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We started planning for our move 5 years earlier. Instead of waiting we started doing updates to our 35+ yr old house early. Replaced the kitchen with stock cupboards, did it ourselves and it cost us under $2500. Did granite 12" tiles for the counter top, cost us less then $1 a piece, replaced all appliances with stainless steel, and replaced the linolium with laminate wood floors again did it ourselves. Took out the wall seperating the formal dining room from the kitchen. Total spent under $7,000 for the entire kitchen. Also updated all the bathrooms by putting in tile floors, painting or replacing vanities, new faucets, lights. Put in new carpeting, removed wallpaper and painted everyroom, new windows, roof, furnace. Got rid of tired looking drapery, bedding and floor rugs. Decluttered everywhere. Put our house on the market for less then the realtor suggested and sold in 21 days for asking price. It was a lot of work, we didn't go overboard on spending for the improvements, and we were able to enjoy some of the updates for a few years before we sold.
Not everyone understands room sizes ... depending on how the room and doorways are situated, a longer/narrower room will look larger than a shorter/wider room.
Some folks may be looking for a house that's turnkey, and old worn carpeting is a major turnoff. Likewise, some will look at the carpet and wonder what other deferred maintenance the house suffers from. Offering a credit with the full offer is one way to factor for it, but it's still no assurance that buyers will understand to look the other way.
Not only that, but it's hard to arrange time off of work to sit around your house as paid-by-the-hour workers remodel the thing. I have plenty of weekdays off (thankfully), but it was still a major PITA. I can't imagine if I had M-F 9 to 5 hours. How would you ever get it done?
Not only that, but it's hard to arrange time off of work to sit around your house as paid-by-the-hour workers remodel the thing. I have plenty of weekdays off (thankfully), but it was still a major PITA. I can't imagine if I had M-F 9 to 5 hours. How would you ever get it done?
Since I do have a day job, I get my remodeling done the only way I can ... by myself when I get home. Granted, I have the ability to do so too. Diverging on the topic, it's not just the cost aspect, but whether it's done correctly. Nothing is worse than paying someone to do a job, then having to fix it yourself afterwards because the job wasn't done well.
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