My house is on the market, we are having an open house this afternoon.
It’s a 4br 2.5ba garrison colonial on haha an acre. Since the kids are gone, we don’t use half the rooms in the house, the taxes are crazy, so it’s time to move.
We weren’t really thinking about retirement when we bought it 27 years ago, and we’ve probably over-improved for the neighborhood, but we’ve enjoyed the renovations we did, so no regrets. I wouldn’t mind staying in my town, but there’s very few smaller houses, and they all need a ton of work. Condos are going for more than my house will sell for, go figure. So we are going to rent an apartment and split our time with our cape cod house.
Condos here are more than our house, too. Besides the deferred maintenance, my biggest concern is that there’s no bathroom or bedroom on the main level. (We have a mid 60s split level ) We are pretty much at the point where our dads can’t come to visit because stairs are increasingly problematic. DH has no plans to retire or inclination to get the house ready for sale, so the functionality issue extends beyond our parents.
I read @ChuckleDoodle’s comment about improvements making the house harder to sell to mean making the improvements made them like the house so much that they were then reluctant to sell.
We moved because my commute was killing me. We shopped for a smaller place but could not find any that would fit our criteria:
Near a bus line or park and ride with no transfer rides to downtown;
As far away from any neighbors as possible;
No freeway noise;
At least 1/3 acre lot;
Near a walkable park or trail.
We found just the location but the house was 2x what we needed. Small places were either on postage stamp lots or so old and so dilapidated that they needed to be bulldozed down (foundation issues beyond repair). So we now have this old house that we are making ours; surprisingly, we use pretty much all of the indoor space except one bedroom and the library (need to fix the fireplace in it, and it will be useful).
What is the reason for condos selling for more - lower taxes, the newness, close to downtown/action?
We have new homes being built in our area, but either not in great school district or a drive out with pretty good school district. Also there is a ‘hot’ market in the best school district but with more modestly priced homes. So we cannot ‘over improve’ to keep in a price niche.
It was already hard enough to get mom to sell her house- she lived in it for 35 years. Then when I cleaned it up - she was reluctant to sell. But it did sell pretty quickly.
Our friend decided to downsize after his wife suddenly passed away. Painted, got new carpets, new roof… suddenly, the home became so much brighter, he decided to stay put. It was a great decision for him.
We did some minor changes to House1 before selling it to make it less “ours.” Put in new SS fridge and cooktop, painted MB and changed the shower enclosure in the MB… not our house anymore. It was less painful to part with it. Also, we already had a place to call home - House2. I know we shouldn’t get too attached to a house and a strip of land, but I will cry when we will be selling House2.
@SOSConcern, our subdivision is a 50+ yo starter neighborhood that has a pretty hard ceiling on where prices will go. We’re 20 miles from downtown DC. Ten miles closer and the price on the same house nearly doubles. The close-in houses are getting gutted/torn down and being replaced with huge mansions. The cost-benefit analysis there is a totally different proposition than for us.
Because of land use regs involving green space, new development tends to be in the (even further) outer burbs. Land is extraordinarily expensive, so new development closer in tends to be condos with great features and amenities.
That dang McMansion that is being built next door to me still is not finished!! after 2 years!! And their balcony off the master and their bathroom window look straight down into my bathroom which has a huge picture window that used to look up at a beautiful tree. But, it’s all in the name of upgrading the neighborhood I guess. That home will probably raise my value, but I feel cramped in now.
I think the only privacy issue I have is the bathroom where I will change to opaque glass when I do the remodel. At the rate they are going, I’ll probably be sold or dead before anyone moves in there. And just wait until they get a look at the new tall trees I’m going to put in. Their lot really only has an ocean view looking right over my house and through my front yard. Who spends that kind of money to capture a view that could be taken away at any moment?? All I have to do is build a 2nd story or plant some trees and they are hosed.
@coralbrook I put a transluscent window in a bathroom where I had to put the only window on the bathtub wall facing the street in my own house. I was really surprised at how much I hate it. If I had it to do again I’d replace it with a curtain. I also agree with BunsenBurner that if a tall plant is feasible, I’d consider that route first.
Before you change the glass to opaque, you can test whether you like that with some cling film that “etches” glass. You can also use 3% shades that are available from places like Smith and Noble or Shade Store.
I put a frosted window in a bathroom that is visible from the street, but I wish I had left it regular and had a blind. I don’t like the closed in feeling of the obscured window.
I’m sprucing up the hall bathroom and plan to paint the existing vanity (55" wide) but go with a new faucet and have a new countertop, probably quartz, fabricated. The faucet I’ve chosen is available as “8-in widespread” or “4-in center set”. As long as I have the new countertop configured accordingly, does it matter which one I select?
