semi-hypothetical home question

[earlyre]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit


Is there a reason why your brother doesn't take the initiative and do the work himself? Is he handicapped?



nope, fully able bodied.
as i stated originally, everything in the house works, and its "good enough" for him.

he's very much the type that without some sort of hard deadline, he'll get to things on HIS schedule, not anyone else's.

 

[Bladecutter]

For the type of home owner your brother is, he should simply start with putting the house on sale as is, but as empty as possible, so that visitors are able to see the house empty.

If anything, fresh paint, white, in every room.
That's not too expensive, and anyone can paint a room.

If he doesn't get any offers in the first two weeks, then he should think about what changes should be made in order to make it slightly more appealing, that won't cost a lot of money, and would be very easy to install.

Number one and number two on the list should be the Oven and the Dishwasher.
If those are still the original 1970's era pieces, just replacing those, even with the cheapest units you can find at Best Buy, will be a huge improvement. Combined with fresh paint on the walls, will have people thinking that they only need to freshen up the counters and the cabinets, which is usually easier for people to swallow, and then put off indefinitely.

If he can swing a new sink and faucet for the kitchen, that will go a long way too.
In fact, if he can swap out the faucets in all the bathrooms, that's well worth the investment.

Now, if he has one or two rooms with really old, well worn carpet, that's worth replacing also. People can't stand old carpet, that looks dingy. If he can't replace it, pay someone to clean it really, really well.

As for the furnace and a/c, he should have someone come inspect it now, and service it.
This way he can show prospective buyers, and their inspectors, that it's been inspected, serviced, and is in acceptable condition. No one wants to buy a house in Texas, and have the a/c system break.

So, in order:

Fresh Paint
New Range
New Dishwasher
New Kitchen Sink/faucet
New bathroom faucets
New/Clean carpets
Recently serviced A/C and Furnace

BC.

 

[earlyre]

Originally Posted By: Bladecutter
For the type of home owner your brother is, he should simply start with putting the house on sale as is, but as empty as possible, so that visitors are able to see the house empty.

If anything, fresh paint, white, in every room.
That's not too expensive, and anyone can paint a room.

If he doesn't get any offers in the first two weeks, then he should think about what changes should be made in order to make it slightly more appealing, that won't cost a lot of money, and would be very easy to install.

Number one and number two on the list should be the Oven and the Dishwasher.
If those are still the original 1970's era pieces, just replacing those, even with the cheapest units you can find at Best Buy, will be a huge improvement. Combined with fresh paint on the walls, will have people thinking that they only need to freshen up the counters and the cabinets, which is usually easier for people to swallow, and then put off indefinitely.

If he can swing a new sink and faucet for the kitchen, that will go a long way too.
In fact, if he can swap out the faucets in all the bathrooms, that's well worth the investment.

Now, if he has one or two rooms with really old, well worn carpet, that's worth replacing also. People can't stand old carpet, that looks dingy. If he can't replace it, pay someone to clean it really, really well.

As for the furnace and a/c, he should have someone come inspect it now, and service it.
This way he can show prospective buyers, and their inspectors, that it's been inspected, serviced, and is in acceptable condition. No one wants to buy a house in Texas, and have the a/c system break.

So, in order:

Fresh Paint
New Range
New Dishwasher
New Kitchen Sink/faucet
New bathroom faucets
New/Clean carpets
Recently serviced A/C and Furnace

BC.


can't disagree with any of it, only Monkey wrench being its a Wall oven and cooktop, not a standalone range.

and keep in mind folks, this ain't going on the market tomorrow, this is "sometime in the next year or two", and when it does, it'll be because he's Moved 1100 mi away.

still has to get a couple certifications, find a Job/house up here,sell/transport all his stuff,etc

 

[datech]

This is a good opportunity for him to do those things that don't require high skills but a bit of time and effort.

If the area is up and coming it might be a good house to update. If not it needs to be presentable enough to make it palatable.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

update the mechanicals only?

 

[rjundi]

If the house does not sell in 30 days lower the price drastically. Remember the next buyer not only has to expend $40k for the updates but also endure the PITA of renovations.

I don't really understand the idea of a lower selling price since your brother consumed this house and used it up.

 

[bustednutz]

Home is paid off correct?
Do the updates and sell it for the proper price the market will bring for one in nice condition.
Dont go overboard with high end materials. Just make it fresh and new on a modest budget. You'll recoup approx 80% of what it cost you to do. The 20% you don't get back is far less then one years worth of mortgage interest alone. That is of course if he still were to have a mortgage. If its been paid off for several years this is a no brainer.

 

[Bladecutter]

Originally Posted By: earlyre
can't disagree with any of it, only Monkey wrench being its a Wall oven and cooktop, not a standalone range.

and keep in mind folks, this ain't going on the market tomorrow, this is "sometime in the next year or two", and when it does, it'll be because he's Moved 1100 mi away.

still has to get a couple certifications, find a Job/house up here,sell/transport all his stuff,etc


Makes it easier, actually.
Updating the cooktop is a cinch, and replacing a wall oven isn't that difficult.
Seeing the two pieces replaced with new units will be a great visual for the potential buyers.
And you brother can do them one piece at a time over the next year or three.

With time being on his side, there's no reason to not do the work as he empties the house out. He can then have a perfect house for viewing at any time, since he's not around, the place is empty of all belongings, and there's no restrictions on when a prospect can view it.

BC.