If you were buying a house...

In My Humble Opinion
1

… how much would it matter if the garage door didn’t have an automatic opener?

… how much would the color of the interior walls matter?

… would a fireplace be a plus or a minus?

… would an eat-in kitchen, in the form of stools around the island, be a plus or minus?

… would the lack of a whirlpool tub in the master bathroom be a plus or minus?

… would a home in a neighborhood with a mandatory association be a plus or minus?

… would a major-appliance warrantee with a $100 dedictible be a plus or minus? (any appliance that fails within a year would be replaced for $100)

… would having a washer and dryer included affect your decision?

I’ll be putting my house on the market after the first of the year and apart from decluttering it, I need to consider features I should emphasize in the listing, add to the house, or just ignore. Bear in mind, almost anything is negotiable. But if you walked through a house, what of the above would you consider to be a dealbreaker? Or anything else I haven’t considered. Thanks.

2

– Garage door opener - not a big deal. If the buyer wants one, they can easily install one themselves
– Color of walls: pretty important. Lots of folks aren’t into “fixer-uppers”, so I’d re-paint with basic, clean colors if you need to
– Fireplace - pretty standard, but in my neck of the wood they aren’t used much
– Eat-in kitchen: definite plus
– Whirlpool tub: have one, think they’re a little over-rated. Not a big minus if you don’t own one
– Homeowner association - plus, because neighborhoods with one tend to be kept up more nicely
– Warrantee - standard, but not a deal-buster
– Washer/dryer: most homeowners have their own.

So, I believe the only item on your list I would consider a “deal breaker” would be the wall paint - we just purchased a new home, and one of the reasons we chose the house was that it had a clean, classic paint job, one that would compliment any furniture style. Having said that, some buyers really enjoy re-decorating.

Good luck!

3

… how much would it matter if the garage door didn’t have an automatic opener?

I don’t even have a driveway, let alone a garage, so not at all.

… how much would the color of the interior walls matter?

As long as it’s painted, not much. The living room was freshly painted when I saw this house – yellow, which I knew I would change. I’d stay away from anything too “weird,” like cobalt blue – if you’re going to paint, go for off-white.

… would a fireplace be a plus or a minus?

a plus

… would an eat-in kitchen, in the form of stools around the island, be a plus or minus?

a plus. I have a huge kitchen, which is nice, even though I don’t cook much – it’s nice to have froom for people to hang out when I have people over.

… would the lack of a whirlpool tub in the master bathroom be a plus or minus?

a plus, but I’m a bath kinda gal, which is apparently unusual

… would a home in a neighborhood with a mandatory association be a plus or minus?

for me, a minus – I like to hang out my laundry, have goofy statues in my garden, etc.

… would a major-appliance warrantee with a $100 dedictible be a plus or minus? (any appliance that fails within a year would be replaced for $100)

a plus, but not a deal-breaker if you didn’t have it.

… would having a washer and dryer included affect your decision?

wouldn’t be a deal-breaker if you didn’t have it – but it would be good to know where the hook-up could go easily (water lines, 220, etc.)

4

froom?!?!?!??! shoulda previewed.

5

Wouldn’t matter at all.

Wouldn’t matter at all.

Depends on where you live. Is it an open fireplace or is there an insert? Some places have pretty bad air pollution and burning wood in a fireplace just adds to it.

Plus

Neutral

Minus

Neutral

Yes. That would be a big plus, especially if I were coming from a rental where I probably did not have my own.

None of the above would be either a dealbreaker (or maker). I would be more interested in the amount of workspace in the garage, the maturity of the landscaping, patio or deck, working sprinkler system, etc. Mrs. Gaffer would be evaluating the interior.

6

… how much would it matter if the garage door didn’t have an automatic opener?

Not much.

… how much would the color of the interior walls matter?

Quite a bit if they were all different, or all the same but a really nasty color. “Nasty Color” is pretty subjective so something neutral is probably the best choice.

… would a fireplace be a plus or a minus?

For me - neutral.

… would an eat-in kitchen, in the form of stools around the island, be a plus or minus?

Big plus - this sounds nice.

