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Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 05 10:26 am Post subject:

Unfortunately most people can't - If you'd watched all the crap TV that's been on in the last few years you'd have seen people walk into a lovely house with awful furniture and carpets and say "ugh what a horrible sofa" and walk out. A qucick lick of paint some cheap but modern furniture and they walk in, say how wonderful it it is and then offer the asking price.

You might have to bite the bullet if you want a sale or be prepared to drop your asking price. But don't spend ï¿½5K. Get a cheap one that looks good from B&Q or similar for about ï¿½1k and then a bit more for fitting and tiling etc.

Unless you get lucky with someone who is willing to take on a project or live YOUR lifestyle, most people want to pay their money, walk in and live THEIR lifestyle - and the norm is a conventional fitted kitchen. If you're not pushed for time you can hold on. if you need to make the sale soon you may have to do it.

I'm in an area with a lot of large 4 bedroom Victorian terraces. These only have one bathroom and when people try to sell, the 'where's the downstairs loo' question is often heard. Unfortunately they dont have one and retrofitting is difficult. A lot opf people expect at least two toilets in a house nowdays and new builds require them. Before I sell I might shell out for a small extension to provide a utility room and downstairs loo/shower room. I might not get my money back but I'll be the only one in the neighbourhood with such a thing and I'm guessing will sell quicker.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28239
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 05 10:34 am Post subject:
Some times you just have to play the game A lot of chrome is going in our bathroom. Anything I do to a house which is my only practical asset, has to be filtered through the fact it is my pension.

Bernie66

Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 05 10:36 am Post subject:

was rather hoping all of the TV from the last few years would put people in the mindset of being able to add value by buying without the modernisation already done. i don't think there are many intelligent buyers out there at ther moment-have had one couple come back for a second viewing only to then decide that the kitchen is too small-the measurements are on the estate agents spec and we did not make it any smaller in between viewings! Another couple put in an offer and then withdrew it on the same day- I found out later that they had seen another house later that day and changed their mind. These were the first two houses that they had seen and put offers in on both! They later retracted the second offer a few weeks later-i guess they had viewed another house they liked

Guest

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 05 10:40 am Post subject:

I'm with bernie666 on this one. I would have no intention of spending anything like that on a kitchen just to leave it for the next folk who will more than likely rip it out anyway. Now that's wasteful.
When we do move, we will be selling ourselves - no estate agents, etc, so can pitch the selling info at the type of people who would like out house (hopefully), the ground, etc, aim it at a specific market. We have someone who would buy it tomorrow if we moved.
As for the downstairs loo- we took ours out and mae a store room; we left the gubbins under the tiles so it can easily be re-connected if need be, but we don;t need it.
Why don't people live for themselves and for today, instead of worrying what other people's tastes are in case/for when they ahve to sell , etc. this way of thought has never appealed to me. We live our lives in our house ,now.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28239
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 05 10:41 am Post subject:

Bernie66 wrote:

I think people can get quite irrational when viewing houses, they want a result, and will in an emotional rush try and overlook problems

They then calm down and think straight.

Measurments can be deceptive. We have a pretty large kitchen measurement, but the it does not live up to that potential.

Bernie66

Joined: 14 Jan 2005
Posts: 13967
Location: Eastoft

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 05 10:48 am Post subject:

Trying to live by others peoples ideals or standards does not actually create happiness or peace, have given that up a long time ago. have seen too many people get into too many stressfull situations and too much debt.
Trying to keep up with Joneses is for those who don't think for themselves or have not got the strength of character to go their own way in life regardles of "public opinion". I try to justify the way i live to myself and my loved ones , not the nieghbours, work colleagues - or estate agents! It will sell, and when it does it will be for the right reason to the right person.

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 05 11:22 am Post subject:

That's fine if you are happy narrowing your market and are in no rush. It's fine to live in your house as you see fit and enjoy it. I've put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into turning a derelict wreck, that no-one could see the plus signs of, into a restored family home, to my tastes (which seems to involve lots of green and orange

) I'm about to spend a fortune restoring the Victorian tiled hall floor bacause I want to. I'll be loathed to move but know we will and when that decision has been made the house is no longer a home but a commodity and it will be prepared and displayed to meet the expectations of the broader market rather than my tastes, so out will come the magnolia paint, all my things will be off to the storage unit and I'll fit a cheap kitchen to make people feel happy with it when they walk throguh the door. Then it will sell quickly and I can move quickly to build my new home to my tastes.

