Does a lick of paint . . .

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Does a lick of paint . . .

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Woodburner

Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 2904
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 11 10:50 am Post subject: Does a lick of paint . . .

really add to the value of a property? Actually the paintwork is so old and tired, that I'm pretty sure that painting will pay off, as well as a new bathroom suite, but what about the remaining bedroom ceilings? (Polystyrene tiles.) The company that's doing the burnt room are going to rip out the plasterboard entirely and replace it. . . . And I have just realised the implications of that for my insulation!!!

Is it really worth doing to the other two rooms?

Then there's doors. There is no door to the kitchen, as the kitchen is so small it makes access easier! I had been thinking of replacing with a glass panelled folding door, and maybe matching glass panelled doors for the dining room and lounge, but now I'm wondering "Is it worth the trouble and money?" It would probably help make the hall a bit lighter.

Then there's the electrics. Everything is safe, as I have had RCD's and a new fuse box fitted, but most of the sockets and light switches are the original 50's, and the sockets aren't switched. Replacing them is a major operation though, as the boxes behind them would have to be replaced as well, and that means disturbing some very old wiring too!

Then there's the floors. There are no fitted carpets anywhere, just boards with runners and big 'rugs'. Personally, I like that 'system' but I don't like the carpets and runners that I have left, should I sand the boards and replace the rugs/carpets (I would keep the carpets and runners when we move) or should I get carpets fitted?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45779
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 11 12:14 pm Post subject:

yes

spend a grand on maintainance and painting ,reap ten grand if it is done well

kitchen /bathroom maybe double your money maybe not but if they are ok it makes a place much more saleable

converting lofts and building extensions improves the house for you but is unlikely to add more value than it costs

if you want rugs ,sand ,use rabbit skin glue and sanding dust to fill the gaps ,cheap looks ,nice no drafts

ive done hundreds of such jobs for folk ,it pays to fix the house sooner rather than later

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45779
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 11 12:16 pm Post subject:
ps the electrics should be top of the list

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 11 12:31 pm Post subject:
Agree with dpack 110%. It'll add to the price, and add to the saleability, so it'll shift faster. A current surveyors report will potentially condemn your electrics.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 11 12:56 pm Post subject:

It might add value to the property but it's often unlikely to be able to recoup your expenditure when you come to sell. So, you might spend 10k but only sell the house for 5k more. The main value in a house is size and location, both of which you're not going to change.

If you're staying there for a few years and have time to do most of the work yourself then it might be worth it, if you're thinking of getting people in to do the work and move soon then I'd think very carefully. Get a good valuation now and ask the agent what it would be worth if you did everything. Then cost it out and see where you stand. Even something like www.zoopla.co.uk will allow you to play around with the valuation depending on the state of the house.

I'm not sure what it's like round your way but round here it's not uncommon for a house to be brought, renovated, sold and then the new owners strip out most of what the previous people installed!

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45779
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 11 1:23 pm Post subject:
at the mo most folk want a property to live in or rent with a good standard of maintainance 1950's switches would mess a mortgage valuation or a landlords insurance and maybe buildings /household insurance for the incumbant resident sorry to be blunt but

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8681
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 11 1:29 pm Post subject:
The productive and pretty garden, new kitchen, large solid double garage (got very cheap and moved ourselves) apparently sold my Cardiff house....the garden returned to neglect, the kitchen was the first thing out and the garage has gone. Their loss as it all upped the selling price, and nothing needed doing to the place when they moved in...in fact the builders went in first

Woodburner

Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 2904
Location: Essex

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 11 11:03 am Post subject:

Thanks for your comments everyone.

I think I'll start with the basic clear out and tidy the garden, and when the burnt room is sorted, get a valuation and go from there.

dpack wrote:

at the mo most folk want a property to live in or rent with a good standard of maintainance

1950's switches would mess a mortgage valuation or a landlords insurance and maybe buildings /household insurance for the incumbant resident

sorry to be blunt but

I've only been in the house three years, I got the fuse box replaced with modern stuff, it's no big deal with insurance or mortgage, I got both with a completely antique system. It might get picked up by a surveyor, but I don't think getting it done will add more than it's actual cost to the value of the house. I stress that it is not dangerous. Even if it were to develop a fault, it would either trip out an RCD or an MCB.
I had what needed to be done to make it safe, done, as soon as we found a reliable electrician.

Katieowl

Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Posts: 4317
Location: West Wales

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 11 11:20 am Post subject:

dpack wrote:

It's true...our old house had been almost completly rewired...but the OH had restored and replaced all the dolly switches, when our buyers surveyor came he wasn't having any of it, and said the place needed rewired (the guy was an oaf - it wasn't his only issue!)

Otherwise, I reckon a coat of paint is well worth it...but other stuff??? Not so sure. Lots of buyers come in and rip everything out anyway...so unless you want to see your new hall carpet in a skip, like one of my old neighbours did, or for them to come an rip out your handbuilt kitchen with Aga (Like ours did

) having raved about it.... you get my drift.

