probably the best information source is a good realtor familiar with
your neighbourhood.

This is the key statement. Talk to a realtor.

Regarding the basement, I don't know what code is in your area, but where I
live, a basement cannot be counted as living space unless the home was
originally constructed that way. It can be listed as "finished", but nothing
more. Thus, all improvements go towards sellability, but do not reap dollar one
for increasing living space as the finished rooms cannot be counted as bedrooms,
or a family room, although, I do believe they can count the additional
bathroom....

Let the new owners do their own construction. Your best bet is to detail out the
house, so the buyers have less to point to as needing repair when they make
their offer. Paint, caulk, fix that leaky faucet, etc...

Mike

When I tried the vanilla trick, the very next looker became a buyer.
-B

wrote in message
...
On 30 Mar 2004 21:57:35 GMT, (Rileyesi) wrote:

We are considering selling our house. There are some major projects
(i.e.
putting a bedroom and additional bath in the basement) and some minor
prouects
(i.e. calking, painting, etc.) that we are considering doing to up the
resale
value of the house.

I was wondering if there is an information source that I can read to get
advice
on what should be done. In other words, what should we focus on to get
the
biggest bang for our buck??

Kind of an open ended question, I realize, but if you don't ask you don't
get a
"yes", I figure!

Thanks.

Probably the best information source is a good realtor familiar with
your neighbourhood.

Most homes cannot carry the cost of remodelling. Unless yours is a
walkout basement, it is unlikely you will get more than fifty percent
of the cost in added value -- and even that much is questionable.
Same thing applies to upgrading countertops, sinks, faucets and so on.

Unless you're a fix and flip expert, don't take on any significant
changes -- focus on making what you have as attractive as possible.

As to gettting bang for the buck in a house you're selling ...

1) Curb appeal, curb appeal, curb appeal!!!! Clean, neat, nicely
painted, no litter, debris, etc.

2) Remove fifty percent of the stuff you have in each closet. Pack
it away neatly (you're moving, aren't you?).

3) Nothing on the closet floor. Repeat, nothing. Makes closets
look bigger.

4) If you're like most people, cut down the furniture in each room
by thirty percent.

5) Clean carpets. No ... repeat, no ... area rugs on hardwood.

6) Clean walls, baseboards, casings, etc. Paint if required.
Paint if PINK.

7) Get rid of all unsightly things, especially those which could
sabotage a sale -- for example, extension cords tell buyers there
aren't enough outlets.

8) Keep the house clean and fresh. A drop of vanilla extract on an
electric burner leaves a great smell.

Ken

Rileyesi wrote:

We are considering selling our house. There are some major
projects (i.e. putting a bedroom and additional bath in the
basement) and some minor prouects (i.e. calking, painting, etc.)
that we are considering doing to up the resale value of the
house.

I was wondering if there is an information source that I can
read to get advice on what should be done. In other words, what
should we focus on to get the biggest bang for our buck??

Kind of an open ended question, I realize, but if you don't ask
you don't get a "yes", I figure!

Just about any Realtor with a website, be they a local company or
a national "chain" will have some information about this. It's
written by professionals, the people who work with home buyers
and sellers every day of the year. Go there. Or trust a bunch
of well meaning but nonetheless uninformed anonymous folks on the
internet. Your choice.


--
TP / Network Man __________________________________
If u want the races for free,
somebody has to pay for it. ($1 Earl)

In article ,
says...

On 31 Mar 2004 00:08:32 GMT, "I-zheet M'drurz" wrote:

Rileyesi wrote:

We are considering selling our house. There are some major
projects (i.e. putting a bedroom and additional bath in the
basement) and some minor prouects (i.e. calking, painting, etc.)
that we are considering doing to up the resale value of the
house.

I was wondering if there is an information source that I can
read to get advice on what should be done. In other words, what
should we focus on to get the biggest bang for our buck??

Kind of an open ended question, I realize, but if you don't ask
you don't get a "yes", I figure!

Just about any Realtor with a website, be they a local company or
a national "chain" will have some information about this. It's
written by professionals, the people who work with home buyers
and sellers every day of the year. Go there. Or trust a bunch
of well meaning but nonetheless uninformed anonymous folks on the
internet. Your choice.

Well, I guess he obviously can ignore you, then.

BB


Touche.

