Flip This House #3

<p>This is an interesting situation because, although the house is going to be beautiful, high quality, thoughtfully done, and with a high sales price, it’s in an area with very high housing prices so it’s not exactly the higher end of the market, right? For that reason, I don’t think people are going to expect Wolf or similar. I do think they’ll expect a good brand and will appreciate a visually appealing kitchen. I don’t know Samsung as a kitchen appliance brand but I think of it as a reliable brand overall. I really like the look and features of the Samsung you’re considering, including the slide-in profile and the fact that there’s not something sticking up in the back to interrupt your backsplash.</p>

<p>

The same way you are going to do it - they are going to let the movers deal with it.</p>

<p>I think you are overestimating the difficulty of those steps. They don’t look all that steep in the pictures, I’ve got steeper stairs in some of my rentals, and the appliance delivery guys have never had a problem zipping stuff up to the third floor.</p>

<p>Fridges don’t even weigh that much these days… they don’t build them like they used to.</p>

<p>“I used to always install refrigerator but then i noticed my competitors never had one in their sales. So I thought “Why not save $1,500 on my flips”? Have sold last 2 without refrigerator.”</p>

<p>Ditto what nre said above. A fridge is typically a buyer’s responsibility (unless you planned for a built-in), and not at all expected to come with the house. Your buyers/their movers will have to carry their furniture up there, anyway. </p>

<p>Yes, this sale price (maybe about $800 to $850k , still guessing at the target) is actually considered lower- mid range for the neighborhood. I don’t need the high end. I really like Samsung myself. Appliances are really nice with good features and functionality. They have a nicer appearance than similar priced options. Maybe they are more prevalent on Weat Coast?</p>

<p>Oh yes, that Wolf is gorgeous. About $4k over budget!!</p>

<p>Oh yes, that Wolf is gorgeous. About $4k over budget!!</p>

<p>Photos loaded of the finished office exterior. We put on metal flashing, tar flashing, window flashing, tar paper, new siding and two windows this weekend. Then painted it quickly Monday morning before 8am so it would blend in</p>

<p>This is the smooth Hardie Plank cement siding.</p>

<p>Based on the many refrigerator threads, type is a personal preference. So maybe there is merit to letting the buyer choose.</p>

<p>No, the buyer will have no money left over for buying a refrigerator!!! Put one in, and adjust the price… :-)</p>

<p>As I’ve been looking at houses, I’ve noticed that kitchens without refrigerators look so unfinished. The big gaping hole takes away from the beauty of the cabinets. Given that you are going for the expensive cabinets, it doesn’t seem worth it to save a few bucks and potentially lose prospective bidders who are lacking in imagination by requiring them to imagine what the kitchen will look like when it is all done.</p>

<p>I agree with notelling: the kitchen will look much better with a fridge in place. I’d get a decent stainless steel french door model. You should probably get one with ice through the door, because those of us who wouldn’t pick that will just shrug and live with it, while those who really want it will feel that its absence is a fault they must correct. :)</p>

<p>Fridge is a very personal item. Some can’t stand freezer on top, some hate bottom freezers. I personally dislike any fridge - freezer combos. My dream kitchen has separate fridge and freezer. :slight_smile: Absolutely agree with Consolation - If you decide to buy a fridge, get the ice maker. </p>

<p>I wouldn’t buy or not buy a certain house because of its refrigerator. But the absence of one would bother me. </p>

<p>The most important thing about the refrigerator in this kitchen is that it has to be counter depth. Since there are two long runs of cabinets in a galley style kitchen, with a door down at the end of the kitchen that goes through to laundry room and office, I have to minimize the refrigerator ‘sticking out’ from the cabinets. In fact we have gone to a lot of trouble to build a recess into the wall behind refrigerator so that it can suck back into wall about 2-3 inches. The plug and the icemaker water line are custom built onto the right side wall - not behind the refrigerator. That lets us suck back even more. It’s one of my big phobias, I want that refrigerator sucked into the cabinetry so my carpenter built the recess. We also have a recess behind stove for gas line so that it doesn’t cause stove to stick out.</p>

