For the purpose of illustration only, I am using the Realtor photos of our condo that I took this spring. But this post does not in any way refer to our condo, which was solidly built, and well maintained. “It’s almost perfect for us.” Just take out this wall, redo the kitchen, bulldoze the yard, and level it off… then it’s our dream home. Did you find yourself mentally redecorating, or renovating the home you are viewing? The ability to see beyond the current decorating scheme is a important one when house hunting. Just follow me around and listen to how many times I say to myself, “it’s only cosmetic, it’ can be changed.” it’s not a deal breaker. But there are cosmetic changes, and then there are renovations. We have come to the conclusion that we really don’t want the work, and mess of a renovation in order to make it our dream house. Of course that can be done, and starting with a clean slate is tempting. But we know that we are not quite that handy, and frankly we don’t like the mess. So we are trying to find a house that has a nice enough kitchen, and yard, built solid, and dependable. Kind of like the Maytag repairman, a good value for the money would be nice too.
It seems kitchen Reno's are all the rage out here. It’s the first thing many homeowners do, after which they work on the bathrooms, and the family rooms. Sometimes a wonderful interior tries to hide hideously cracked foundations, or rotting roofs, and shabby windows. Seems to me that instead of spending the money on cosmetic changes, such as new laminate flooring, marble countertops, or dashing paint colors, you would spend it on the maintenance of the home first.
It’s almost like a bait and switch, notice the shiny new brushed nickel taps, and the matching door handles throughout the home. Don’t look up at the roof, it needs to be redone. And what ever you do, don’t look too closely at the windows, that’s mould, and dry rot under the new coat of paint.
Obviously not all homes are like this, but it seems we have seen a fair number of them that are absolutely adorable inside, and it’s only after you look closely that you see the wrinkles. And those are the kind of cosmetic changes we are avoiding. Buyer beware, be really aware. Jane @ Muddy Boot Dreams