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I agree with the OP. We have been house hunting for awhile and yes some are definitely updated and some are not. But it is very upsetting when you come across an expensive house and it is very outdated. If I am spending close to a million on a home, I don't want to have to update the kitchen. I suggest getting a good realtor and telling them exactly what you want! Good luck!
tons of houses that have been updated, but maybe not always the way people envision. i think a lot of the houses built in 60s/70s by me have been updated, but some have not. most of the ones that have been updated were updated in past 15 years or so. maybe the ones for sale right now are the older folks leaving, and they never updated? i don't know, but that's not what i experienced when i looked over a year ago.
One of the things I've noticed is that there are "cycles" that neighborhoods seem to go through. A development will be built and everyone moves in at about the same time, raises their kids and then within a 5 - 10 year period, a large percentage of the neighborhood turns over. New folks move in, redecorate and the cycle repeats itself. I used to joke that I could tell which houses in my neighborhood had been sold in the past 10 years by looking at the mailbox: younger people had nicer, fancier ones than the long-time residents.
From your description, I'd guess that you are looking at a lot of houses that were last decorated in the late 80s/early 90s ... which is when people who are now empty-nesters looking to sell their "family" homes would have purchsed. Most people I know who've bought and decorated houses in NJ in the last 5 - 10 years have decor that's more in line with what you're describing. People who know that they are going to be moving in a few years may not be interested in spending a lot of money to do major renovations, but they likely realize that the price they get will reflect the fact that buyers are going to have to "redo" kitchens and baths, window treatments, etc.
FWIW, my husband and I are getting our house ready to sell and we've been told by 2 realtors to paint our walls a neutral color (for example, our dining room is a dark red with blue undertones, and the kitchen is Semolina). I think that's just a "thing" realtors in the area have. We're also in the midst of buying a house, and the whole place will have to be painted before we move in to get rid of the Candlelight White walls.
I think that's good advice from your realtors in the sense that it's money well spent. I noticed homes that were 'staged' to sell would get tons of traffic and in turn were likely getting offers. There were some homes where not only bad smells(pets) not addressed but where the home felt too small. Much of it due to clutter/heavy furnishings/old thick carpets. While price for a home is relative to what the market is accepting , folks do want to sell their home asap as it's a pain to live around all the Open House Events, appointments, etc. And buyers will also place greater value on good appliances, clean spaces. They may not get in to a bidding war but they will seek a lesser type discount from listing if it's finished well.
You say you like to decorate but you want someone else to decorate it for you? Doesn't make sense to me. If you are buying a resale house chances are good you will have to repaint.....in colors of your choice, not some one else's. Nice fresh new carpet is not expensive compared to the cost of a house and again it will be your choice of colors. Putting down floors or buying new appliances is also cheap compared to the overall cost of a house, (which btw you are going to get for a steal) Why live with someone else's decorating when you can have your own. If someone does it for you what are the chances you will like it? Also people in the NY metro including N Jersey aren't noted for having good taste compared to some parts of the country. Trust me I have seen a lot of it. Look for a good neighborhood, number of bathrooms, bedrooms, size of rooms, things that are not easy to change. The decorating, light fixtures and paint colors shouldn't be a consideration. And why on earth would you worry about the previous owner's furniture, window treatments or art work? When you move in it will be gone anyway.
Perhaps it has to do with your price range. Many people are not prepared for the sticker shock of houses in NJ. It may very well be that what you think is an "expensive" house and should be updated for that kind of money is actually on the low end and what you would expect of a house on the low end.
Perhaps if you shared some links of the houses you are seeing it would help explain the situation.
One of the things I've noticed is that there are "cycles" that neighborhoods seem to go through. A development will be built and everyone moves in at about the same time, raises their kids and then within a 5 - 10 year period, a large percentage of the neighborhood turns over. New folks move in, redecorate and the cycle repeats itself. I used to joke that I could tell which houses in my neighborhood had been sold in the past 10 years by looking at the mailbox: younger people had nicer, fancier ones than the long-time residents.