… would the lack of a whirlpool tub in the master bathroom be a plus or minus?

Big minus - this is one of my favorite features of my current home and I paid big money for it.

… would a home in a neighborhood with a mandatory association be a plus or minus?

Minus - but I like to be left alone.

… would a major-appliance warrantee with a $100 dedictible be a plus or minus? (any appliance that fails within a year would be replaced for $100)

Big plus.

… would having a washer and dryer included affect your decision?

Yep - washer/dryer = plus, assuming they’re in decent shape. If they were crap they wouldn’t affect the buying decision, but I would deduct the purchase price of them from my assessment of what I would pay for the place - I would want to replace them.

I’ll be putting my house on the market after the first of the year and apart from decluttering it, I need to consider features I should emphasize in the listing, add to the house, or just ignore. Bear in mind, almost anything is negotiable. But if you walked through a house, what of the above would you consider to be a dealbreaker? Or anything else I haven’t considered. Thanks.

Well, cleanliness is #1 on my list - as are odors. Any smoke odors or odd cooking odors would be a deal breaker.

The quality of the appliances would be a big thing for me - if they were new and nice I would feel much more favorable about the place.

Most important is the kitchen - I’m a cook - if the kitchen is dark, or dingy looking that would be a deal breaker.

7

Garage door opener wouldn’t matter to me. A roll up door versus a solid lift up door would.
Fireplace is good…insert even better.
warentees …not a deal buster
interior paint should be bright/nuetral colors.

Things to do …Get rid of clutter. Even if you have to store your stuff in a storage place. Make the place look open/clean.
Make the front of the house look great…not just good…Make the front entrance inviting. Mow the lawn, trim the edges,pull the weeds. Water and fertilize it so it looks healthy. Plant flowers. Wash the windows, sweep the walk. Does that wind chime really belong there? Does the driveway need a new sealer coat? A lot is decided before the buyers even get out of thier cars.
If there a lot of school age kids in your area show the house when they are in school. Is there a good school in your area. Stress that to those buyers with kids.

8

how much would it matter if the garage door didn’t have an automatic opener? minus, only because I have one now and I’m used to it

… how much would the color of the interior walls matter? depends on the color

… would a fireplace be a plus or a minus? minus

… would an eat-in kitchen, in the form of stools around the island, be a plus or minus? how big is the kitchen? Do the chairs around the island impede traffic flow?

… would the lack of a whirlpool tub in the master bathroom be a plus or minus? neither plus nor minus

… would a home in a neighborhood with a mandatory association be a plus or minus? HUGE MINUS

… would a major-appliance warrantee with a $100 dedictible be a plus or minus? (any appliance that fails within a year would be replaced for $100) plus

… would having a washer and dryer included affect your decision? as in I have them now, or you’re providing them? I’d be more concerned that there was a fridge

I’ll be putting my house on the market after the first of the year and apart from decluttering it, I need to consider features I should emphasize in the listing, add to the house, or just ignore. Bear in mind, almost anything is negotiable. But if you walked through a house, what of the above would you consider to be a dealbreaker? Or anything else I haven’t considered. Thanks.

for me, the deal breaker is the HOA. YMMV, of course

Good luck in selling the house!

9

Garage door openers cost around $200-300 or so, and as long as the door itself works OK, are fairly easy to install. So, it’d be nice to have one, but otherwise, it’d be on the list of small projects to do later on.

Whirlpool tub - If I can fit into it (most tubs are too short for me) it’d probably be a plus, but if I had to fold myself to get into it, it’d be a big fat minus. Not a dealbreaker, but it would be the first thing the sledgehammer hits in a remodel.

Washer and dryer would be a huge plus to someone coming from a rental. Might be an “extra” (as in “What will I do with two washers and dryers?”) for someone moving from a house.

An HOA would be a deal-breaker, or at least a serious drawback. As a category, they have too many obscure rules governing what you can do with your own house. Want to paint it blue? Sorry, the approved colors are white, pale yellow and pale tan. Clothesline in the back yard? Expect a nastygram from the HOA attorney.

