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Should we tell potential buyers we renovated the house ourselves or should we avoid telling them?
Here's before and after pictures.
I'm not a fan of the microwave over the stove, looks too claustrophobic, also the drawer pulls on the false front under the sink look odd and don't match the rest of them. Overall I like the backsplash and the countertop, not too crazy about the cabinet colors because dark makes a small area looks smaller, but it's fine , and it's better than my outdated kitchen. I also think moving the stove away from the sink was a smart move aesthetically.
Last edited by LifeIsGood01; 11-21-2016 at 08:37 AM..
This was clearly DIY because of the "refinishing" on the (second hand?) cabinets. Or they were new RTA cabinets unfinished? IDK but the cabinet doors not closing and the uneven sheen on all of the cabinets will have buyers ripping those out in a heartbeat. Using base cabinets with doors instead of drawers is also not something a professional would do these days. Those giant upper cabinet style handles on the lowers will catch your pants and knock your knees, also not seen in professional design work. However the low end flipper in my neighborhood slaps them everywhere.
Well, the person who brought it up even admitted that it could be the picture angle. Actually, I've been staring at that picture and still can't see how that could be seen as sloped.
One of the reasons you use a realtor is so you don't have to talk directly to to people buying your house.
It's possible everything you discussed didnt even need to be permitted. Every city ordinance in every city, in every state is different as to what needs to be permitted. You would need to get a copy of "your" cities ordinances or permit application. Don't tell the office where you live.
PS. One town I lived in wanted a permit for anything over $1,000 value. Rarely anyone bothered.
Most of the houses I looked at when I was buying had unpermitted work. As part of my research, I'd look up what permits were pulled, and most of the time not a whole lot were pulled for various improvements on the house. It was actually common enough that I took it as the norm. Most was done well, some of it was obviously wrong. Being a former contractor and electrician, it was pretty easy to pick apart some of the remodels for things that were done incorrectly.
I'm not saying it's right to do so, but if you were to ask me, I'd say it's common enough. However, if I saw something blatently wrong, I'd want to fix it. I would ask if a permit was pulled, and upon hearing no, I'd want a credit to fix what was wrong. Some examples of things I saw were no GFCI's in a bathroom, a partially finished basement wired with electrical cords, a bathroom remodel with no exhaust fan (and one with the exhaust fan venting into the attic). I'm going to need to fix these, and something that gives me a stronger point to argue from is the fact that permits weren't pulled.
In my own home, there are certain things I would get a permit for. New gas line, yup. Installing a 200A main panel? yup. Adding an outlet? Nah. Replacing a toilet? Nah
Last edited by BostonMike7; 11-21-2016 at 11:13 AM..
Who cares who built it. If it looks good and the inspection does not show any problems then you are fine. If your work was shabby it will show. If it is professional looking it will show. Pictures do not always show how the job was done. A seller that looks at the home will know though.
Ask yourself, would you rather buy a flip where the flipper made it look good but might not have gone to that extra level because they did not have an emotional attachment to the home? In both cases the job might look good but who knows what is on the other side of the wall. I have a tendency to think that most home owners will go the extra mile and most flippers will make it look good and walk.
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