Pet Peeves: The Holy Trinity and Beyond

[dga28]

i guess i am a little more understanding than some of you.  most of the times it may not necessarily be what i feel i must have as much as recognizing whats more popular and what can potentially increase the resale value of my home.  there are a lot of touches that i am personally neutral about but i know they will appeal more to the masses, thus either increasing my resale value or selling my house faster if and when i have to sell.

this approach has helped me stay ahead most times i have sold my home while not staying up with trends have hurt me a few times.

[AuntiePam]

1 hour ago, dga28 said:

this approach has helped me stay ahead most times i have sold my home while not staying up with trends have hurt me a few times.

It depends on your plans, your lifestyle.  I'm 71, and have owned just four homes.  With each one, I thought I'd be there forever, so I chose it without considering resale value -- except for location, and the choice of location wasn't so much for resale as wanting to live in a safe neighborhood. 

I'd hate having to consider future trends when choosing a home.  None of us have a crystal ball or a hot line to Nostradamus.

[dga28]

22 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

It depends on your plans, your lifestyle.  I'm 71, and have owned just four homes.  With each one, I thought I'd be there forever, so I chose it without considering resale value -- except for location, and the choice of location wasn't so much for resale as wanting to live in a safe neighborhood. 

I'd hate having to consider future trends when choosing a home.  None of us have a crystal ball or a hot line to Nostradamus.

i understand.  but when you are younger, and upwardly mobile, it usually pays to keep resale in mind when buying.  years ago the average homeowner moved every 7 years.  since the housing bust, that time period has grown to about every 9-10 years.

[laredhead]

I just remodeled my kitchen and took it from a mish mash of the past several owners of this house to a style that would have been found in this house when it was built in 1957.   Instead of granite counters, I used Formica, slab front cabinets with stained wood instead of paint, and I do have stainless appliances because they were available and used in 1957.  A house a few doors down is a time capsule from 1957 and it has the original appliances which include a stainless refrigerator which still works and a pink electric range which still works.  This is my 5th and final house and I plan to live here until I downsize to a retirement community in about 12 years if I am fortunate enough to carry out that plan.  Until then, I wanted a kitchen that was truly my style and a couple of contractors I interviewed were not interested in undertaking a remodel that included laminate counters or slab front cabinets so they were eliminated from the job.   I decided I was finally at the point in my life that I wasn't going to worry about resale or the latest trend.  

[CoolMom]

On 8/13/2016 at 8:47 AM, laredhead said:

WRT to the young first time buyers who want it all for a low price, for a while I have been looking closely at the houses of the parents when they film scenes between the HH's and their parents.  Usually these are filmed in what looks like a very nice kitchen or on a lovely patio in a nice back yard.   Highly doubtful those parents had that house as their first house,  and it is probably their 2nd or 3rd (or more) house.  I think their expectations are based on what they lived in with their parents and they don't realize it takes a few years to build equity and move up in price and size.  I really hope all of their comments are producer driven and they aren't that naive.

I tell my now adult daughter this all the time; that she has to realize that what she sees her dad and I with we've worked almost 30 years to have.  We started off in a mobile home with a love seat and no kitchen table. :-) We sat on the floor so our guests could have a place to sit.  Fun times as newlyweds. 

On 9/18/2016 at 2:47 PM, Kohola3 said:

And those stupid barn door things.  Gah!  When in the heck are those going away?  What a total waste of space - you can't put anything on the wall behind them and no furniture on the wall where it would get clobbered.  And they are always so enormous and unsightly.  If you want a sliding door, put in a pocket door.  That way you have usable wall space.

The only place that I have found appropriate for a "barn" door is the strangely laid out master bath in our vacation home.  You have to go through the closet to get the the bathroom and there's no door on EITHER.  There's no good place to have a closet door and a traditional door would not work properly because of the swing into the closet; we thought about a pocket door but the plumbing is in the only place that would work.  So, a barn door would give privacy in the bath but still give access to the plumbing if there's an issue. It is the ONLY place I'd ever have one and that only for much needed privacy.  Right now we just lock the bedroom door.