Kitchen appliances - “Gourmet” or otherwise upscale quality is certainly a plus. If ordinary, are they at least all immaculately clean and in perfect condition? The $100 warranty is nice, but wouldn’t really sway me either way.

What I’d really be looking for is the “bones” of the house - how old is the roof? Any warranty remaining on it? The wiring - fuses or breakers, 30, 100, 200 or more amps? Copper or aluminum wire? Plumbing - all copper, or a mishmash of steel, copper, PVC, etc? Is the water heater new or is it 15 years old? Any mold or rot in the roof structure from bygone (or active!) leaks? The furnace - in good shape or threatening to die next month?

10

*Originally posted by FairyChatMom *
**… how much would it matter if the garage door didn’t have an automatic opener?

** About 400 bucks off your purchase price. Some realtors may even whack off a full thousand just to coax the buyer in. Its better to buy a simple 150 dollar garage door opener and point out ithat is brand new. Now you can bump up your price by the same amounts above.
**

… how much would the color of the interior walls matter?

**White sells the best. It makes the interiors look bigger, more receptive, brighter and cleaner.
**
… would a fireplace be a plus or a minus?
** it depends if the buyer is looking for one or not
**
… would an eat-in kitchen, in the form of stools around the island, be a plus or minus?
**anything that makes the home look warm and showroom like is a plus.
**
… would the lack of a whirlpool tub in the master bathroom be a plus or minus?
** I dunno about you but whirlpool tubs are not a standard in every home (if Im thinking correct about what a whirlpoof tub is…) having one is a plus. Not having one is not a minus.
**
… would a home in a neighborhood with a mandatory association be a plus or minus?
** It depends on the buyer and what the obvious improvement the association provides the neighborhood. If the neighborhood looks just the same as another neighborhood without an association, then is a big minus. If its perfectly obvious that the association keeps the neighborhood pristine and well maintained then is a plus to some buyers. Most buyers arent used to associations tho.
**
… would a major-appliance warrantee with a $100 dedictible be a plus or minus? (any appliance that fails within a year would be replaced for $100)
**Its a big selling gimmick. I got one when I bought my house and it was a nifty thing to have to persuade buyers that the appliances are in proper working order or they will fix it.
**
… would having a washer and dryer included affect your decision?

** Yes indeedy. Big plus. Most dont want to hassle buying new appliances right after they scraped every penny to swing the home loan.
**

…if you walked through a house, what of the above would you consider to be a dealbreaker? Or anything else I haven’t considered. Thanks. **
Deal breaker? Location location location. :cool:

Point out the schools and the school district, If its good. Emphsize how convenient it is to get to a supermarket, restaurant, movie, park and how quiet the neighborhood is. No grafitti, no gangs, not even a drive-by swear word. If you have a view show it off. If not, emphasize coziness and privacy.

Have the roof checked for any leaks. Certify every appliance as well maintained. Check air conditioning and central heating and the ducts. Have termite inspection. Maintain the front lawn. Repainting the exterior is a great investment and cheap if you do it yourself. Have a professional clean your house before showing it off (in case you want an open house)

11

… how much would it matter if the garage door didn’t have an automatic opener?
Not much, but if you can afford it I’d advise you to put one in.

… how much would the color of the interior walls matter?
Depends. Are they bright pink? That’s bad. Soft colors or beiges? I’ll live. How smudgy or banged-up are the walls, is my concern…

… would a fireplace be a plus or a minus?
A plus, as long as it doesn’t have an enormous, ugly surround.

… would an eat-in kitchen, in the form of stools around the island, be a plus or minus?
Don’t care.

… would the lack of a whirlpool tub in the master bathroom be a plus or minus?
Minus, as I would have to clean it more often than I would actually use it. I shower to destress.

… would a home in a neighborhood with a mandatory association be a plus or minus?
I think minus. I like my clothesline and my pale green house, and being able to plant or cut down whatever trees I want.

… would a major-appliance warrantee with a $100 dedictible be a plus or minus? (any appliance that fails within a year would be replaced for $100)
Well, our house came with something like that for the first year, and we wound up saving a ton of money–the bedroom ceiling fan and the oven and the toilet all broke.

