We seem to be hearing it a lot from sellers these days...
"But I've done so much work to this house..."
This is usually in response to our estimate of the probable selling price of the home as sellers try to convince us to list their home at a higher price. But sometimes as sellers are proclaiming the level of blood, sweat and tears poured into their homes, we can't help but look around and think, "Really?"
It got us thinking about how people are so different - their tolerance for hard work, their handiness around the house, how meticulous they are in the upkeep of their home, their attention to detail, their ability to do the finishing work, etc.
What may be a simple task for one person can a monumental task for another.
For one seller, it can take an entire weekend to replace a kitchen faucet and a ceiling fan. A different seller might be able to take wallpaper down in the dining room and repaint it in one weekend. Another can add a whole new deck in that same weekend. Another can replace a roof. Another might be lucky just to scrub down their bathrooms and do some recaulking. No matter what the project, for all of them, "It was a lot of work."
Routine maintenance and upkeep of a home is expected not necessarily rewarded. If you lived in a home for ten years and had to replace some deteriorating siding or soffits, you can't expect that to automatically translate into a higher selling price. If you installed hardwood floors yourself but did a crappy finishing job around the edges, it might actually cost you when you go to sell.
Not all work is created equal and will have the same impact on a seller's bottom line.
Across the board, this holds true for the weekend warrior, the guy who hires the lowest bidder or the guy who goes "top of the line" contractor and materials for everything they do.
Case In Point - A True Story
I decided last fall to finally do away with the ugly wallpaper in our hall bath. I will be the first to admit, I am not that handy. I am better at things like cooking, cleaning, planning, organization, creativity but not so good at household "projects" per say. Usually we leave those to Scott and I assist with getting him what he needs, keeping him company, holding the light, making sure an awesome dinner awaits him, keeping beer on ice, etc.
Scott wanted no part of this wallpaper removal (it was the kids' bathroom, who cares?) and the only thing he asked was, "Please be careful. Don't mess up the walls." Well to make a long story short, it was a horrible, grueling, painstaking task. The previous owners had glued wallpaper to the walls and ceiling (what idiot puts wallpaper on a ceiling?) with no primer, nothing. I even developed a little tendinitis in my upper right arm from the continuous overhead scraping motion. Originally, I thought I would have the wallpaper down within a few days, but it took several weeks.
Then to make matters worse, I trashed the walls in the process. Scott stepped in and it took him a full weekend to skim coat the walls (suffice it to say, he was not happy about it - I had to be especially nice to him that week). After the skim coating, I could finally paint the room. I also tore down the ugly glass shower doors and Scott put up a pretty rod and curtain I had picked out. My mini bathroom transformation that I started in September was finally done by Christmas. Ho ho ho! Hallelujah!
Bottom line: That bathroom was a lot of work. It resonates in our minds as our worst house project ever. But someday when we go to sell our house, will it add to the value of our home? Not especially. Buyers these days expect ugly wallpaper to be gone and bathrooms to be pretty colors. Nobody cares how long it took us or how painful it was to take down the wallpaper.
P.S. At the time I started on our bathroom, my good friend Renee started a similar wallpaper removal project in her master bedroom. She was done well before Halloween. Such a showoff!
~Lisa
Contact Scott Loper, Associate Broker, Realtor®, RE/MAX Realty Group at 215-513-1333 for help buying or selling a home in Lansdale, Harleysville, Hatfield, Souderton, Skippack, Collegeville, North Wales and the surrounding areas of Montgomery County Pennsylvania. To Search for Homes For Sale in Montgomery County Click Here.
Not All Work is Created Equal Copyright © 2010, The Scott Loper Team, All rights reserved.
The Scott Loper Team
Scott Loper - Associate Broker
Lisa Loper - Sales Associate
RE/MAX Realty Group
439 Main Street
Harleysville, PA 19438
Ph: 215-256-1200 x-213