[CocoaGoddess]

My husband and I didn't have to wait 30 years to have what our parents have (we're Gen Xers), simply because of higher education, higher household income, and better opportunities, and I'm sure our daughter will probably surpass us still. If she's buying her first home and buying in a certain area comes with certain amenities and perks in her price range, then she should have them, or else she's not getting the best bang for her buck. I'm not going to tell her that she shouldn't have a home with a fireplace and laundry room simply because we didn't have those features in our first home. 

I'm always puzzled at new homeowners putting up wallpaper, knowing that the design my become dated pretty quickly, and taking that stuff down is a pain. There are some pretty good wall stencils out there now and it really is a better alternative to wallpaper. I did a stencil wall in my house that resembles trendy, fancy wallpaper, and it's so pretty and whimsical. 

I definitely chose the finishes of our current home based on resale value 7, 8 years down the road. 

[Kohola3]

I must be the only one who buys a house and selects things that I want to live with.  I don't give a fig about resale value, I want to be happy and comfortable in my home while I'm there.  Living with something like silvery appliances just because they are the latest trend is not in my book. I like my white appliances;  if the new owners don't then feel free to change up.  But in the meantime, I look around and smile because I am living with what I like.

[Bastet]

Quote

I must be the only one who buys a house and selects things that I want to live with.  I don't give a fig about resale value, I want to be happy and comfortable in my home while I'm there.  Living with something like silvery appliances just because they are the latest trend is not in my book. I like my white appliances;  if the new owners don't then feel free to change up.  But in the meantime, I look around and smile because I am living with what I like.

Yeah, it's different for me, because I don't plan on ever moving again, so of course I pay no attention to resale value when making selections, but unless I knew I would only be staying 5 years or so, I can't imagine resale being a major factor in my decisions.  Where I liked two things equally, and one was better than the other for resale, I'd go with that one, but I wouldn't select something I liked less because it was better for some hypothetical future sale than what I liked.  It's my home.  That's so personal to me. 

[CocoaGoddess]

We don't plan to stay in this house for more than seven years, and might rent it out after we're done, so of course I'm going to keep that in mind, it wouldn't be smart or savvy of me not to do so. I live in an area where all of the houses are updated with fairly high end finishes, so I'm not going to be stubborn and have something that is super taste specific if I know that it will turn off buyers/renters in the near future. At our price range and in this neighborhood, I wouldn't rent a house with white appliances and carpet throughout. That's just the way the market is. I think that buyers and renters have a right to "expect" certain finishes, as long as it is in their price range. Which is often not the case for some House Hunters, which makes the show annoying to watch sometimes. 

Now when we buy our "forever home"? (Yes, I'm gagging at that phrase, but it will be our permanent house), then I'll have whatever I want. 

[auntjess]

22 minutes ago, CocoaGoddess said:

Now when we buy our "forever home"? (Yes, I'm gagging at that phrase,

I hate that phrase too.  Dog rescue people use it all the time too, to mean permanent home, but to me, a forever home has a tombstone on top.

[CocoaGoddess]

Just now, auntjess said:

I hate that phrase too.  Dog rescue people use it all the time too, to mean permanent home, but to me, a forever home has a tombstone on top.

Haha yes! You just nailed why it makes me so uncomfortable to hear it used.

And also because you know that most of the time, they're either lying through their teeth or being extremely optimistic and naive. Most people my age (thirties or younger) are not buying a house to live in for 50 years, come on. They just use it to justify that their non-negotiable list of wants is a mile long. 

I watched an episode of HH recently where the asshole Orange County buyers called a perfectly lovely home they were touring (that they didn't buy) "gross", "disgusting" and "ugly" because it had espresso colored cabinets and not white. 
Do they think this kind of crap is cute and funny? So low class, being in someone else's home on national television and being so bratty about cabinet colors in a house they know that they aren't going to purchase. 