From your description, I'd guess that you are looking at a lot of houses that were last decorated in the late 80s/early 90s ... which is when people who are now empty-nesters looking to sell their "family" homes would have purchsed. Most people I know who've bought and decorated houses in NJ in the last 5 - 10 years have decor that's more in line with what you're describing. People who know that they are going to be moving in a few years may not be interested in spending a lot of money to do major renovations, but they likely realize that the price they get will reflect the fact that buyers are going to have to "redo" kitchens and baths, window treatments, etc.
FWIW, my husband and I are getting our house ready to sell and we've been told by 2 realtors to paint our walls a neutral color (for example, our dining room is a dark red with blue undertones, and the kitchen is Semolina). I think that's just a "thing" realtors in the area have. We're also in the midst of buying a house, and the whole place will have to be painted before we move in to get rid of the Candlelight White walls.
I remember reading an article last year advising home sellers to paint their walls neutral colors, supposedly to attract affluent younger buyers to whom that's the favored current style.
I like color. I bought a condo last year and painted the whole place before I moved in, except for my bedroom, which I still haven't painted, lol.
My living room/dining area is Peanut Butter and Swiss Coffee, my kitchen is Morning Breeze (light blue), my bathroom is Mermaid, and my daughter's bedroom is Wisteria. My bedroom will be Fennel.
You say you like to decorate but you want someone else to decorate it for you? Doesn't make sense to me. If you are buying a resale house chances are good you will have to repaint.....in colors of your choice, not some one else's. Nice fresh new carpet is not expensive compared to the cost of a house and again it will be your choice of colors. Putting down floors or buying new appliances is also cheap compared to the overall cost of a house, (which btw you are going to get for a steal) Why live with someone else's decorating when you can have your own. If someone does it for you what are the chances you will like it? Also people in the NY metro including N Jersey aren't noted for having good taste compared to some parts of the country. Trust me I have seen a lot of it. Look for a good neighborhood, number of bathrooms, bedrooms, size of rooms, things that are not easy to change. The decorating, light fixtures and paint colors shouldn't be a consideration. And why on earth would you worry about the previous owner's furniture, window treatments or art work? When you move in it will be gone anyway.
LOL on the bolded. Hey, I'm decorated in Early Attic and Modern Garage Sale! Whaddya tawkin' about.
New folks move in, redecorate and the cycle repeats itself. I used to joke that I could tell which houses in my neighborhood had been sold in the past 10 years by looking at the mailbox: younger people had nicer, fancier ones than the long-time residents.
one thing i notice about an older development is the trees and other vegetation are more overgrown and covering more of the houses. when i was growing up, my development was relatively new. you could see the houses, yards were well maintained, trees were moderately sized. now so many houses are covered by trees, yards arent as well maintained, its more depressing.
When looking for a house, try not to judge it by the cosmetics. Judge it by the "bones" of the house. i.e., do you like the square footage, are the rooms open enough (and if not, can you take down a wall, or is it a supporting wall). What is the outside neighborhood like. Do you like the street, etc.,
You can go into just about any house and redo it cosmetically, you can't pick up and move the house to a better location.
When developments are built in NJ, people pay extra for a "prime" lot, be that a wooded lot, or a lot with a view, or a high lot, etc. So you need to take the lot into consideration.
Last but not least, since most homes in NJ have basements, make that the first place you look to check for water or water damage.
My living room/dining area is Peanut Butter and Swiss Coffee, my kitchen is Morning Breeze (light blue), my bathroom is Mermaid, and my daughter's bedroom is Wisteria. My bedroom will be Fennel.
Gotta love the paint names.
I went to b-school with a woman who worked at a company that manufactured paint and part of her job was picking the color names. Boy, did she have fun doing that! Your choices sound both pretty and delicious.
I'm definitely of the "I don't want to pay for someone else's decorating" school, but I can see that it would be preferable to start with a clean slate and not have buyers worrying about how to cover over the red paint. It's weird how different your perceptions are when you're the buyer and when you're the seller.
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Your choices sound both pretty and delicious.
