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Mom-2-Liam
LIF Adult
Member since 10/06 917 total posts
Name:
Mary
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Any RE agents out there?
I may be barking up the wrong tree...DH and I live in Putnam Co (literally right over the Westchester border, we are in Putnam Valley) and we are 99.9% sure we're moving back to LI this summer or fall (whenever we can sell the house after we redo the bathroom and kitchen and floors).
Now, we have $ but not a ton. We are going to put in nice cabinets - nothing too expensive but not cheap either. We figure on possibly laminate flooring. If we were staying ourselves, we'd probably do granite. Our next door neighbor is a good friend and a contractor and said that he feels (at least in Westchester/Putnam) people are moving away from Silestone & Corian. Sure I'm sure anyone would want to have a granite countertop, but I live in a small lakeside community hamlet in Put. Valley - I just don't know if we put granite in the house and then have the house going for X, if we'd get people willing to pay X for it in that neighborhood. Do you know what I mean? For example the homes directly next to us are "fixer uppers" and I don't know if it's worth it for us to have a wonderfully redone kitchen where people may think "well it's a nice kitchen but I don't want to live next door to two houses that are a bit run down looking". (fyi one house is not run down per se, just needs a new paint job), the other one is a small 1 br bungalow and he's redoing the siding but he's on disability right now so it's taking a very long time for him to finish it so it's still not looking great.
Sorry for rambling. My question is this: would you bother putting granite in, or would you do a very nice formica or laminate countertop instead? Or another option??
TIA!
ps: I don't mind anyone's opinion, I just figure RE agents would know what sells and where....
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Posted 4/9/07 4:02 PM  |
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Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate
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SweetTooth
I'm a tired mommy!
Member since 12/05 20105 total posts
Name:
Lauren
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Re: Any RE agents out there?
How are the other houses in the neighborhood besides the two you mentioned?
Have you looked into instead of doing the whole block of granite doing 24in silestone or granite tiles? This is a alot cheaper but gives it the same look.
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| Posted 4/9/07 4:08 PM |
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Mom-2-Liam
LIF Adult
Member since 10/06 917 total posts
Name:
Mary
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Re: Any RE agents out there?
Well, it's hard to explain. It used to be (and I guess technically still is) "a lakeside community". IE: more summer homes and bungalows. I also live at the bottom of a big hill and there's homes going up the hill. Some are nice, not mansions or homes that you'd see for millions but they are kept up well. The area is very woodsy and the land is very rocky so much of the landscape is not georgeious but there's not much you can really do with it. Some of the homes are very run down but most of them are ok to slightly run down. The one directly across from us is very nice, clean, sided, jacuzzi in the back, landscaping is good. The one next to him (our contractor friend) is "ok" - it's not falling down but the windows in his porch area look old, the wood on his deck looks weather beaten and there's no way he could even landscape around him since it's all rock.
Rambling again. sorry!
We have a front yard, we will definitely be putting in bushes in front of the house and I am going to dig up the grass by our "driveway" and plant new grass there.
That is a good idea about granite tiles. DH also just called me, said he was talking to that friend and he may be able to get us granite for under $30 sq ft. I'll mention the tiles though, as a possibility.
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| Posted 4/9/07 4:22 PM |
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JandJ1224
Member since 6/06 5911 total posts
Name:
Jannette
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Re: Any RE agents out there?
It might be most reasonable in your market not to put in a new kitchen and instead let that be refelected in your asking price. If homes with new kitchens are going for x amount just list taking into account the need for an updated kitchen and what you planned to spend on it. Your tastes might not be what the buyer of your house wants...
You will save yourself the trouble of having to put in the kitchen
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| Posted 4/9/07 4:57 PM |
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alnem
This is gonna be a good year!
Member since 2/06 9562 total posts
Name:
Emily
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Re: Any RE agents out there?
Posted by JandJ1224
It might be most reasonable in your market not to put in a new kitchen and instead let that be refelected in your asking price. If homes with new kitchens are going for x amount just list taking into account the need for an updated kitchen and what you planned to spend on it. Your tastes might not be what the buyer of your house wants...