[dga28]

5 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

I must be the only one who buys a house and selects things that I want to live with.  I don't give a fig about resale value, I want to be happy and comfortable in my home while I'm there.  Living with something like silvery appliances just because they are the latest trend is not in my book. I like my white appliances;  if the new owners don't then feel free to change up.  But in the meantime, I look around and smile because I am living with what I like.

when you are younger and you move every 5 yo 7 years due to job or income changes, and have sold a few homes, you tend to think about those things.  i see it as protecting my investment.

it only takes one move where you lose a lot of money and or take a longer than normal time to unload the house to appreciate keeping it trendy....

Edited September 26, 2016 by dga28

[KAOS Agent]

I bought a house that was not updated when I last moved. All of the updated homes in the area cost $50,000 more for the exact same size/style home as mine. Eight years later and those updated home owners are still $30,000 underwater while my house has maintained its value. Trendy, expensive finishes are great and all, but other people aren't willing/able to pay that much more for them when the economy collapses.

[Kohola3]

Well, I subscribe to the "life is a journey, not a destination" philosophy.  Life is short and no way I am living with something I hate on the possibility that I will be selling my house someday.  I live each day like it's my last and I want to enjoy each minute.

[AuntiePam]

15 hours ago, dga28 said:

when you are younger and you move every 5 yo 7 years due to job or income changes, and have sold a few homes, you tend to think about those things.  i see it as protecting my investment.

it only takes one move where you lose a lot of money and or take a longer than normal time to unload the house to appreciate keeping it trendy....

Except that if you can afford to keep it trendy, you can afford to take a loss if it doesn't sell for asking.  It's one thing to repaint, but quite another to change out kitchen cabinets, counters, floor coverings, lighting, etc. 

It seems like it would be a wash -- save the money that would be spent on redoing the place every few years, and a lower sale price won't hurt so much.

[Ohwell]

6 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

It seems like it would be a wash -- save the money that would be spent on redoing the place every few years, and a lower sale price won't hurt so much.

That's what I think too.  I don't plan on selling anytime soon, but when/if I do, I'll just make sure it's sound and spotless (well, as spotless as it can be, heh) but that's it.  I'd be fine with getting a lower price.  

Edited September 27, 2016 by Ohwell
Just saw a typo

[dga28]

5 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

Except that if you can afford to keep it trendy, you can afford to take a loss if it doesn't sell for asking.  It's one thing to repaint, but quite another to change out kitchen cabinets, counters, floor coverings, lighting, etc. 

It seems like it would be a wash -- save the money that would be spent on redoing the place every few years, and a lower sale price won't hurt so much.

nah...not me.  its a bad practice to deliberately take losses on real estate.  also it impacts how fast or how slow your house sells which is another financial hit.  i dont believe in throwing money away.  i will adapt my taste somewhat to preserve my house value.  Plus you dont have to go overboard, just basically keep up with some trends, doesn't have to be all.  moderation can be good.

[Ohwell]

I think there are a lot of house hunters who would prefer to put their own stamp on the house and do their own upgrades, etc.  I was one of them.

[dga28]

34 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

I think there are a lot of house hunters who would prefer to put their own stamp on the house and do their own upgrades, etc.  I was one of them.

 oh i agree, for a discount on the price.  Thats the issue.

[Ohwell]

13 minutes ago, dga28 said:

 oh i agree, for a discount on the price.  Thats the issue.

But when you say "a discount on the price" that's pretty standard anyway; homes usually don't sell for the initial asking price unless there's a bidding war.

[dga28]

3 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

But when you say "a discount on the price" that's pretty standard anyway; homes usually don't sell for the initial asking price unless there's a bidding war.

i am talking about selling for more than i bought it for.  i have bought 6 houses and sold 5 over my life so far.  I have moved a lot due to my career.  for the ones that i have upgraded, i have made a profit each time.  multiple offers within the first week a couple of times.  the most was a $200k profit after two years of owning after making inexpensive superficial upgrades.

but when i buy, i take advantage of homeowners who didnt upgrade their homes by offering a much lower price than i normally would.  they accept because their house usually have been sitting on the market for some time.

some buyers and sellers are not really that savvy.  some buyers pay a premium for upgraded houses, while some sellers refuse to upgrade their houses.  so i use those two behavior patterns to my advantage.