Kate

gillyflower

Joined: 20 Sep 2007
Posts: 226

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 11 12:52 pm Post subject:

I was worrying how to get my house into a good enough condition for sale - it really needs new plaster and ceilings etc. I got someone in to give me a valuation for how much it is worth now and advice on what to spend money on. He said that the things that will sell my house are location/surroundings/closeness to station and 3 proper bedrooms. He said that I could spend loads of money doing it up but would not get the full value back as people want to choose there own kitchens, bathrooms etc. A done up house would put a lot of people off if they didn't like how it was done and would not pay the extra money. His advice was to make it clean and spacious (de -clutter, new white paintwork), repaint the outside for kerb appeal but not to bother with anything else unless I wanted some of the benefit. But this is in commuterland right next to the station so there's always a good demand for my street and he said people will want to buy a bit cheaper and add there own value. So now I'm not going to worry about all the work, accept I'll get a bit less but with no big payout up front.

Gillyflower

kirstyfern

Joined: 03 Jan 2010
Posts: 1574
Location: Great Dunmow, Essex

Posted: Tue Apr 05, 11 1:54 pm Post subject: Selling house for best price

We have a 40yr old ex council house.

We have planning permission to add a front extension, estimated cost £20k, plus the kitchen is a complete mess, plaster coming off (puppies!), old pipework, etc, so needs gutting, but it is a good size kitchen, so add £5k for that.

Estate agent said if we plan to move within 5 years just tidy the place up but don't spend £20/25k as we won't get it back. 3 valuations of house at £170 - £185 but they all said in our street houses don't sell for more than £200k as we are ex council.

We have done a quick spruce up of the 3 bedrooms, wallpaper off, skim of plaster where required, magnolia paint on walls, white ceilings (£100)
laminate flooring and skirting, 3 bedrooms (£300)
replaced light fittings and switches (£50)

Put new internal doors / handles, light switches & sockets, up and downstairs (£150)

Double glazed all but downstairs front of house, new pvc back door(£1500)

Downstairs wc - put in new toilet and sink, boxed in pipes, tiled floor, painted walls and ceiling, new light fitting. (£150)

Bathroom was refitted and walls tiled 8 years ago so just put in new bath, shower rail and tiled floor. (£150)

Laminate floor & skirting downstairs hallway (£50)

Carpet man measured stairs today for stair / hall carpet - I enjoyed the discussion the other day! (£250?)

There is not much more to do now except;
skim and paint porch, varnish front door (£50)
paint the shed and fence (£50),
cut front lawn and stash everything in the garage so the home looks less cluttered (makes a big impression apparantly)

Then get estate agents in to photograph and market!

Unfortunately the wood on the house front is rotten so can't really do much there but we have planning permission for the front of the house so new owners can do the extension / kitchen to their own requirements, estate agent said whatever we spend they will probably rip out anyway!

Hoping a bit of a tidy and £2-3k will get up £10k more on asking price - watch this space!

Woodburner

Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 2904
Location: Essex

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 11 1:30 pm Post subject:

I'd appreciate that, thanks

Looking on zoopla, I found out how much the house up the road went for a few months ago. £240k The conservatory is typical deluxe modern sort, the two receps were made into one, and the bathroom was made into a shower room. The new owners have made the enlarged reception room back into two rooms, and allegedly ripped out the bath/shower room, so I reckon I should get min. £225 (allowing for rewiring, and old conservatory) once I've cleaned out the tut and tidied the garden to yuppie standards.

Ecocentric

Joined: 14 May 2009
Posts: 93
Location: Western foothills of the Cambrians

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 11 5:37 pm Post subject:

Apart from the financial aspects (I side with the Sweep, wash, mow, cut, trim and bu66er off asap..

) do you really want to go through the trauma of doing or at the very least organising a makeover with dubious return..?? better to save your creative juices for your "new" home/smallholding. We went through this 3 years back. I had such plans for the old place but events conspire etc etc. In the end I was so relieved when we got shot of it "as is" and quite literally "moved on"...

Woodburner

Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 2904
Location: Essex

Posted: Sat Apr 09, 11 6:33 pm Post subject:

Ecocentric wrote:

Apart from the financial aspects (I side with the Sweep, wash, mow, cut, trim and bu66er off asap..

Yes, I pretty much decided that when I tried to cut down a really overgrown forsythia to make space to replace an almost vanished fence. Some things just aren't going to repay the effort, never mind the money!
I do need to declutter and sort what I really want to keep from all the tut, and finishing off the already bought but not yet fitted cupboards in the kitchen will help, anything else is really just a matter of time. I've set myself the deadline of about this time next year to be ready to move. I'm quite happy to stay another winter, as I have a ton (probably more actually) of good firewood to use up. Building a new (replacement) shed will help with the tidying and sorting too, but that's quite possibly all I will manage to do.

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