<p>Counter depth will make the kitchen look more streamlined. </p>

<p>They cost more so I have to go with what I can find in that style. Unfortunately it is usually a side by side (with water and ice in the door). French door counter depth refrigerators are way expensive. I’m not worried about smaller capacity due to counter depth because I cannot really imagine a large family living in this house. It’s going to be Dinks (double income no kids) probably</p>

<p>I notice that most of you are all leaning towards having a refrigerator in the kitchen, so I think I will get one. Even if someone doesn’t like the style or type of refrigerator they will say “well, I can live with that for awhile”. They are probably not storing some dream refrigerator somewhere waiting to buy a house that matches it :)</p>

<p>I think it’s funny sometimes when I watch HGTV and buyers are going through a home. They love everything about a home but then they say “But, our dining room table won’t fit in here, won’t look right in here”. Are you kidding? You’re going to pass up a perfect little home because of your dining room table?? </p>

<p>Can you put in a fridge for staging but not include one in the sale? Or make it negotiable?</p>

<p>

These shows are rigged - the people looking have already bought one of the places they show, and they need to find reasons to reject the other ones. So sometimes all they can think of are really dumb reasons like “the paint is the wrong color”.</p>

<p>CB, I am so impressed by the way you think things through and tend to the small details. Building in recesses to avoid stove and refrig protruding, and placing outlets to the side rather than right behind the appliances, is such a smart move. I’m in the camp that would like to see the kitchen finished, including a refrigerator, when buying a house.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>If someone is only going to buy a house in which their current furniture fits, they’re really limiting their options. Everytime I hear someone say that on HGTV, I think, “Don’t buy a house to house your furniture; buy a house to house your lifestyle!!”</p>

<p>ETA: @coralbrook, you mentioned perhaps setting the price between $800K and $850K. I’m not sure I agree with that range, given that other house that just closed at $900K. Of course you’ll have to see what’s up when you’re ready to put it on the market, but I want you to be careful not to underprice it!! </p>

<p>Regarding pricing this house. When I was trying to calculate my offer for this house I could not get the Listing Agent to tell me what he felt the future sales price would be (Mr. Slimy). It’s like it was some kind of trade secret and he would only tell me if I listed with him. My agent ran some comparables and came up with a conservative estimate of $720,000 for future sale so I had to do my estimates based on that number.</p>

<p>After I bought the house, Mr Slimy started calling again to get listing contract. I pinned him down on what he felt future sales price would be. He said that he did an estimate for the Estate Administrator at about $718k all fixed up. So, I went into this venture resigned to the fact that I might get $720k. But, I know this neighborhood better than both of them (because I live here and have friends who buy and sell a lot in this neighborhood - although I’ve only had one project here because of high price). Any house under a million is flying off the shelf with multiple offers right now. </p>

<p>BTW, Mr. Slimy now has his assistant calling every two weeks or so “to see how I’m doing”. He realizes that I established a better relationship with his assistant.</p>

<p>So, a sale price over $800k would be in my wildest dreams!! $900k I might even find time to celebrate with a spa massage!!! Let’s hope this market holds up until December because my budget is getting blown every day!</p>

<p>Fingers crossed!!!</p>

<p>“The most important thing about the refrigerator in this kitchen is that it has to be counter depth”</p>

<p>Ouch. That changes my recommendation of not getting a fridge to “get the one that fits into the darn hole”! Just a year ago I looked into replacing my fridge. There aren’t too many options when it comes to counter depth fridges that look somewhat built-in but do not cost as much as built-in ones! </p>

<p>If you’ve decided on the Samsung range, you may want to check out this Samsung counter depth refrigerator:
<a href=“http://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-22-3-cu-ft-counter-depth-side-by-side-refrigerator-with-thru-the-door-ice-and-water-stainless-steel/3518115.p?id=1219091788561&skuId=3518115”>http://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-22-3-cu-ft-counter-depth-side-by-side-refrigerator-with-thru-the-door-ice-and-water-stainless-steel/3518115.p?id=1219091788561&skuId=3518115&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Most stores have it for about the same price ($1800-$1900) but I also saw several reconditioned ones listed on the Sears outlet site for $400 less. Years ago we had good luck buying some appliances from a store’s outlet. The only thing wrong with them was minor dents on the side where they didn’t show.</p>