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What does that mean and who made the determination?
If a stove works.....do you have to replace it?
If the cabinets are ample.....do they need to be changed?
If you love your flowered lazyboy.....should you get something else from Ikea instead?
If your kitchen counters aren't chipped or creepy.....do you need granite?
If your shower isn't leaking.....do you need Italian tile?
What does that mean and who made the determination?
If a stove works.....do you have to replace it?
If the cabinets are ample.....do they need to be changed?
If you love your flowered lazyboy.....should you get something else from Ikea instead?
If your kitchen counters aren't chipped or creepy.....do you need granite?
If your shower isn't leaking.....do you need Italian tile?
I was just wondering.
Outdated doesn't mean you have to change it. It simply means it's from another decade and usually not in a charming manner. Some people even like outdated stuff.
I'm assuming your questions are in relation to selling. When selling all of my outdated homes, I would fix those things that were actually broken or attack some things with paint. Once I even had a friend redo a floor. I've rearranged furniture and planted flowers, but never purchased new furniture. At that time, my labor was cheap and my cash flow low.
Keep in mind that you can go crazy trying to appeal to everyone and you never will. And, again, there are people who like outdated things.
Just my 2 cents as someone who is far from an expert in real estate, but who has sold and bought a few homes in her lifetime.
Last edited by fjtee; 03-21-2009 at 10:22 PM..
Reason: spelling error
Keep something original long enough and it might just come back into fashion...
I bought a home from the original owner that was built in 1922... everything was original... stove, telephone, double hung windows and bath and kitchen fixtures and light switches... even the electric service hadn't been updated.
All of the surrounding homes had been remodeled at least once, if not several times. When I eventually sold it, I got the highest price ever at the time...
Not too bad for things that had been certainly considered outdated at some point in time.
Outdated - to me means something that can be inefficient to use even though it still works (such as an older air conditioner that uses much more energy to get the same result as a newer model). Or something that can't do the task required (the 386 that my fiance's parents gave us last month?).
I also think of outdated as in something of low quality that barely manages to do the job. Particle board cabinets that are nearly falling down, a rusting slotted spoon, a knockoff video camera lacking any of the features that became common within the last decade. In other words, where a lot of what you see in Wal Mart will be in 10 to 15 years.
I don't understand the animosity that pops up from time to time on this site towards people that want to change things out. It's not necessarily a bad thing. My parents didn't do anything to their house for 30 years before redoing the kitchen. It was to the point where the cabinets still held things and the wallpaper was still attached, but the fridge was a harvest gold energy hog, the dishwasher functioned but required needle nose pliers to operate, the linoleum was cracking and lifting up, and although it still worked the stove needed small parts that weren't made in decades. Technically, all this stuff still worked (with a catch) but it was outdated and at the end of its functional life. It made no sense to try and rehab what still worked but was outdated while replacing things that were broken or worn out.
What does that mean and who made the determination?
If a stove works.....do you have to replace it?
If the cabinets are ample.....do they need to be changed?
If you love your flowered lazyboy.....should you get something else from Ikea instead?
If your kitchen counters aren't chipped or creepy.....do you need granite?
If your shower isn't leaking.....do you need Italian tile?
I was just wondering.
Are you thinking of selling your home? In this market you do need to be as aggressive and competitive as possible and not only with pricing.
Is the stove rusty in places? Is it a smooth top? (my favorite invention of the century).
Are the cabinets in need of paint, refinishing, or new hardware and/or fronts? Are they about to fall apart?
Flowered lazyboy? as in 70's psychedelic flowers? yikes. hide it!
The first home I bought in about 1976, the kitchen I had, had that linoleum type stuff on it. Good grief, useable yes, but outdated was a compliment. It was probably about 20 years old at that time, just a little 3 BR ranch starter home. A preformed formica countertop at very low cost was a definite improvement!
What does the shower look like now?
The point probably is, that many buyers are looking for something that is somewhat updated and more functional by today's standards. Not all of course, but some. And if the majority of the home is "outdated" your price should reflect that fact.
What does that mean and who made the determination?
If a stove works.....do you have to replace it?
If the cabinets are ample.....do they need to be changed?
If you love your flowered lazyboy.....should you get something else from Ikea instead?
If your kitchen counters aren't chipped or creepy.....do you need granite?
If your shower isn't leaking.....do you need Italian tile?
I was just wondering.
In a home, outdated usually spells 'used to be popular' and isn't any more. Even if something was very well made and has years of life left in it, the old stuff just doesn't look like the shiny new model. Why? People earn a living and sometimes become quite wealthy selling us new stuff and pointing out what chumps we were to buy the last round of wares that were pitched to us.
I specifically shopped around for an "outdated" house with as much period specific charm as possible! I like anything pre 1970. Electric, yes, that needs to be " current."
A 50's ranch with new granite countertops and McMansiony decor reminds me of a person of age with obvious Botox and cosmetics. It just doesn't work for me.
Can't tell you what it means but I can tell you who does it. The same people who tell women they need new style clothes every year.
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It just doesn't work for me.