You will save yourself the trouble of having to put in the kitchen
exactly my advice! if you're defintely going to sell and the condition of your kitchen is still appealing, dont waste your money. price the house accordingly and be a bit flexible since the kitchen needs to be redone. dont give yourself an additional headcache.
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| Posted 4/9/07 4:59 PM |
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MrsT
Enjoying wedded bliss.....
Member since 4/06 1323 total posts
Name:
Katrina
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Re: Any RE agents out there?
Posted by alnem
exactly my advice! if you're defintely going to sell and the condition of your kitchen is still appealing, dont waste your money. price the house accordingly and be a bit flexible since the kitchen needs to be redone. dont give yourself an additional headcache.
Ditto. It's always a risk when renovating to sell that your style will not be the same as the would-be buyer. It's an issue when renovating to flip as well. How much do you really spend to upgrade Renovating to rent is easier.
Everyone has their own idea about what a great kitchen will look like so if you add granite that is too dark or too light for their tastes they may give you a lower offer since it would need to be ripped out and replaced.
However, I would go out and get some estimates for renovating your kitchen so you will be informed when the offers start coming in. If it's $20K to upgrade to top of the line and $5K to do a minimal modernization then I would expect the negotiations to fall at some point in the middle. This assumes the kitchen is the only sticking point.
Good luck 
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| Posted 4/9/07 7:21 PM |
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Mom-2-Liam
LIF Adult
Member since 10/06 917 total posts
Name:
Mary
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Re: Any RE agents out there?
Posted by JandJ1224
It might be most reasonable in your market not to put in a new kitchen and instead let that be refelected in your asking price. If homes with new kitchens are going for x amount just list taking into account the need for an updated kitchen and what you planned to spend on it. Your tastes might not be what the buyer of your house wants...
You will save yourself the trouble of having to put in the kitchen
We we *have* to do a new kitchen. LOL. I am attaching what it looks like now (don't mind DH standing there) - this is a real fixer upper and we had the intention of redoing that and the floors and the bathroom but long story - never got done (DH lost job, I was pregnant, all our savings went toward bills and the baby). We are moving because my dad is 77 and not in great health and lives on LI where I grew up. My sister wants to move in w/ her boyfriend, so that means someone has to move in to be with my dad...that means me and DH. Makes sense to me because this way we won't have a mortgage to pay. But no one would want our home now with old hardwood floors that need to be refinished, an old bathroom with a tub that's got a big rust stain, paneling and a broken vanity, and a kitchen with a falling apart fridge, no cabinets on the walls at all, and old cabniets on the floor with old (yet durable, surprisingly) formica countertop.
If we sold it like that we would never make a profit. We can't rent it, no one would want to rent it from us. That's why we are doing all this.
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Message edited 4/10/2007 12:48:59 PM.
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| Posted 4/10/07 12:47 PM |
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bikramaddict
mommy-to-be
Member since 8/06 4376 total posts
Name:
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Re: Any RE agents out there?
Posted by MrsT
Posted by alnem
exactly my advice! if you're defintely going to sell and the condition of your kitchen is still appealing, dont waste your money. price the house accordingly and be a bit flexible since the kitchen needs to be redone. dont give yourself an additional headcache.
Ditto. It's always a risk when renovating to sell that your style will not be the same as the would-be buyer. It's an issue when renovating to flip as well. How much do you really spend to upgrade Renovating to rent is easier.
Everyone has their own idea about what a great kitchen will look like so if you add granite that is too dark or too light for their tastes they may give you a lower offer since it would need to be ripped out and replaced.
However, I would go out and get some estimates for renovating your kitchen so you will be informed when the offers start coming in. If it's $20K to upgrade to top of the line and $5K to do a minimal modernization then I would expect the negotiations to fall at some point in the middle. This assumes the kitchen is the only sticking point.
Good luck
When I bought my house, there was no countertop. The seller told me that I could pick a color I wanted to suit my style -- would you be willing to do that?
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| Posted 4/10/07 5:43 PM |
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