… would having a washer and dryer included affect your decision?
Are they nice, or ratty and old? If they’re old, I’d rather keep my own, so I’ll just have to throw yours out. If they’re nice–hey, we need a new washer anyway!

12

I suppose I could offer the specifics of my house and why I asked the questions.

It was built in May/June 2000 and we’re the original owners. Builder’s appliances are Kenmore <yawn> and we’ll be leaving a big GE side-by-side fridge with ice/water in the door. First thing we did to the house was add the island over a 36" base cabinet with slide out shelves (it’s a great cabinet) as well as 60" of base and wall cabinets. Otherwise, the kitchen would barely have qualified as a “starter” We also added 60" of wall cabinets over the washer/dryer which could stay or go with our daughter - I think I’ll let the buyer ask for them to be left.

No garage door opener because we have a trailer we have to store in the garage, so there’s no room for a car. However, it is wired for the opener.

Wall colors in the common areas are pale - green in the dining room, slightly darker green in entry and living room, cream in the kitchen, cream wallpaper over blue in office. Daughter’s bedroom is a bright light green, and the third bedroom is periwinkle (it’s small enough that I can paint it if I have to. Master bedroom is dark garnet. Much as I love that color, I may go ahead and paint it lighter.

There is no fireplace or whirlpool tub. Most of the other houses in the neighborhood have them, but we didn’t want them. There’s a huge shower and 2 sinks in the master bath, and a regular tub/shower combo in the other bath.

Neighborhood association dues are $50/year and their biggest concern is that everyone takes care of their lawn and takes in their garbage cans after trash day. The schools here are decent, and we’re convenient to all kinds of shopping, but we back on to a conservation area, so no one will ever build in the woods behind us. We also have a basement, which is rare in Florida, configured as a workshop. And it’s got its own 100A service down there.

We’ve done some landscaping that’s been admired by the neighbors, and we’ve got a weed-n-feed service so the lawn is looking good.

So the dark bedroom might be a killer here?

13

Are you remodeling or something?

None of these listed things are dealbreakers and to be honest, are fairly trivial as far as remodeling is concerned. The only thing that comes close would be the fireplace. If you have hardwood floors, list that (I dig them). Dealbreakers to me would be # of bathrooms/bedroom ratio, storage (unless it’s easy to remedy w/ new cabinets), and of course price and location.

14

Not much. Our house didn’t have one when we bought it. We didn’t think this was a big deal…after all, our apartment garage didn’t have one, either. However, when we discovered after closing that the guy who owned the house had lost the exterior key for the garage twenty years ago and you had to run inside the house and lock or unlock the garage from the inside every time…well, that got very old very fast, and we installed an automatic opener. It wasn’t a big deal to do that…I can’t imagine why he didn’t at least have a new key made, though!

**

Not a lot, especially if the colors are fairly neutral or up-to-date. Painting is pretty easy if you hate the colors. Ugly wallpaper would be more of a turnoff, though.

**

Definite plus.

**

I’d say that’s a plus, too. Your house sounds a lot like mine!

We looked at a lot of houses, especially of the story-and-a-half variety, that didn’t seem to have any place to eat at all, which was a definite turn-off! Most of the homeowners had converted one of the bedrooms into a dining area, or had a tiny, tiny table in a corner somewhere. Not good for us.

**

A whirlpool tub would be nice, but it’s not a necessity. I guess it depends on your neighborhood…if everyone else has whirlpool tubs, it could be a minus, but if few people have them, then buyers aren’t expecting them, either.

**

It would be a minus for me. I guess it’s because I’ve heard too many horror stories about nitpicky associations. I don’t want to have to hide an older (but still registered and running) car all the time, or freak out because life’s gotten in the way and the grass has needed mowing for a day or two, or check with someone before I paint my house a certain color.

**

I’d say that’s a plus, especially if the appliances are older.

**

It might, especially since, in our area, all appliances are generally included, including washer and dryer. A first time home buyer would see a house without a washer and dryer as just one more thing he/she has to buy.