[mojito]

I wonder if purchasing a home every 5 to 7 years because of a few income changes plus making updates to it would make your home much of an investment unless you live in a market where home prices increase astronomically. I don't live in such a market. 

Then when you see people turning up their noses at someone's choice of granite and the color of their laminate/hardwood floors and cabinets, I wonder if updates are worth it at all unless you're only doing it for yourself. 

[Ohwell]

28 minutes ago, mojito said:

Then when you see people turning up their noses at someone's choice of granite and the color of their laminate/hardwood floors and cabinets, I wonder if updates are worth it at all unless you're only doing it for yourself. 

Bingo.  Many times the HHers just don't like the upgrades and then they have to decide whether to spend money to change them, even though they're new.   The upgrades I've made have been for myself only.

[Mu Shu]

On September 24, 2016 at 7:32 PM, dga28 said:

i guess i am a little more understanding than some of you.  most of the times it may not necessarily be what i feel i must have as much as recognizing whats more popular and what can potentially increase the resale value of my home.  there are a lot of touches that i am personally neutral about but i know they will appeal more to the masses, thus either increasing my resale value or selling my house faster if and when i have to sell.

this approach has helped me stay ahead most times i have sold my home while not staying up with trends have hurt me a few times.

I meant to quote something else you said, but can't get it edited.  Anyway, you mentioned you lowball homeowners who haven't upgraded in a long time (as you should) and get the house cheap enough to do upgrades.   However,  you can't do that in a good location.   In my market, a shitty house is a desirable area always goes for quite a bit more than a newly upgraded home in a sketchier area.    When someone is buying on or near the beach, there is a premium to be paid, shitty decor from the eighties or no.   Some how the city of Hollywood Fl became a hot market, and most of it is old trashy houses with six layers of roof and shitty half assed work spanning several decades, and people fight over it.   Other than the beach, it is a shit location with lots of property crime, hookers on US1, flashers, and an overall vibe of decay.   I think you have been very lucky so far. 

[chessiegal]

2 hours ago, Mu Shu said:

I meant to quote something else you said, but can't get it edited.  Anyway, you mentioned you lowball homeowners who haven't upgraded in a long time (as you should) and get the house cheap enough to do upgrades.   However,  you can't do that in a good location.   In my market, a shitty house is a desirable area always goes for quite a bit more than a newly upgraded home in a sketchier area.    When someone is buying on or near the beach, there is a premium to be paid, shitty decor from the eighties or no.   Some how the city of Hollywood Fl became a hot market, and most of it is old trashy houses with six layers of roof and shitty half assed work spanning several decades, and people fight over it.   Other than the beach, it is a shit location with lots of property crime, hookers on US1, flashers, and an overall vibe of decay.   I think you have been very lucky so far. 

Location, location, location. You can change a house, but not it's location. We lived in a less than desirable house for 13 years because of its desirable location. We did some minor upgrades and made over $500K profit on selling - it was the location, not the house.

[dga28]

10 hours ago, Mu Shu said:

I meant to quote something else you said, but can't get it edited.  Anyway, you mentioned you lowball homeowners who haven't upgraded in a long time (as you should) and get the house cheap enough to do upgrades.   However,  you can't do that in a good location.   In my market, a shitty house is a desirable area always goes for quite a bit more than a newly upgraded home in a sketchier area.    When someone is buying on or near the beach, there is a premium to be paid, shitty decor from the eighties or no.   Some how the city of Hollywood Fl became a hot market, and most of it is old trashy houses with six layers of roof and shitty half assed work spanning several decades, and people fight over it.   Other than the beach, it is a shit location with lots of property crime, hookers on US1, flashers, and an overall vibe of decay.   I think you have been very lucky so far. 

i understand its a function of area and supply.  recently i have bought in high zip code areas  and have bought properties much lower than average because the not updated houses were lagging behind the updated ones in terms of time being on the market.

if i have been lucky, i have been lucky on 6 homes....

i have seen pretty much the same results with other people...

