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If you are going to paint, use a neutral like Killem Beige with white trim.
Actually it's Kilim.. which is good because I always read "Killem" as "Kill'em" - which seems like an odd name for a paint color!
As for laminate flooring.. I love love LOVE mine.. with 3 dogs I will never again own a home with carpet on the main floor. Too much darn trouble to keep it clean!
And to the OP: With a $160K ranch to sell, I would definitely *not* go crazy with the updates. Last year I sold mine the first day it was on the market with fresh paint throughout (Behr's Cottage White), beige carpet (not quite the least expensive at Home Depot) and new neutral sheet vinyl in the kitchen, laundry & bathrooms. I also had new appliances because I took mine with me. I left the builder grade brass fixtures throughout, except I did replace the kitchen faucet.
You guys are all fantastic so far. Let me expand on this. The house is in the Coventry neighborhood right off of 540 and Louisburg Rd (401) in Raleigh. Built in the mid 1990s - its a nice neighborhood that seems to be mostly owner occupied (I have no data, this is just a guess) and pretty family oriented. Never had any problems in there with crime, noise, etc.
The house came with Berber when I bought it in 2005 - the prior owner (occupant) put it in just before I bought it. It was okay, but very dark, and did not hold up well for the four years I've owned the home. The tenant's dog tore it up in a few rooms, so I had him remove it and the pad already (and last night, I spent about 2 hours on my knees removing all the pad staples, what a b***h of a job that was - should have worn knee pads!). I was going to replace the dark, dreary berber with some nice, modern, stylish (and better quality) carpet with a 6lb pad. It has a crawlspace rather than a slab, so it would still be comfortable underfoot with this level of pad (hell, my "fancy" home has 6lb pad and it was not $160K!).
I'll plan to do new carpet, new vinyl (or similar - except in kitchen, which looks okay still), fix minor things, replace lights and knobs to match, and prune all bushes and trees, plus paint and caulk where necessary. The HVAC and roof and main structure are all good and don't need any work.
I looked at a home in that neighborhood back in 2006 when I was looking for a new home. Nice area. I would not put laminate flooring throughout the home. If any I would limit it to the living and dining area and use a high quality laminate. I prefer carpet in the bedrooms. I would freshen up those bathrooms. Some new paint, and cleanup the trim/baseboards. New flooring there too if needed.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeJaquish
Cute house.
Gotta do the sheet vinyl in the 2nd bath for sure.
Those stick down tiles in wet areas are the work of the devil himself.
Clean, clean, clean and fresh, fresh, fresh are key.
72 homes in NE Raleigh, Area 8, between $150,000 and $170,000.
Including 2 in Coventry Glen.
It appears that the old owner did those tiles right on top of the older vinyl that you see in the kitchen and other bathrooms. I definitely plan to cover over it with brand new stuff, but the question is whether I go with a new 1/4" underlayment board, then new sheet vinyl, or use the product I found at HD called "Allure" which looks promising. It costs a bit more per square foot but is easier to put down and looks (to me) nicer than your inexpensive rolled or pre-cut sheet vinyl and I could match the oak cabinets better I think. Still thinking through the whole thing.
I agree with clean and fresh - in fact I always did that before a new renter moved in also. People seemed very impressed by the "freshness" each time I turned the property over. I always clean them up nice enough so that even my wife and I would be happy moving in. Makes people appreciate the attention to detail and shows you care.
Great pics! -it's a cute house! I am familiar with the neighborhood as I viewed some houses over at Remington last summer.
Overall, I'd say unless competition dictates it, I'd replace only what is needed to make the house look fresh. If something looks good, work well, but is brass rather than nickel, I'd be tempted to leave it alone unless you have the budget to change everything in the house. I have seen many houses in your price range that still have brass finishes. Otherwise, once you start switching stuff out, it seems to never end. I made this mistake one time - never again
However, I would certainly pay attention to details that show off the cleanliness such as fresh paint, caulking, new bathroom floor covering, mid price range, etc. I'd keep the wood at the entrance but sand/refinish it.