I guess the only deal-breaker for me would be the association, unfortunately. Some people prefer them, I guess, but I bought a house for the freedom to do what I want. If I want a lawn gnome (or whatever), then dammit, I’m going to have one!

I think we got a good deal on our house because it did not have a lot of the “luxuries” common to other houses in our neighborhood…things like the garage door opener and central air conditioning. That, and while the house was in good shape (well, some of the carpet, etc. is a bit outdated, and the ceilings were dingy, but it was structurally sound) and big compared to the others we’d seen, the yard was an absolute mess! I think that those things were deal-breakers to people looking at other houses this size, but not to us, because we’d been looking at so many smaller and older houses which had those disadvantages anyway. Our realtor said that they could have gotten at least $20,000 more if they had just repainted the ceilings. We did repaint the ceilings, and I think he was right!

So, set your price right and someone will buy. However, there might be some simple things you can do to make your house sell for more. If every house in your neighborhood has a garage door opener and central air, you might want to either install that or lower your price.

15

  1. GDO? Who need it? inexpensive for a new one and the older models aren’t all that safe

  2. Paint? Moot. Come up with your own color scheme. Unless its a new paint job you’ll see the old picture frame marks anyway & painting is the easiest DIY homeowner project

3a. Wood FP: A minus…novelty that wears off quickly
3B. Gas FP: Efficient and convenient. A Big plus
3c. Electric FP: Even though improved over the years, they still look fake

  1. Islands are nice…booths are much nicer and more intimate and cozier.

  2. Thats a soft spot for me. I love em so much got an indoor and outdoor model. Huge Plus. I call it Western Yoga

  3. You mean retired Busybodies?

  4. Warranty. Not a deal breaker, but I’m the type who says, “if you mention purchase of an extended warranty just once, I walkin” at the electronics store counter.

  5. Unless W&D set are Super Heavy Duty Plus Capacity, no. Don’t you want one of those cool laundromat style washers that use 40% less water anyway?

If prospective buyers hem & haw, use the old Real-estate agent pitch:

"Come on Mr and Mrs Jones, we’re squabbling over $500 here. That’ll add what - $2 a month to your monthly mortgage payment?

16

… how much would it matter if the garage door didn’t have an automatic opener?

Not that much.

… how much would the color of the interior walls matter?

Quite a lot, as it’s a large expense to repaint the whole house.

… would a fireplace be a plus or a minus?

To me, living in an area that doesn’t get too cold, it’d be an inconvenient waste of space, but YMMV of course – I don’t know the climate of your hometown.

… would an eat-in kitchen, in the form of stools around the island, be a plus or minus?

Sounds like more of a plus.

… would the lack of a whirlpool tub in the master bathroom be a plus or minus?

Not a consideration.

… would a home in a neighborhood with a mandatory association be a plus or minus?

A minus.

*… would a major-appliance warrantee with a $100 dedictible be a plus or minus? (any appliance that fails within a year would be replaced for $100)

… would having a washer and dryer included affect your decision?*

The above two would be a minor plus, I think.

Both shabba and X~Slayer (ALE) make good points. A good way to emphasise the spacious nature of your home is to put some of your bulkier furniture in storage before showing people round. It’s then easier for them to imagine that space with their stuff in it.

A couple of tricks which have been around a while but still seem to work: fresh flowers noticeable when you walk in the front door, and the smell of fresh bread and/or coffee in the kitchen.

Having bought my first home two years ago, I’ve not got much experience, but my priority list of potential deal-breakers was:

  1. location: quiet, close to work/shops, ‘protected’ zoning (no high rises going up around here).

  2. Full-site – not having to share a driveway or lawn. Decent sized section, with privacy (high hedge/walls), good car storage (double garage) and enough garden to be enjoyable without too much maintenance.

  3. Well-built property with no repairs or redecoration needed for at least two years.

  4. Size and number of rooms and storage.

Best of luck with selling!