[proserpina65]

On ‎09‎/‎24‎/‎2016 at 4:08 PM, auntjess said:

Farm sinks look like they would take a lot more water if you wash dishes in them.
Nice for really large pans, but I'd rather have 2 sinks.
I'd love a true pocket doors, built with in a wall, but then I'd want a house that merited them.  And then you'd need a butler to open them.

I have a double sink.  I wish I could afford to replace it with one big single sink because it's a total pain to try washing anything large in half of a double sink.  I like farmhouse sinks, but only if they fit the style of the kitchen.  Same with pocket doors.  Of course, I'd love to have the house that merited those features.

[proserpina65]

Quote

If she's buying her first home and buying in a certain area comes with certain amenities and perks in her price range, then she should have them, or else she's not getting the best bang for her buck. I'm not going to tell her that she shouldn't have a home with a fireplace and laundry room simply because we didn't have those features in our first home. 

I think that's wonderful, but what the previous posters were talking about are the house hunters who want what their parents worked years to get WITHOUT having a budget which would allow them to afford those amenities.  We see a lot of those on the show.

[proserpina65]

On ‎09‎/‎26‎/‎2016 at 6:58 PM, dga28 said:

nah...not me.  its a bad practice to deliberately take losses on real estate.  also it impacts how fast or how slow your house sells which is another financial hit.  i dont believe in throwing money away.  i will adapt my taste somewhat to preserve my house value.  Plus you dont have to go overboard, just basically keep up with some trends, doesn't have to be all.  moderation can be good.

That's fine IF you might be selling your house in the next few years.  If not, then your taste should be the deciding factor, not resale value.  It's all about how long you expect to live in any particular house.  I have no intention of spending money on granite, stainless steel and bland wall colors just because someday, years down the road, I might need to sell my house.  I have to live there and I prefer to make it my home while I do.  But for those who move more, keeping abreast of reasonable trends isn't a bad idea.

I think there are two groups of us commenting on this: those who intend to stay in their houses long-term and those who don't.  It makes a big difference in how you view updates/trends.

Edited September 28, 2016 by proserpina65

[dga28]

8 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

That's fine IF you might be selling your house in the next few years.  If not, then your taste should be the deciding factor, not resale value.  It's all about how long you expect to live in any particular house.  I have no intention of spending money on granite, stainless steel and bland wall colors just because someday, years down the road, I might need to sell my house.  I have to live there and I prefer to make it my home while I do.  But for those who move more, keeping abreast of reasonable trends isn't a bad idea.

I think there are two groups of us commenting on this: those who intend to stay in their houses long-term and those who don't.  It makes a big difference in how you view updates/trends.

i disagree.  if my investment is to be respected, resale value along with my taste should be considered.  people who only respect their tastes and ignore resale value usually end up with the short straw.

[Ohwell]

I'm sure that people who don't update their homes are well aware of the fact that they'll get a lower selling price.  The point is, it's their home and they don't have to feel any kind of pressure to update if they don't want to, and if the buyer doesn't like it, s/he can feel free to keep looking.

[dga28]

2 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

I'm sure that people who don't update their homes are well aware of the fact that they'll get a lower selling price.  The point is, it's their home and they don't have to feel any kind of pressure to update if they don't want to, and if the buyer doesn't like it, s/he can feel free to keep looking.

i agree.  i have been clear to say, making the highest profit possible and getting a fast sale was very important to me.  i understand and respect that others may have different priorities.

this entire discussion started by me responding to people who seemed to be downing others for paying attention to trends. 

[CocoaGoddess]

1 hour ago, dga28 said:

i agree.  i have been clear to say, making the highest profit possible and getting a fast sale was very important to me.  i understand and respect that others may have different priorities.

this entire discussion started by me responding to people who seemed to be downing others for paying attention to trends. 

