Resale home in Avery Ranch morningside (fit in, for sale, countertops)

[adhdec01]

Hi all,

We saw a resale home in avery morningside. I like the floorplan and landscaping.
Round rock school district. But the downside is, the kitchen does not have 42" cabinets, granite counter, recessed lights and stainless steel appliances. Also the house lacks art niches, study does not have french doors and closet doors are sliding. I feel the house needs lots of upgrades in my opinion...The house is listed in lower 200's . How much should I offer? How much will it cost for the upgrades? I do have an agent but want to see what u guys think?

Thanks in advance,

[TheyCallMeDerek]

Well, the tough part is you have to make an offer specific to the house that's for sale. Basing the offer on it not having things you want won't work. Have your Realtor run a CMA on it and base your offer on that. You might need to keep looking untill you find the right house, discuss with your agent and go from there.

[10scoachrick]

I live across the Blvd. in Brookside/Avery Ranch. I honestly didn't know homes were listed in the lower 200s in Morningside. Now that I've studied a bit, I see there are actually homes under 2000 sq ft in M-side(didn't know that either).

I'm wondering how many art niches would fit in a <2500 sq ft home with an open floor plan(not that many walls, in other words). I would personally hesitate to replace cabs and counters that could not be more than 8 years old.(42" cabs in a kitchen that size could look a bit wonky). I'd only replace closet doors that were non-functional(sliding doors actually are a benefit in a small bedroom, IMO) and unless the appliances were really ugly or non-functional, I'd leave those until they 'needed' replacing.

I'd be more interested in the lot arrangement, personally. Some of the M-side home back up to the Blvd., some to greenspace or cave preserves and some just back up to the neighbors. A few of the lots have large trees, most don't. We are tickled to have our large oaks shading the house, east and west!

Pretty good chance the house got a new roof in the past two years...that's a plus; especially if the house is one of the early builds in M-side.

Also, be aware of the plans for Pearson Place to the east of M-side. A couple of the roads will connect to the new development and(if they ever get started) there's going to be a WHOLE bunch of construction next door. If 'your' house is on the east side of M-side, you WILL be affected.

Best of luck!

[XLadylawX]

$40k on the low end for the kitchen. It will be like pulling a string on a knitted sweater (it unravels). You pull the kitchen and you will be doing flooring in all of the connected main living areas. Also, you will have to re-texture and that will spill over too and before you know it, every room but the bedrooms will be remodeled.

Only plan such an upgrade if you plan on making this your HOME for awhile otherwise you will never get your money back.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by XLadylawX

$40k on the low end for the kitchen. It will be like pulling a string on a knitted sweater (it unravels). You pull the kitchen and you will be doing flooring in all of the connected main living areas. Also, you will have to re-texture and that will spill over too and before you know it, every room but the bedrooms will be remodeled.

Only plan such an upgrade if you plan on making this your HOME for awhile otherwise you will never get your money back.

^^^^
What she said!

[adhdec01]

The house is 2300 sq.ft in castle pines dr. We don't intend to change the floors. We want to change cabinets and counter top with some recessed lights in the kitchen. Also the secondary bedrooms don't have ceiling fans. Would buying this house and changing the necessary is worth when selling later? we would for sure stay in this house for the next 5-6 years.

[XLadylawX]

Originally Posted by adhdec01

The house is 2300 sq.ft in castle pines dr. We don't intend to change the floors. We want to change cabinets and counter top with some recessed lights in the kitchen. Also the secondary bedrooms don't have ceiling fans. Would buying this house and changing the necessary is worth when selling later? we would for sure stay in this house for the next 5-6 years.

Unfortunately your new cabinets will likely not fit within the footprint of the old. Tile, wood or laminate flooring will need to be altered and this usually forces you to install new flooring. This will impact the transitions to the other flooring in the house.

Then of course with new flooring comes issues with baseboards which may require replacing in all connected rooms.

I don't say this to dissuade you though. Just want to help you set your expectations. I would go down this road in a heartbeat if the house had the three L's, a good price, good bones, and my pocketbook was heavy.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by adhdec01

The house is 2300 sq.ft in castle pines dr. We don't intend to change the floors. We want to change cabinets and counter top with some recessed lights in the kitchen. Also the secondary bedrooms don't have ceiling fans. Would buying this house and changing the necessary is worth when selling later? we would for sure stay in this house for the next 5-6 years.

Took the virtual tour of 'your' home(I think). Some thoughts:

Well, DW is the interior designer, not me; but, I wouldn't touch the cabinets...A) The cost will be huge compared to the 'return', IMO and 2) Taller uppers will make the kitchen look even MORE like it's in the living room.

I'd consider new countertops(that staging with the barstools at the island is a real reach, BTW) and the range, hood and DW could be swapped for SS to match the fridge that looks pretty new. Depending on the quality of the sink, I'd take a look at that but it opens up plumbing issues if changed out. It would be easier(although not my first choice) to add current pendant or track lighting in the kitchen ceiling. Wiring for cans might be a real pain(and +$$$).

Two bedroom ceiling fans would only be $250 for good ones if bought properly and even less if you pick up a clearance model. Piece of cake if there are central light fixtures already(looks like they are OK).

I could see glass entry doors for the office to possibly open up the space a bit...depends on how the office is used.

IF the roof wasn't repaired in the last two years, I would get a complete inspection. I would estimate over half the homes in M-side got new roofing after the '09 storms. Yours 'should' be good, given the age; but, those two '09 hail storms were nasty.

[trayanh]

No, the home was built by Morrison Homes, and the county appraisal this year is about 211k, so probably OP can give an offer of 200k or slight less than that?

[adhdec01]

Thank you all for your thoughts. But seller doesn't negotiate much..:-(