(Rileyesi) wrote in
:

We are considering selling our house. There are some major projects
(i.e. putting a bedroom and additional bath in the basement) and some
minor prouects (i.e. calking, painting, etc.) that we are considering
doing to up the resale value of the house.

I was wondering if there is an information source that I can read to
get advice on what should be done. In other words, what should we
focus on to get the biggest bang for our buck??

The official term for what you want to do is "house fluffing". Search for
that phrase on google, and you will get lots of advice, as well as people
willing to do it for you on a paid basis. Here is an example hit:
http://www.sixelements.com/HouseFluffingTips.html

I sure haven't had much luck with "professionals". One realtor who was the
head of the realtor ethics committee was in cahoots with his realtor friend.
Between the two of them they kept my house off the market for almost two
months because her son wanted to buy the house but couldn't get financing.
Next, I bought this place from a realtor. He owned it and listed it. The
unenclosed porches were listed as living space. The heat was listed as
electric. It was an electric plug-in space heater. There was no heating
system. When he moved out, he dumped all his trash and garbage in the back
yard. Repeated calls to the realtor's office (his boss) yielded no results.
I had to clean up the mess myself. Another realtor hid the fact that there
were liens on a property that I had made an offer on. He was really angry
that I did a title search without telling him. Then he told my attorney that
the title search was wrong and that I was obligated to buy. Another realtor
hid a Superior Court child support lien and also told me I had to buy. My
attorney threatened to sue and she agreed I could cancel the contract. She
needed the commission to pay for her son's wedding. Why pay a realtor a
commission to do nothing except steal from you? Save your money.
Bob

wrote in message
...
On 31 Mar 2004 00:08:32 GMT, "I-zheet M'drurz"
wrote:

Rileyesi wrote:

We are considering selling our house. There are some major
projects (i.e. putting a bedroom and additional bath in the
basement) and some minor prouects (i.e. calking, painting, etc.)
that we are considering doing to up the resale value of the
house.

I was wondering if there is an information source that I can
read to get advice on what should be done. In other words, what
should we focus on to get the biggest bang for our buck??

Kind of an open ended question, I realize, but if you don't ask
you don't get a "yes", I figure!

Just about any Realtor with a website, be they a local company or
a national "chain" will have some information about this. It's
written by professionals, the people who work with home buyers
and sellers every day of the year. Go there. Or trust a bunch
of well meaning but nonetheless uninformed anonymous folks on the
internet. Your choice.

Well, I guess he obviously can ignore you, then.

BB

rck wrote:

I sure haven't had much luck with "professionals". One realtor
who was the head of the realtor ethics committee was in cahoots

(snipped)

There you go. Hundreds of lines of unsubstantiated, totally
meaningless ranting from some anonymous jerkoff who you know only
as "rck" from somewhere, USA.

But of course you can believe it's all true, right? After all,
"rck" wrote it on Usenet.

Hey "rck", you left out the parts about realtors kicking your
grandma in the teeth and poisining your puppy dog. They are
about as valid as this crap that you did write.

--
TP / Network Man __________________________________
If u want the races for free,
somebody has to pay for it. ($1 Earl)

I have complete documentation, names and addresses of everything I have
stated. This is not meaningless ranting, it is sound advice based on my
experiences. No, the realtors did not kick my grandma or poison my dog.
These are legitimate legal issues which I believe were a violation of
honesty and ethics on the part of several realtors over the years. What
further information would you like?
As for "Usenet", this is what Earthlink uses. Anyone can look at my
e-mail address and figure out how to reply directly to me if they wish. I am
not hiding behind any service and am not giving a phony e-mail address.

Bob

"I-zheet M'drurz" wrote in message
...
rck wrote:

I sure haven't had much luck with "professionals". One realtor
who was the head of the realtor ethics committee was in cahoots

(snipped)

There you go. Hundreds of lines of unsubstantiated, totally
meaningless ranting from some anonymous jerkoff who you know only
as "rck" from somewhere, USA.

But of course you can believe it's all true, right? After all,
"rck" wrote it on Usenet.

Hey "rck", you left out the parts about realtors kicking your
grandma in the teeth and poisining your puppy dog. They are
about as valid as this crap that you did write.

--
TP / Network Man __________________________________
If u want the races for free,
somebody has to pay for it. ($1 Earl)

On 30 Mar 2004 21:57:35 GMT, (Rileyesi) wrote:

We are considering selling our house. There are some major projects (i.e.
putting a bedroom and additional bath in the basement) and some minor prouects
(i.e. calking, painting, etc.) that we are considering doing to up the resale
value of the house.