Yep. The last house we had for seven years and was built brand new when we bought it. We did minor upgrades because we didn't want to live in a basic, builder grade looking house. Custom window treatments, professional paint job and custom wood work, upgraded (not simply stainless steel) appliances, upgraded toilets, just little things like that. We had the house painted the colors we wanted, and I'll admit that they weren't bright! cheery! paint colors that would be desirable to buyers, but unlike the other changes we made to the house, paint is personality and something that reflects what we like, but is also easily changed. I'll admit though that the colors we chose were extremely taste specific and would probably turn off the HGTV brand of buyers. All of the other design choices? Mostly safe. 

We put our house up for sale with three other neighbors on the same block the exact same week, and we were biting our nails because we had so much competition and needed a quick sell due to job relocation. Our house ended up in a bidding war after two days on the market, and went for well over asking price, with a 30 day escrow. By the time we packed up and left, our neighbors homes were still on the market. We'd seen the comps, and just the small investment of upgraded window treatments, appliances and crown molding (soooo much character!) made our house more valuable and in demand than our neighbor's homes. 

So yes, depending on the market, paying attention to trends helps. Spending $7k on upgrades when we moved in (as opposed to spending that readying the house to be put the house on the market and not even enjoying the upgrades) gave us a huge advantage in the market years later. 

[AuntiePam]

2 hours ago, dga28 said:

this entire discussion started by me responding to people who seemed to be downing others for paying attention to trends. 

Understood.  The reason some of us take offense is because of the way the HH'ers go on about houses that "need updating" -- many of us live in those houses.  We don't like it when HH'ers look at clean, bright, functional kitchens and saying "this is a total gut job" just because the cabinets are five years old. 

[proserpina65]

15 hours ago, dga28 said:

i disagree.  if my investment is to be respected, resale value along with my taste should be considered.  people who only respect their tastes and ignore resale value usually end up with the short straw.

But my whole point is that some of us do not view our homes solely as investments but as our long-term residences and therefore we make decisions regarding renovations and design based on our preferences precisely because we do not intend to put the house on the market any time in the foreseeable future.  This is what colors our pet peeves.  You obviously are not one of those people, and that's fine; it gives you a different perspective on some of the issues we've discussed.  Your perspective is interesting but it does not in any way make our pet peeves less annoying to us.

And we aren't downing others for paying attention to trends.  We're complaining about whiney people on house hunting shows who always want the same things regardless of their budget or the type of house they're viewing and who talk about perfectly good rooms being "total gut jobs".

Edited September 29, 2016 by proserpina65

[Kohola3]

Quote

We're complaining about whiney people on house hunting shows who always want the same things regardless of their budget or the type of house they're viewing and who talk about perfectly good rooms being "total gut jobs".

And people need to learn to differentiate between "want" and "need".  Non-shiny appliances provide the same cooking, cooling, and washing experiences as the shiny ones.  Because you want fake silver doesn't mean you need it.  And these things can be replaced down the line;  they should not be the sole reason that you don't purchase a house.  That's just bad sense.  Same for color - they go on and on about the paint which is the cheapest and quickest thing to change.  Walking away from a house with a color you don't like is just stupid. 

But it's all instant gratification these days.  I just sold my house - the new owner is redoing some rooms.  More power to her but I didn't lower the price just because she didn't like wallpaper in one bedroom.

[topanga]

On 9/28/2016 at 11:02 AM, proserpina65 said:

I have a double sink.  I wish I could afford to replace it with one big single sink because it's a total pain to try washing anything large in half of a double sink.  I like farmhouse sinks, but only if they fit the style of the kitchen.  Same with pocket doors.  Of course, I'd love to have the house that merited those features.

I hear ya. But I love my double sink now that I have a faucet with a detachable thing-y that I can move around to spray my large pots and pans. 

We have a pocket door on a bathroom where there isn't much space for a traditional door, and it works. But I guess I'm old fashioned. I like my doors on hinges. 

[Empress1]

2 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

And people need to learn to differentiate between "want" and "need".  Non-shiny appliances provide the same cooking, cooling, and washing experiences as the shiny ones.  Because you want fake silver doesn't mean you need it.  And these things can be replaced down the line;  they should not be the sole reason that you don't purchase a house.  That's just bad sense.  Same for color - they go on and on about the paint which is the cheapest and quickest thing to change.  Walking away from a house with a color you don't like is just stupid. 

