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I grew up in a 70s house with a blue bathtub. The tub worked fine and did not need fixing when the house sold in 2003. Was it dated, yes? But it did not need fixing.
I don't think something that is dated is considered a fixer.
this is one of the problems with many agents; they think buyers have an endless supply of cash in the bank. people expect buyers to pay a premium for a fixer upper and then pay for all the work it needs?
I agree with this. It's ridiculous how many houses I see for sale that are not well maintained and dated yet it's priced 80K more than the recently renovated sold comps. I was just complaining about this in another thread.
I don't know what's wrong with these people. And they wonder why their home isn't selling and just sitting on the market for months on end lol.
IMO,
A fixer needs to be repaired before it is "livable" as in move in condition. Needing updating doesn't count for me as long as the house is in such condition you could move into it and live in it as it is.
Leaks, plumbing pipe issues, flooring coming up, siding in poor condition, broken windows, broken toilet and or sinks, are all things that pretty much have to be addressed with a house. An ugly kitchen is a livable kitchen even though it might not be nice to look at.
misplaced1, with that definition then a 1970 bathroom would never have to be replaced as long as it works. i don't think that is realistic. i do think that some sellers would love nothing more than to believe that "as long as it works", it doesn't have to be repaired/replaced (they don't have to spend money). but the reality is that unless u have a very desirable/unique property in a very desirable area, more often than not you are going to have to discount your price for that 1970 bathroom, whether it works or not.
the problem with these old kitchens and baths is not that they are ugly, it's that they are too small or leaky or rotting in places or no longer functional for 2009 living.
for example, you could use a blue bathtub from the 1970s but it may be rusty and or missing the stopper or too narrow. you could use a 1952 kitchen but it may have cabinet doors half-eaten by termites or insufficient lighting or no counter space.
those things work, but are no longer functional. thus, they need to be fixed ASAP.
the other stuff u mentioned would have to be fixed at inspection time or discounted from the price
misplaced1, with that definition then a 1970 bathroom would never have to be replaced as long as it works. i don't think that is realistic. i do think that some sellers would love nothing more than to believe that "as long as it works", it doesn't have to be repaired/replaced (they don't have to spend money). but the reality is that unless u have a very desirable/unique property in a very desirable area, more often than not you are going to have to discount your price for that 1970 bathroom, whether it works or not.
the problem with these old kitchens and baths is not that they are ugly, it's that they are too small or leaky or rotting in places or no longer functional for 2009 living.
for example, you could use a blue bathtub from the 1970s but it may be rusty and or missing the stopper or too narrow. you could use a 1952 kitchen but it may have cabinet doors half-eaten by termites or insufficient lighting or no counter space.
those things work, but are no longer functional. thus, they need to be fixed ASAP.
the other stuff u mentioned would have to be fixed at inspection time or discounted from the price
Ugly and "rotting, half-eaten by termites, rusty, leaky" are two different categories.
misplaced1, with that definition then a 1970 bathroom would never have to be replaced as long as it works. i don't think that is realistic. i do think that some sellers would love nothing more than to believe that "as long as it works", it doesn't have to be repaired/replaced (they don't have to spend money). but the reality is that unless u have a very desirable/unique property in a very desirable area, more often than not you are going to have to discount your price for that 1970 bathroom, whether it works or not.
the problem with these old kitchens and baths is not that they are ugly, it's that they are too small or leaky or rotting in places or no longer functional for 2009 living.
for example, you could use a blue bathtub from the 1970s but it may be rusty and or missing the stopper or too narrow. you could use a 1952 kitchen but it may have cabinet doors half-eaten by termites or insufficient lighting or no counter space.
those things work, but are no longer functional. thus, they need to be fixed ASAP.
the other stuff u mentioned would have to be fixed at inspection time or discounted from the price
I'm not saying the house doesn't need to be discounted. But I disagree that it HAS to be replaced. Have you ever lived in the same house for 20-30 years? I did. There was no need to replace the bathtub especially since it was well maintained. There was no rust or issues with the plumbing. I could understand if it was starting to fall apart but if it's still in good condition, it doesn't NEED to be replaced. If you lived in the same house for the next 30 years and kept everything in mint condition, you wouldn't be replacing the tub every 10 years just because it wasn't keeping up with the trends.
But I do agree sellers should NOT be expecting top dollar for their outdated home.
The word fix, to me, implies something is broken, torn or worn, and no longer functions the way it was meant to or should. Aesthetics have no bearing on this as they are in the eye of the beholder. Condition, quality, age, and functionality of systems can be debated as it has much to do with opinion. My home has old single pane windows, but the storms seal well the interior double hungs slide nicely and have minimal drafts - to me they are fine, but to some they would be considered sub-standard and unacceptable - my furnace is seriously over 60 yrs. old, but, it passes inspection, and my bills are typical for the area/size of my home.
I have seen many dated homes that people walk-out of saying "no way, too much work for me" while the next person walks in and says wow, this place is in great shape and move-in ready.
i still say that i cannot imagine that anyone would want a 1970 bathtub forever and that it would not turn off MOST buyers! and by the way, for the record, i am not a granite-stainless steel kind of person
let us compare the following homes, which are the same model, sq footage, approx. lot size etc.
House A
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/13208-Pleasantview-Ln_Fairfax_VA_22033_1113246820 (broken link)
House B
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/13112-Poplar-Tree-Rd_Fairfax_VA_22033_1112433331 (broken link)
I would argue that House A is a fixer upper, and House B is not
notice how House A is priced only 10k lower than House B, while House A clearly needs A LOT MORE THAN 10k in updates/repairs; it needs new kitchen, baths, electrical, lighting, and who knows what else
I would not say that either of those are fixers, but House B certainly would require more work to make it suit my taste. OMG, the paint in that house is very unappealing to me. Also, House B has a kitchen that I cringe to look at and I hate wood floors.
If I was looking to buy in that market in that price range House A would be my hands down choice.
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