The housing market is full of fools who make the purchase on the base of emotional feel of the property. You don't have to pander to their needs but you'll be slowing your sale or reducing your asking price.

And it is frustrating - becasue it is another indication of the trivial things that people give importance to.

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28239
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 05 12:02 pm Post subject:

Behemoth wrote:

when that decision has been made the house is no longer a home but a commodity and it will be prepared and displayed to meet the expectations of the broader market rather than my tastes, so out will come the magnolia paint, all my things will be off to the storage unit and I'll fit a cheap kitchen to make people feel happy with it when they walk throguh the door. Then it will sell quickly and I can move quickly to build my new home to my tastes.

The housing market is full of fools who make the purchase on the base of emotional feel of the property. You don't have to pander to their needs but you'll be slowing your sale or reducing your asking price.

And it is frustrating - becasue it is another indication of the trivial things that people give importance to.

Exactly, unless money is of no relevence to you, you have to live with what people expect. I have myself rejected some houses, as the owners have taken eccentric design decisions. Whilst I believe I am capable of seeing past someone choice in decor. I don't like to see the need for renovation because of their choices.
As such when I am renovating here, I have an eye on the future. Of course it may depend on how long you are planning on staying put.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 05 6:36 pm Post subject:

I think a lot of people do lack imagination when they view houses - they want to it as their potential home, not your current one - hence the cutting out the clutter and paint it magnolia programmes.

Having said that, as we have renovated our house, and are about to sell it (hopefully) at a profit, this is clearly to our advantage! I tend to do things as I want them - other people can always change them if they don't like them. Before we decided to sell we did hit the dilemma of whether to fit a new kitchen - would we get 5K worth of pleasure out of it before we sold up (it has never been intended to be a permanent house) I think you have to look at a balance of what it is worth to you to live how you want, and what it does to the value of the house. There's probably a programme about it on BBC2 sometime!

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28239
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 05 7:02 pm Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

I think you have to look at a balance of what it is worth to you to live how you want, and what it does to the value of the house. There's probably a programme about it on BBC2 sometime!

Exactly, it is a balance. I considered serious rebuilding of our house, to create a massive kitchen. But it was never ever going to be a sane move, if you have to consider your house to be an asset. So I quickly dumped that idea.

moggins

Joined: 24 Feb 2005
Posts: 942
Location: Gloucester

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 05 7:06 pm Post subject:
I'd like a kitchen that covered the whole ground floor, shame the one I have is only 9' x 6'

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28239
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 05 7:08 pm Post subject:

moggins wrote:

I'd like a kitchen that covered the whole ground floor, shame the one I have is only 9' x 6'

I'd hate that

We have 10' x 25' i'd guess, but that sounds better than it actually is, as there are 5 doors mucking it up.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 05 7:27 pm Post subject:

I'd almost like it - at the moment we have a small kitchen, but it's open plan to the 'dining room' which has the kitchen table, a sofa bed in it (that was supposed to go upstairs, but wouldn't fit up them), the woodburner and my rocking chair in - we almost always sit in there now, and its exactly what I'll be creating in the next house we have (with the addition of a pantry, so we don't have to have any of those hated wall units!)

The only reason I want a lounge is for the telly to go in, so I don't have to listen to the noisy stuff himself watched of an evening!

jema
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 28239
Location: escaped from Swindon

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 05 7:35 pm Post subject:
The kitchen is going to be key when we move. I really fancy a giant kitchen with a separate cool pantry.

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 05 9:20 pm Post subject:

moggins wrote:

I'd like a kitchen that covered the whole ground floor, shame the one I have is only 9' x 6'

We designed our house round the kitchen. 3/4 of the entire downstairs is an open plan kitchen/dining room/family room with fireplace and log burner.

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