But it's all instant gratification these days.  I just sold my house - the new owner is redoing some rooms.  More power to her but I didn't lower the price just because she didn't like wallpaper in one bedroom.

I wouldn't expect a seller to lower the price if all I planned to do was cosmetic stuff like taking down wallpaper and painting. I would expect and plan to do those things - even a "move-in ready" house would require painting. I like color. A house that's done all in neutrals isn't "done," to me, and paint and/or wallpaper is a really easy way to put your stamp on a house. Like, I think those Austin CrossFit renovators' house is ugly with all those paint colors going in all kinds of crazy directions, but it's very THEM.

I guess the term move-in ready is a pet peeve. I get that it means no renovations are required, but I can't think of anywhere I've lived where I haven't done SOMETHING to the place to make it my taste. Moving into someplace without doing anything to it, even if it's a small thing, would feel like a hotel to me.

[proserpina65]

2 hours ago, topanga said:

I hear ya. But I love my double sink now that I have a faucet with a detachable thing-y that I can move around to spray my large pots and pans. 

We have a pocket door on a bathroom where there isn't much space for a traditional door, and it works. But I guess I'm old fashioned. I like my doors on hinges. 

That sounds cool!  My problem is that some items are simply too big to fit easily in the sink.  Oh well.

[CocoaGoddess]

Most of the time, I think the buyers are entitled crybabies.

But then I watched an episode of Flip or Flop, where they renovated a half million dollar house, and I loved almost everything about it except the kitchen. I have a nasty, visceral reaction to both dark hardwood floors and espresso cabinets, and it comes from having to live with both for seven years. I feel like it seriously affected my mood on some days, and it was tedious and exhausting keeping everything clean all the time. I dropped a cup of flour on the kitchen floor that first year and I swear I saw it in the cracks of the cabinet until the day we moved out, no matter how many times I cleaned it.

So watching it, I had to evaluate whether or not I would walk away from what is essentially a perfect "dream" home because I hated the kitchen. I would not be able to live with myself, ripping out brand new cabinets and floors just for cosmetic purposes, but I could not imagine living with that kitchen either for 15-20 years. 

Obviously the house is move in ready, but just not for me. I would rather people walk away from a house rather than declare perfectly livable space a "gut job" and set out to do just that. 

I also have to assume that House Hunters who have decided on a neighborhood or particular area of a city has already taken school district, commute, and acceptable levels of crime into account, so the only thing to really focus on are the esthetics of the house. 

[topanga]

3 minutes ago, CocoaGoddess said:

Most of the time, I think the buyers are entitled crybabies.

But then I watched an episode of Flip or Flop, where they renovated a half million dollar house, and I loved almost everything about it except the kitchen. I have a nasty, visceral reaction to both dark hardwood floors and espresso cabinets, and it comes from having to live with both for seven years. I feel like it seriously affected my mood on some days, and it was tedious and exhausting keeping everything clean all the time. I dropped a cup of flour on the kitchen floor that first year and I swear I saw it in the cracks of the cabinet until the day we moved out, no matter how many times I cleaned it.

So watching it, I had to evaluate whether or not I would walk away from what is essentially a perfect "dream" home because I hated the kitchen. I would not be able to live with myself, ripping out brand new cabinets and floors just for cosmetic purposes, but I could not imagine living with that kitchen either for 15-20 years. 

Obviously the house is move in ready, but just not for me. I would rather people walk away from a house rather than declare perfectly livable space a "gut job" and set out to do just that. 

I also have to assume that House Hunters who have decided on a neighborhood or particular area of a city has already taken school district, commute, and acceptable levels of crime into account, so the only thing to really focus on are the esthetics of the house. 

CocoaGoddess, you should go on House Hunters.  Your explanation about the cabinets and floors makes a lot of sense. Truth be told, you almost brought me to tears. 

In any event, you'd sound more sympathetic than the people who walk into a perfectly nice kitchen and say, "Gross. Where are my white cabinets? This kitchen is a complete gut job."