I was wondering if there is an information source that I can read to get advice
on what should be done. In other words, what should we focus on to get the
biggest bang for our buck??

Little details. Paint, caulk, clean. Minor landscaping such as mulch
and annuals. Replace cracked fixtures, broken window panes, etc.
Make sure all lights work, clean the stove, oven and refrigerator.
Take care of major repairs only if they significantly impact the
salability. In otherwords, repairing air conditioning that doesn't
work, but not adding central air if you had none.

And your information source? Your broker, of course.

Jeff

rck wrote:

I have complete documentation, names and addresses of
everything I have
stated. This is not meaningless ranting, it is sound advice
based on my experiences. No, the realtors did not kick my
grandma or poison my dog. These are legitimate legal issues
which I believe were a violation of honesty and ethics on the
part of several realtors over the years.

So, the conclusion that should be drawn is:

a) You just have rotten luck

b) All realtors are scum, here are some common examples

c) You bust *everybody's* balls, you could give similar lists
for car mechanics, hair stylists, and little kids shoveling
your snow that you've dealt with in life.

d) You just have this throbbing problem with realtors.

--
TP / Network Man __________________________________
If u want the races for free,
somebody has to pay for it. ($1 Earl)

I agree with you completely that every other industry can have as many
problems as realty. But in the old days things were not like that. I
remember buying my first house many years ago. The realtors were
professional, honest and knowledgeable. Back then being a realtor was a
calling, a profession. Nowadays visiting a realtor is like going to see a
used car dealer or a seller of trailer homes. I'm not saying every realtor
is a crook, but you'd have to look pretty hard to find a good one. Assuming
you are in the business yourself, I'm sure you are aware of what is out
there. So, where does one look to find an honest realtor? All the crooks I
dealt with were licensed by the various states, member of the local and
regional realtors associations. Yet that meant nothing. I'm not selling my
house, but if I were, how would I find a realtor who would represent me and
not himself?

Bob


"I-zheet M'drurz" wrote in message
...
rck wrote:

I have complete documentation, names and addresses of
everything I have
stated. This is not meaningless ranting, it is sound advice
based on my experiences. No, the realtors did not kick my
grandma or poison my dog. These are legitimate legal issues
which I believe were a violation of honesty and ethics on the
part of several realtors over the years.

So, the conclusion that should be drawn is:

a) You just have rotten luck

b) All realtors are scum, here are some common examples

c) You bust *everybody's* balls, you could give similar lists
for car mechanics, hair stylists, and little kids shoveling
your snow that you've dealt with in life.

d) You just have this throbbing problem with realtors.

--
TP / Network Man __________________________________
If u want the races for free,
somebody has to pay for it. ($1 Earl)

' rck ' if you had proof you could get their liscenses revoked and sue
for Fraud and win big. So as Tom P was stating quit your
" everybody is out to get me crap" Wake up and do
something or shut up the BS and quit crying like a fat baby.

' rck ' if you had proof you could get their liscenses revoked and sue
for Fraud and win big. So as Tom P was stating quit your
" everybody is out to get me crap" Wake up and do
something or shut up the BS and quit crying like a fat baby.

m Ransley wrote:

' rck ' if you had proof you could get their liscenses revoked
and sue for Fraud and win big. So as Tom P was stating quit
your " everybody is out to get me crap" Wake
up and do something or shut up the BS and quit crying like a
fat baby.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that sees this. This person had
a bad experience somewhere in life with a realtor, it's
impossible for one person to have *all* of this
evil/bad/incompetence land upon them in one lifetime, unless of
course they ARE a major league ballbuster, and give everybody
in life a hard time.

End result: Welcome to Internet/Usenet, where folks can say
just about anything they want without needing to back it up.
Yeah, he has proof/evidence of all of this. I'll bet.

--
TP / Network Man __________________________________
If u want the races for free,
somebody has to pay for it. ($1 Earl)

Yes, I could have sued, but an attorney would have cost much more than what
was at stake. I paid the attorneys only for consulting fees so I could get
out of the contracts for the houses that had liens on them. You seem to be
saying it is wrong to warn others to be very careful.