I'd spruce up the outside by adding a new mailbox and post. I'd powerwash the driveway, and the house to get rid of dust, spider webs..etc. Not that I can see any, it's just makes a world of difference. I'd dig out that bush to the left of the car and replace it with something that is flowering & smaller. Then mulch, and trim back everything around the house. If the yard hasn't been edged in a while, I'd have that professionally done - i've found that really adds to the tidy look of a well kept yard.
As for the carpets, the house seems to get plenty of light so the dark carpet doesn't look out of place. I would still go with carpet in the living room and keep,but clean,what you have now if it's in good shape.
Agree with brentwood and Mike, no Berber or laminate. My realtor told me Berber is out, people are not liking to see it in homes now. I will say I looked at a house on Possum Track Rd months ago - it's still for sale! In fact, I made an offer on the house around the corner from it, that deal didn't not work out for me. But, the two houses were similar in style and price. The one I made an offer on had neutral carpet and hardwoods downstairs. The possum track house turned me off because it had cheap looking laminate on the first floor..it made the living room look cold. I wasn't willing to front the cost of getting the stuff out of their and replacing it with wood and carpet...for this reason, I felt the house was overpriced compared to the other home for sale.
The house is cute, and reminds me a lot of my Apex house - was it built by Pulte?
If you do wind up selling, I'd offer a 1-year home warranty. It can add peace of mind for a first-time home buyer and be a plus for your house compared to others. You might also have a HVAC tune-up if you haven't had one done - shows potential buyers that one of the pricier items is in good working order and well-maintained.
I wouldn't remove any of the landscaping - just trim it. Anything you replace it with would be a lot smaller and not fill the space as well.
I'm definitely going to spruce up the yard with some more seed, edging (I already did this last weekend - the pics are older), mow, mulch, and proper, professional pruning job on the bushes and trees. The prior owner spent quite a bit on very nice side and front yard landscaping, so all it needs is a little TLC and some mulch to look great. The pressure washing is very high on the priority list and I will try to clean the oil stains from the driveway (they were there when I bought the house) and make it look as new as possible.
Lots of fresh paint and caulking is planned. I think you guys and gals would like the carpet I picked at Lowes - its not the cheapest stuff by far, but its not super fancy either. I am not going with a solid color but more of a multi-color but still neutral type. I don't know the name of it.
I think I will replace the foyer "wood" (but I can't use thick stuff as the subfloor is too high) and vinyl in the bathrooms, but I don't know about the kitchen. I'm not too fond of the white vinyl, but it's in excellent condition with no rips or tears.
I'm still 50/50 on the fixtures and faucets. The sink is missing the rubber gasket that goes around the disposal so I may need to figure that out after I give it a good cleaning.
I would definitely offer a pre-paid 1-year warranty if the buyer asks for it in their contract, but I may also consider just adding it as you suggested. I can probably have my buddy tune up or inspect the HVAC and write up a report as well.
Lots of fresh paint and caulking is planned. I think you guys and gals would like the carpet I picked at Lowes - its not the cheapest stuff by far, but its not super fancy either. I am not going with a solid color but more of a multi-color but still neutral type. I don't know the name of it.
Is it slightly shaggy? That is very popular now. My parents recently had it put down in their home and my friend had it put down in their house they just built. It's light beige with slightly different colors in it.
As far as people dissing laminate I disagree with most of it. If you get the higher end laminate like we did it does NOT scratch or look fake. Also, if you get the good padding like we did it doesn't sound loud or hollow either. It can be slippery with socks on though, just like wood flooring. But since you are selling and not keeping it to rent, then carpet is cheaper so I would just stick with that.
I agree that the lower end laminate can look fake and have other issues. I would never suggest that to anyone, including a rental.
The house looks pretty good. Like everyone else said just clean it up, give a nice neutral paint job to freshen it up, new flooring the the bathrooms, and a nice carpet in the living areas. If you can find a nice affordable tile for the kitchen I would do that. And I would replace anything brass looking. It will set you apart from the other homes who still have it and new buyers will see it's one less thing they have to change. Good Luck!
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