Things Owners Did That Ruin (hurt) Resale (foundation, Home Depot, window)

[Robino1]

Originally Posted by Zimbochick

We once looked at a house with a brand new, very upscale kitchen, glass cabinets, lots of granite, marble floors, and it was all bright blue. It was incredibly bizarre, and so jarring that I would have found it difficult to live with.


We have walked away from crazy HVAC set ups before, so I totally understand the OP's point. I find it amusing that so many people stating it would not be an issue are posters form Florida. Duh, of course it wouldn't. No heating where I live would be a deal breaker every time.


We have seen finished basements with no HVAC, that's a hell no. I have no interest in a mildewed smelly basement.


Wallpaper, removing bedroom walls, reducing garage size, popcorn ceilings, lazy maintenance all a turn off for me. Wallpaper and popcorn ceilings are removable, but I have done it once too often, and have no desire to deal with it again. Poor maintenance usually means at least one major issue has been overlooked.

When we lived in the northeast (Philly area) I would shut the registers in the upper floor, so it would be cooler up there, in the winter. In the summer, I would reverse the process. Close the lower floor registers and open the upper floor registers.

My statement of not being bothered with no heat, in one room in the upper floor, still stands.

[hotzcatz]

Well, if folks would mention their basic geographical location, then we'd know why they cared or didn't care about an unheated room. Here, in Hawaii, our houses don't have either heating or cooling, so we don't worry about it. But if it were a house on the mainland in a cold area, a lack of heat would be a concern, IMHO.

As for making a property unsalable, there's one where they built a very small house of 600 square feet on a very large lot. Had they made it a 500 square foot house, the new owner of the property could have made the existing house into a guest house (max. 500 square foot for a guest house) and then built the bigger house they wanted. Since the property is five acres and the house is so small and the new owner can't build a bigger one without tearing down the existing one, they'll have a hard time selling it for much since it won't appraise out for much more than vacant land. But, probably the buyers don't know the local nuances of what they can build enough for it to be a problem until they've already bought and are trying to build another bigger house on the lot. The property is only zoned for one residence, but maybe buyers don't look at such things?

[elliedeee]

Originally Posted by selhars

Am I surprised so many here would buy a house with a bedroom with not heat? yes. But it is what it is.
I'm asking around among my friends and co-workers about this…so far two say, no heat to a room…no sale.

It is interesting to hear what some people this is acceptable, or not.
And what changes have affected resale, or not.

I'm sure there'll be other things people have done that might be considered questionable by some.

My very first rental was an 1800 servant's quarters mini house. There was no heat in the 2 upstairs bedrooms and we were plenty warm. I even had a child and he survived just fine. I'm in NY. It gets cold but it was always comfortable enough for sleeping. Heat rises. Having a room without a heating vent wouldn't deter me in the least if I liked the home.

[Nancy in Nokomis]

I think it lowers the home value when you convert a 3 bedroom into a 2 bedroom or make a garage into a room - usually a sign the home is not big enough for most people.

I also think wallpaper and cheap laminate flooring also lowers value

[CGab]

Originally Posted by Emptynester1

Turned garage into a family room.

I second that! Just a horrible idea! You're better off adding an addition if you want the extra room.

[bizcuit]

Well, I can tell you one thing that I didn't do that I feel hurt me when I went to sell my last house. I should have replaced all the carpet on the second floor. Three bedrooms and a hallway and I had four different types of carpet. Plus, some of it was quite worn and tired looking. I had just replaced the roof and just didn't have much budget, plus the PIA factor while I was still living there.

In hindsight, even though I was able to sell my house pretty quickly, I think there would have been more interest had I bit the bullet and replaced the carpet (I had replaced the flooring in the kitchen and LR the year before). By not replacing it, not only was my house not too competitive on the market, but it gave the buyers some negotiating power that they wouldn't otherwise have had.

[chicagoliz]

Originally Posted by selhars

It was done when she had a wall removed during a first floor kitchen remodel. The duct was in the wall she wanted removed. So it was keep a column, or remove the duct. And she had the duct taken out so the floor space could be completely open, no column.

The bedroom was MAYBE 8x8, 8x9, 8x10 MAX…so really just more the size of a nursery or office in today's new houses. She said being a small row house the room would get enough heat without the duct.
Well, she just sold that house, which was fine otherwise. Sold it pretty much right away, her agent had a buyer for it. So it worked out.

But I was astounded it wasn't a deal breaker. Did she find THE only buyer for whom that wouldn't be an issue? Who buys a house with no heat going to one of the rooms?…am I the one who's wrong on this, because I NEVER would have removed a heat duct to a bedroom.

It's a rowhouse, in a small room upstairs. It would be pretty well insulated from the elements and heat rises. It would be very easy to make it warmer with a small space heater. I'd be more concerned about the lack of a/c in the room.

It sounds like it was likely a good trade - adding that space in the kitchen, which is one of the rooms that sells a house.

[turf3]

Originally Posted by wheelsup

...even the mailbox was in a depilated condition

I would think that would be a plus; a hairy mailbox would be a real turn-off for me.

[turf3]

All the carpets were soaked with cat pee. Every sink drain leaked (washpans in every single sink cabinet). Unrepaired shower leak resulting in severe mold inside a bathroom wall. Electrically powered perfume dispensers in every room in an attempt to counteract the smell of cat pee and mold, simply added a nauseatingly cloying fragrance to the place.


As soon as we drove to the house from the title company I began ripping out the carpet. I mopped the entire slab with Lysol, twice. And then the stories began from there.


Once every visible surface had been modified or refinished in some way, the house was really quite nice and served our needs well for several years.

[emm74]

I live in a very family oriented area - one of those maps that lists a stereotype for each neighborhood of the city lists my area as "ALL the babies in Denver."

I've only seen it in a couple of listings, but what would definitely hurt resale in this area are people that put walk in showers in all the full baths instead of a tub. I put a walk in shower in the master bath - it's not big enough to have a tub and a nice shower, so it was either or unless I wanted a tiny dark little shower. Instead I have a fairly large shower with a bench, lovely tile work, a fancy shower panel. I love my shower, it's what I always wanted.

But even though my son was 10 and long past baths when I built, I put a tub in his bathroom, because eventually I will sell and the odds are about 90% it will be to a family with young kids or a couple who will have a baby at some point. Obviously a few families without young kids move in, the way I did, but I was definitely the exception, so I would not want to limit my buyer pool.