Bob

"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
' rck ' if you had proof you could get their liscenses revoked and sue
for Fraud and win big. So as Tom P was stating quit your
" everybody is out to get me crap" Wake up and do
something or shut up the BS and quit crying like a fat baby.

Regarding the basement, I don't know what code is in your area, but where
I
live, a basement cannot be counted as living space unless the home was
originally constructed that way. It can be listed as "finished", but
nothing
more. Thus, all improvements go towards sellability, but do not reap
dollar one
for increasing living space as the finished rooms cannot be counted as
bedrooms,
or a family room, although, I do believe they can count the additional
bathroom....

In Indiana the basement must be a walk out daylight basement for the space
to count as "living space"

(my wife is a realtor) HTH
Rob

well rck if that was true and you had a case the realtors would have
had their licenses revoked.
At small claims you dont bring an atty , costs 35$ and thats it. Some
have 5000 limits, im sure that would have been fair compensation, If of
course you had a case .

No ... repeat, no ... area rugs on hardwood.

Why no hard wood floors? What if your house already has them?

In article ,
says...
We are considering selling our house. There are some major projects (i.e.
putting a bedroom and additional bath in the basement) and some minor prouects
(i.e. calking, painting, etc.) that we are considering doing to up the resale
value of the house.

I was wondering if there is an information source that I can read to get advice
on what should be done. In other words, what should we focus on to get the
biggest bang for our buck??

Kind of an open ended question, I realize, but if you don't ask you don't get a
"yes", I figure!

Thanks.

The potential buyer will have a WDI or WDO report made out to look for
potential wood destroying insects/organisms. Two things seen often that would
be reported on the reports that are easily avoided would be (1)Faulty Grade,
where the soil (or even mulch in a flower bed) is higher than the top of the
foundation making it conducive conditions for termite entry and moisture in
the wall and would be suggested to be removed and (2) tree limbs/shrubs
touching the house (conducive conditions to attracting carpenter ants) I get
many calls where a WDI report showed a carpenter ant was seen on the house
and the inspector now insists on a carpenter ant treatment for the house even
though he has no idea where the nest may be, more than likely it was a
foraging ant that could of come as far away as 100 feet that just used to
tree limbs to get onto the structure.
--
It is said that the early bird gets the worm,
but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese.

Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!

:
: Certain _not_ pools, kitchens, or finishing basements.
: --
: Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
: It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after
them.


i read all the time, that updating a kitchen IS A POSITIVE thing.
cabinets, and countertops!

: Or trust a bunch
: of well meaning but nonetheless uninformed anonymous folks on
the
: internet. Your choice.


actually, i trust the anonymous folks here....................

Rose wrote:

i read all the time, that updating a kitchen IS A POSITIVE thing.
cabinets, and countertops!

Can't get much more expensive than that and there's no telling your taste would
match the taste of any potential buyer. Unless the kitchen was an absolutely
disaster area, I'd limit remodeling to a new faucet and maybe new drawer pulls
and cabinet knobs.

Yes, updating a kitchen is a good thing, if you intend to USE it for a few
years. Then you get some of the investment back in resale value. Not if you
intend to sell the house in 2 weeks.

"rosie" wrote in message
...


:
: Certain _not_ pools, kitchens, or finishing basements.
: --
: Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
: It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after
them.


i read all the time, that updating a kitchen IS A POSITIVE thing.
cabinets, and countertops!

According to rosie :

: Certain _not_ pools, kitchens, or finishing basements.

i read all the time, that updating a kitchen IS A POSITIVE thing.
cabinets, and countertops!

Many kitchen remodels will cost in the $10K and up range. That's
a _lot_ to expect it to return.

I've read a study, somewhere, that gave return rates. The only
"major" thing that generally showed a positive return was landscaping.
Kitchens were in the 50% range. Pools much worse.

On average of course.

If the existing kitchen is a total disaster area, then redoing it
has a better chance of hitting a positive return.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

According to :
No ... repeat, no ... area rugs on hardwood.

Why no hard wood floors? What if your house already has them?

He said "no rugs on hardwood floors". Not "no hardwood floors".

In other words, if you have a hardwood floor that's worth having,
show it off! Don't make it look like you're hiding damage.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

"I-zheet M'drurz" wrote in message

End result: Welcome to Internet/Usenet, where folks can say
just about anything they want without needing to back it up.

Yeah, Tom "Firebug" Pendergast, you're the leading example of _that_. Go
**** your drawers somewhere else ya friggin ******.