Moemg
Gone but not forgotten
How often do you remodel your home ? I was talking to a realtor and they said you should remodel every 8 years .Is this excessive or am I a slacker ?
Remodeling
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REWahoo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give
A good realtor does not give that kind of advice. A good realtor knows how to stage a dated, worn house to look like a $M bucks. When realtor's say "update" "remodel" and you'll get twice the value or whatever, BS. Realtor is saying you invest your money, then I'll sell your house for you. Will you get your price? I don't think it matters.
We bought into that when sold our house in MI. Changed all the faucets, lighting, updated floors lost $60K anyways. This stuff makes the realtor look good. IMO Buyers can update to their liking and a savvy buyer thinks for themselves.
We bought into that when sold our house in MI. Changed all the faucets, lighting, updated floors lost $60K anyways. This stuff makes the realtor look good. IMO Buyers can update to their liking and a savvy buyer thinks for themselves.
davebarnes
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Are you selling very soon?
Then don't remodel at all. Declutter and then do it again. Clean and clean again. Stage (a little or a lot, depending on price and potential buyers).
A strong market (either for buyers or for sellers) changes these rules a bit.
Not selling.
Then only remodel to make yourself happy.
Never use the word investment in relation to your principal abode.
Do not hire that real estate agent.
Then don't remodel at all. Declutter and then do it again. Clean and clean again. Stage (a little or a lot, depending on price and potential buyers).
A strong market (either for buyers or for sellers) changes these rules a bit.
Not selling.
Then only remodel to make yourself happy.
Never use the word investment in relation to your principal abode.
Do not hire that real estate agent.
Moemg
Gone but not forgotten
I would never do that she is my SO's ex wife and she has not remodeled her fourteen year old home .
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
Personally I only remodel if I think it would have value to me while I live there. I like my present house as it is. It is a nice blend of old and new. Some of the finishes are old fashioned, from the 1960's, but they are high quality and I like them because of nostalgia for that era which is long past. So anyway, I haven't done a single thing to the inside of my house and do not plan to do anything.
If I wanted to put the house on the market, I'd ask the realtor about it at that time. Really unless the market has "gone south", with few or no offers, it is possible that even remodeling to sell might not be worth the cost. Often buyers have strange tastes and will remodel even a newly remodeled home, to match their tastes.
Maybe a really good time to remodel (if desired) would be when first moving in or else while you are living there if the idea appeals to you a lot. If you have always dreamed of a beautiful newly remodeled bath or kitchen in your home, and plan to live there for a while, then I think you should go for it! But if you are thinking of moving soon, then it might pay off to remodel the home you move to, rather than the one you are moving from. But then what do I know (nothing). Just wanted to ramble on about my thoughts and opinions and hoping it somehow might be helpful too.
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Agree with this completely. The only thing I'd do beyond the thorough cleaning and staging is repaint in clean bright neutrals, ala HGTV palette. As a buyer, I either want something that is old, clean, with good bones, and priced understanding that it needs a remodel, or I want something that is perfectly remodeled to my tastes.
The chances of finding the latter are ridiculously low (i'm super picky). And I would be loathe to pay the premium for a newly remodeled house if it was done (and it would likely be) in a style I dislike., and I wouldn't want to rip out new stuff.
We remodeled about 12 years ago. The house still looks great, but it's in a classic look. Nowadays every "after" is a gray floor, shiplap, white kitchens, big islands. If you are someone who remodels to the Joanna Gaines style today, yes I think in 10 years it will be glaringly out of date.
Teacher Terry
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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We always remodel if needed right away. Never to sell because everyone has different tastes.
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
So much for her! Seems like nobody here agrees with her, and she doesn't remodel every 8 years either.
Moemg
Gone but not forgotten
My Sister just ripped out a gorgeous white kitchen with black granite and very high end appliances because it was 11 years old.The new kitchen is okay but not WOW.
skipro33
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I can't imagine remodeling that often, or I just have a different understanding of what remodel means. I have beautiful hardwood floors, granite counter tops in the kitchen and hickory cabinets. Your realtor means to say I need to tear that all out and replace it? With WHAT?!