17

You have a basement in a non-basement area? I’d buy it. I want a basement so much…

18

Kenmore may not be sexy, but they’re reliable. I don’t see a problem there. But, around here, anyways, anything “permanently” affixed to a wall, like cabinets is assumed to be part of the house. This doesn’t apply to little stuff like paintings or knick-knack shelves, but if you show the house with those cabinets in place, I suspect most people are going to assume they’ll be there when they move in. You might want to check with your realtor on that one. It may be different in Florida, but you don’t need a law suit on top of the hassle of moving.

I’d leave the master bedroom as is, at least for a couple weeks, and see how it’s received. Jewel-tones are VERY popular, right now. You can always paint it later, if it seems to be an issue.

The lack of ANY kind of tub in the master bath is an issue, IMO. The whole point of a master bath is to eliminate the need to use the other bathroom. And, a lot of women consider bathtubs extremely important.

All of that sounds great, except the association. They may be fine now, but there’s no predicting when they’re going to go nuts and ban something you really care about. Any association would be a big minus, for me, as well.

I also think it’s bizarre that fireplaces are even offered as options, in Florida. Yes, I know it gets cold there, about once every five or ten years. But, fireplaces take up a lot of space, and require a lot of work, and most people don’t even use them up here. So, not having one is a plus, in my book.

19

… how much would it matter if the garage door didn’t have an automatic opener?

It would be a minus but not a huge one.

… how much would the color of the interior walls matter?

Not too much, they could always be repainted. I’d be happy to walk into a house and see the walls painted oh, antique white, though.

… would a fireplace be a plus or a minus?

Minus. I don’t want one and I don’t want to pay extra on the homeowner’s insurance. However, if it was a house I couldn’t live without I could deal with it.

… would an eat-in kitchen, in the form of stools around the island, be a plus or minus?

HUGE plus!

… would the lack of a whirlpool tub in the master bathroom be a plus or minus?

Hmm. How big is the tub otherwise? I don’t need a whirlpool but I’d like a big oval-shaped one. But nah. Doesn’t matter all that much either way.

… would a home in a neighborhood with a mandatory association be a plus or minus?

Huge, enormous minus, probably enough to make me decide to not buy the house. I don’t mind the idea of them (can’t blame anyone for wanting to live in a nice neighborhood) but I’ve watched my cousin’s HOA and boy are they some anal retentive dickheads. MrSnoopy hates loathes despises HA’s so that would probably be the deal breaker. I don’t like the idea of a bunch of uptight property owners telling me what color I can and can’t paint my shutters, or mowing my lawn FOR me if my grass gets 1/4 inch taller than their standards. Screw that! If I were looking at a house in a HOA it would have to be my absolute frickin dream house AND on the market for a steal for me to seriously consider buying it.

… would a major-appliance warrantee with a $100 dedictible be a plus or minus? (any appliance that fails within a year would be replaced for $100)

That’d be a plus, sure.

… would having a washer and dryer included affect your decision?

That’s a plus but wouldn’t affect my decision either way.

20

Slightly, but I was opening my parents’ garage door by hand for twenty years, so I’m used to it. Nice to have, but not critical.

Zilch, since I’ll repaint them as soon as the deal’s done. But clean walls would be nice to look at while shopping.

Never used one, don’t care either way.

If there’s a spot for a “regular” kitchen, it’d be a nice extra. If it’s the only place to eat, then it’s a minus.

No difference. Only “rich” homes have whirlpool tubs, and I can’t afford anything that posh.

Minus for me. Associations are evil.

Probably a plus. Depends somewhat on the condition of the appliances. I might be inclined to buy my own.

Again, depends on their quality/capacity.

I’d add neighborhood, noise level, nearby amenities, and the size of the house as significant factors IMO.

Example: When I bought my house a few years ago, one thing I didn’t check was the nearby noise level. Turns out there were some train tracks four blocks away, and the trains would blow their whistles really loudly when they drove by – about once an hour. This was no fun at 11:00pm, let me tell you. Fortunately, the freight lines have a new corridor to use now, so the trains only run two or three times a day, but I almost wish I had known about them when I was shopping.

Oh, and if the house looks to be in great shape (“move-in condition”), that’d be a big plus, since it means less work I’ll have to do to make it livable.