[dga28]

7 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

But my whole point is that some of us do not view our homes solely as investments but as our long-term residences and therefore we make decisions regarding renovations and design based on our preferences precisely because we do not intend to put the house on the market any time in the foreseeable future.  This is what colors our pet peeves.  You obviously are not one of those people, and that's fine; it gives you a different perspective on some of the issues we've discussed.  Your perspective is interesting but it does not in any way make our pet peeves less annoying to us.

And we aren't downing others for paying attention to trends.  We're complaining about whiney people on house hunting shows who always want the same things regardless of their budget or the type of house they're viewing and who talk about perfectly good rooms being "total gut jobs".

i give up because i am pretty sure i stated explicitly multiple times that if someone doesn't care about resale value or wasn't looking to sell their houses quickly, they dont have to pay attention to trends.  they can be more specific regarding their tastes and how they want their houses to look.   the tone of the discussion was that people were idiots for paying attention to trends.  

maybe unlike some here, they care about resale value.  if you can understand one point of view, why can't you also understand the other?

Edited September 29, 2016 by dga28

[Mittengirl]

What I don't understand is people who redo for resale now, when they aren't planning on selling for 5-6 years.  What if whatever is trendy now becomes the dreaded "outdated" in 12 months?

[dga28]

14 minutes ago, Mittengirl said:

What I don't understand is people who redo for resale now, when they aren't planning on selling for 5-6 years.  What if whatever is trendy now becomes the dreaded "outdated" in 12 months?

the approach i take is to try and do a little each year, so that, if and when i do decide to sell, i dont have to take a big bang approach and do everything all at once, which can be very disruptive and expensive.  some attributes may be a little aged but the entire house wouldn't be.

it doesn't even have to be much.  can be simple things such as updating plumbing fixtures one year, lighting fixtures another, redoing or update floors in one area of the house another year, some new appliances another year, etc...

[Mu Shu]

Can't we just talk about the show?  We get it,  some people buy houses with the intent of selling in a few years.   I have my reservations on how successful they really are.     

[CocoaGoddess]

Oh my god, can someone please ban the phrase "whole house gut job" from existence on these shows? New carpet and paint is not a gut job! 

The house hunters franchise is not good for my blood pressure, clearly. So sick of buyers who drop terms like "move in ready" and "character" as code for "don't want to do anything and put any effort into our homes, but want to brag to guests about how great our taste is!"

[laredhead]

I think my biggest pet peeve is when they state over and over that they don't want to have to do anything to their house.  I would love to be a fly on the wall when something breaks because I seriously do not think some of these HH's even know how to change a light bulb.  So many of them are still living with their parents and seem to have everything done for them in their parents updated houses.  I couldn't be a realtor because I would probably tell those buyers to go rent an apartment if they don't want to be responsible for anything from mowing the yard, blowing the snow, fixing a loose cabinet pull, or doing the smallest of household chores.   

[chessiegal]

14 minutes ago, laredhead said:

I think my biggest pet peeve is when they state over and over that they don't want to have to do anything to their house.  I would love to be a fly on the wall when something breaks because I seriously do not think some of these HH's even know how to change a light bulb.  So many of them are still living with their parents and seem to have everything done for them in their parents updated houses.  I couldn't be a realtor because I would probably tell those buyers to go rent an apartment if they don't want to be responsible for anything from mowing the yard, blowing the snow, fixing a loose cabinet pull, or doing the smallest of household chores.   

Hah! The light bulb comment made me  laugh, because my husband said his ex would never change a light bulb. He's sometimes quips about he wonders how long after he left that the house was in complete darkness at night..

[CocoaGoddess]

"Well there's no crown molding and the other details that I'm looking for."

You know how crown molding and other details appear in homes? Spoiler alert, it isn't magic. THE PREVIOUS OWNERS OR BUILDERS PUT THEM THERE. 

*checks blood pressure* 
 

[chessiegal]

My husband and I have bought 2 houses together, and I asked him tonight if we ever said while house hunting "Where is my (insert thing)? He looked at me and said we had never said that to each other about anything in our lives. HGTV - STOP IT!!