My bathroom has marble shower, frameless glass, granite vanity and top of the line toilet.
I would say that every 8 years, I might replace all the towels, hang new window coverings, new throw rugs, and maybe even replace pots/pans and dishes, but that's not remodeling.
I'd say your realtor is so full of poo they gotta hurt!
My bathroom has marble shower, frameless glass, granite vanity and top of the line toilet.
I would say that every 8 years, I might replace all the towels, hang new window coverings, new throw rugs, and maybe even replace pots/pans and dishes, but that's not remodeling.
I'd say your realtor is so full of poo they gotta hurt!
Moemg
Gone but not forgotten
To clarify I will be moving probably in the next year but Our neighbor wants the house because of the location . He is a contractor and wants it pre renovations .
aja8888
Moderator Emeritus
The new homeowner's wife calls for the remodel right after they buy. That's generally how it goes.
Kwirk
Full time employment: Posting here.
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I figure that a realtor on commission gains from any remodeling that raises the selling price, whether or not you recover your investment. I would consider suggestions but examine the possible benefit VERY carefully.
Ronstar
Moderator Emeritus
Only remodel when you have to in order to sell the place, or every 25 years, whichever comes first.
Souschef
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
T agree with W2R, about remodeling things that were worth it to you. We have been in our home which we bought new for 12 years, and did a lot of what I would call upgrading
Replaced tile counters with granite (no grout) Including big sink and new faucet
Replaced "contractor grade" appliances with higher grade ones
Had cabinets refaced and new doors and drawers built (old drawers were falling apart).
Replaced wooden deck with TREX (low maintenance)
Replaced all interior door hardware (they kept breaking)
Replaced all exterior door lock sets (falling apart)
Replaced all bathroom faucets (they were crap).
Replaced tile counters with granite (no grout) Including big sink and new faucet
Replaced "contractor grade" appliances with higher grade ones
Had cabinets refaced and new doors and drawers built (old drawers were falling apart).
Replaced wooden deck with TREX (low maintenance)
Replaced all interior door hardware (they kept breaking)
Replaced all exterior door lock sets (falling apart)
Replaced all bathroom faucets (they were crap).
davebarnes
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Define "very high-end" please.
An anecdote.
My parents were going to be selling their house, built in 1904. It needed updating. The contractor next door was champing at the bit for them to sell him the house as-is at a low-ball price. We invested some time and very little money (IIRC a couple thousand $) in an interior "budget re-do"....neutral light-colored paint, minor repairs/updating (like covering up hairline cracks in the bathroom plaster with bead-board and replacing the original wall-mounted sink with a pedestal version), installing 'place & press' tiles in the bath and kitchen, etc.
The house was listed with a realtor and sold in a few weeks for more than double what the neighbor had offered.
omni
pb4uski
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
We recently sold my Mom's home about 40 minutes north of Moemg. We thought that we would have to paint the inside and some of the outside and do some minor renovations in order to sell since virtually nothing had been done in over 15 years. The real estate agent advises against doing so... in fact the carpeting was awful and we planned to replace it and she suggested that we just clean it. We did a good job cleaning it out (all belongings gone and just some furniture for staging), pressure washed the siding and gutters, shampooed the carpets and had it throughly cleaned. About $500 as I recall.
We did price it accordingly but a couple a bit older than me bought it and plan to rennovate it. They invited me to stop by and see it and I'm looking forward to doing so.
The only thing that we had to do was to replace the main electrical junction panle and breakers and a sub panel that provided HVAC power... the buyer's insurance company insisted on it and that was a common demand in the sale of older homes in the area. The electrical work was ~$1,350... so in total less than $2k for costs to prepare it for sale.
