Bathroom and Kitchen Updates--Do them thoroughly or not at all
Kitchens and bathrooms is what I've always heard. But that is assuming everything else (roof, exterior, etc) is in decent shape. Like AR implied, a fixed up kitchen in a run down house won't do much. .
I wasn't implying that there were quick fixers in run down houses; rather, I was talking about updates made in an overall very nice house but just not completed.
For example, in one house we looked at over the weekend, we saw 3 bathrooms, in 3 states of improvement.
The ground floor full bath had new tile counters and tile floors, a new vanity, and new, ornate mirror and faucets. Very pretty and updated. However, they left the outdated brass-trimmed shower door and cultured marble tub surround. If I wanted to finish that update, I'd have to find tile to match the counters and floor. To my mind, so it would have been better to leave the whole thing undone. Do it right, and thoroughly, or clean it and leave it.
In the huge master bath, they did the whole thing, extensive tile work, yet the tile was somewhat personalized to their taste, with a southwest theme to the trim tile. Gorgeous, but too personalized. However, I don't think they did that upgrade to sell it but instead did it for themselves.
And in the hall bath upstairs, the kids' bath, I guess, other than paint the oak cabinets white, they left it as it was: all the brass fixtures, the cultured marble counters and sinks and tub surround, and also left the little blue soccer balls stenciled on the soffit.
Of all 3 bathrooms, I prefer the third one, because I can paint over the soccer ball stencils and choose tile or countertops myself.
In the kitchen, oak cabinets were painted over, with new bronze pulls put in, and they added the head cheese granite from Lowe's, but they still had the older black appliances. It was clean, but I'd take the granite right out and also consider that I will probably have to replace the appliances because they are older. They might as well have left the tile counters they started with.
The wine chiller was a nice update, though.
I think they did some very basic updates, inexpensive ones, to make the house look pretty for photos -- it's very well staged -- but updates were not thoroughly done.
It makes me think they have to sell -- especially since the house is staged and they have moved out, except for their 3-car garage full of stuff they left behind.