Unkept homes in Ridgewood (credit, new house, neighborhoods)

[jpf723]

Ridgewood has a lot of families due to the great school system, I'm sure having rugrats eats into the time you have to clean/maintain your home. Or maybe they feel the town speaks for itself and houses there don't warrant major cleaning in order to sell...

[tripmom]

I checked online and saw that the average home in Ridgewood last year was $663,300. This means you are pretty much in the "hot price point" for Ridgewood's housing market. There will be good ones in your price point, but they most likely will move quickly. Just make sure your agent is keeping you informed of new listings.

[AnesthesiaMD]

Originally Posted by Retriever

Ummmm...

unkempt - definition of unkempt in English from the Oxford dictionary

unkept vs unkempt : Common Errors in English

Unkept or Unkempt : Common Errors in English

I always thought unkempt was in reference to a person, while unkept was in reference to a property. No?

[Retriever]

Originally Posted by AnesthesiaMD

I always thought unkempt was in reference to a person, while unkept was in reference to a property. No?

No

[AnesthesiaMD]

Originally Posted by Retriever

No

Since you like to play the role of "grammar expert", I thought you would like to enlighten me, but since you don't care to elaborate, I decided to google it myself. According to the website I found, it appears I am correct. Is the website wrong? I don't claim to be a "grammar expert", so I am just looking for the correct meaning.

Unkept and unkempt share the broad definition neglected or not properly maintained, but unkempt is usually reserved for describing a person’s rough appearance. The word is derived from the older unkembed, meaning uncombed, and is most appropriate (etymologically considered) in reference to disordered hair.

Unkept, meanwhile, tends to describe neglected properties. Of course, it can also mean simply not kept (usually in reference to promises). Our Microsoft Word spell check catches unkept, but it’s a perfectly good word.

This unkept–unkempt distinction is not a rule, however. Unkempt is often used to describe untrimmed lawns and hedges, for example. Unkept is only rarely used to describe people, but we did find a few instances in our searches.

[Nmc400]

Originally Posted by tdstyles

You're letting a few hundred dollars in cleaning and some new appliances stop a $700k purchase? I'd say you are being distracted by things that aren't important in the grand scheme of things. If it really bothers you that much buy a $550k house, gut it and spend $150k on renovations. You might be happier since everything will be new.

Agree. So long as the issues with the home are not structural or permanent in nature, who really cares how its kept? Use the unkempt condition and crappy applicances as a negotiation tactic to get the price down a bit.

[AnesthesiaMD]

Originally Posted by Retriever

No

I used the same dictionary you cited for the word "unkempt" to look up the word "unkept", and this is what I found...

Not tidy or cared for:
lawns unkept and ponds neglected

unkept - definition of unkept in English from the Oxford dictionary

[boater1]

If you are that turned off by the Ridgewood housing stock, why do you keep going back?
enough to go on a web site and complain about it.

Look elsewhere, Ridgewood will be better for it.

There are plenty of other quality towns in Bergen county, or are they unkempt also,

[nybbler]

Tidyness issues are irrelevant. Unless it's so bad the house has become infested with vermin or gotten a persistent odor. Dated furnishings don't matter, you won't be buying those. Dated appliances... you just figure the cost of replacing them in your budget. A mid-to-high-end but standard size stove, fridge, dishwasher, and laundry cost what, $7K or so? In a $700K budget this is not a dealbreaker, just a consideration.

Location, layout, and land are what can't be changed and come first. Next comes any major problems, by which I mean structural or foundation damage, water intrusion, anything really expensive to correct. Expected major renovations (e.g. if you'd want to gut the kitchen or finish a basement) cost a lot and come next; a roof or siding is in this category too. Appliances and surfaces are smaller things to figure in.

[stacyann_1]

Originally Posted by boater1

If you are that turned off by the Ridgewood housing stock, why do you keep going back?
enough to go on a web site and complain about it.

Look elsewhere, Ridgewood will be better for it.

OMG, what does that mean, is it as mean as it sounds, or am I misinterpreting. Anyway, it is funny OP mentioned this because my husband and I always joke about a similar feeling we have gotten when looking in Rutherford. So many houses it just seems the owners don't even try to fix up the house but are asking top dollar, what it usually means is that that is what the market allows, very simple unfortunately. Will we ultimately buy one of these houses in Rutherford, who knows quite possibly.