We did price it accordingly but a couple a bit older than me bought it and plan to rennovate it. They invited me to stop by and see it and I'm looking forward to doing so.
The only thing that we had to do was to replace the main electrical junction panle and breakers and a sub panel that provided HVAC power... the buyer's insurance company insisted on it and that was a common demand in the sale of older homes in the area. The electrical work was ~$1,350... so in total less than $2k for costs to prepare it for sale.
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Moemg
Gone but not forgotten
Their appliances were not very high end just high end . To me a stove close to $5000 is high end .
Katsmeow
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Everyone seems to focusing on whether you should remodel for resale. The original question though didn't say anything about resale just about when you "should" remodel.
I would say that depends on what the purpose is of the remodel and what you mean by remodel.
I think the more average time for remodeling a particular area of the house is 15 years. Now most people don't remodel the entire house at one time. They do it in stages. So you might remodel the master bath this year and then 8 years later do the kitchen.
So every 8 years to do some significant remodel of a portion of the house doesn't seem unreasonable. Doing the entire house every 8 years seems unlikely for most people. We are bought to do a major remodel to the house we bought last year (1980s) but are focusing on only a few areas. We aren't doing the kitchen for example. But we might do that in future.
I would not do a major remodel just for resale purposes. Remodels are to enhance your enjoyment of the house and make it more functional for you. Of course, you may need to do some things to get a house ready for sale.
At the house we sold last year, we did do some relatively minor work in our bathroom (replaced counters, sinks and mirrors and removed an upper cabinet). That was fine and not hugely expensive. On the other hand, in our current house we are about to completely gut and redo the bathroom. I wouldn't do that if we thought we would sell any time soon.
I would say that depends on what the purpose is of the remodel and what you mean by remodel.
I think the more average time for remodeling a particular area of the house is 15 years. Now most people don't remodel the entire house at one time. They do it in stages. So you might remodel the master bath this year and then 8 years later do the kitchen.
So every 8 years to do some significant remodel of a portion of the house doesn't seem unreasonable. Doing the entire house every 8 years seems unlikely for most people. We are bought to do a major remodel to the house we bought last year (1980s) but are focusing on only a few areas. We aren't doing the kitchen for example. But we might do that in future.
I would not do a major remodel just for resale purposes. Remodels are to enhance your enjoyment of the house and make it more functional for you. Of course, you may need to do some things to get a house ready for sale.
At the house we sold last year, we did do some relatively minor work in our bathroom (replaced counters, sinks and mirrors and removed an upper cabinet). That was fine and not hugely expensive. On the other hand, in our current house we are about to completely gut and redo the bathroom. I wouldn't do that if we thought we would sell any time soon.
pb4uski
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Fair point re: OP. We do periodic remodels... on the house we bought in 1986 we added a playroom for the kids and a sewing room for DW and a large walk-in storage closet... total kitchen remodel another year... replaced garage slab another year... plus occasional repainting... wallpapering... taking down wall paper and repainting... you get the idea. Most were DIY except kitchen remodel and garage slab.
On our current home that we bought as a seasonal camp in 2005 we did an extreme remodel in 2011... we tore the place down and rebuilt.
On our current home that we bought as a seasonal camp in 2005 we did an extreme remodel in 2011... we tore the place down and rebuilt.
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Amethyst
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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Our pool guy, for what it's worth, told us that most of the homes he services seem to get a remodel every 15 years "and that's when they replace the pool." The house we just bought is 15 years old, but he didn't know that
I think "every 8 years" is about how often the housing industry manages to introduce new fashions in kitchens, baths, etc., and then convince people that anything else looks "dated." It's like any other industry, including divorce lawyers: convince people they no longer like what they used to like, and then sit back and take their money.
I think "every 8 years" is about how often the housing industry manages to introduce new fashions in kitchens, baths, etc., and then convince people that anything else looks "dated." It's like any other industry, including divorce lawyers: convince people they no longer like what they used to like, and then sit back and take their money.
