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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

When is Enough Enough?

Our efforts to get our house "ready" for the market are in full swing.  "Ready" being the interesting concept.  When we met with our Realtors earlier this year, they provided a laundry list of items that should be upgraded to make the house more attractive to every potential buyer, neutral color schemes, freshened paint, new carpets, tile, counter tops, etc, etc, etc.  When they were done with their "Wish List", a quick total in my head would have cost us over $30 thousand dollars, and our home is only 23 years old and has been well cared for.

So we have taken their list and prioritized tasks, looked for good bargains (love Lowe's 10% discount for military members) and have carefully accomplished things in a pay-as-you-go manner.  Using our sharp pencil, we've done much of the work ourselves, when the job is beyond us, we've carefully selected good contractors to do the work.  We are now pushing $9 thousand dollars spent so far.  We estimate another $5-6 thousand dollars and we'll be where we want to be.  We've realized there is a tipping point where money spent will not equal return on investment.  Of course the Realtors want more done to get a higher selling price so they can get a bigger commission.

Enough has to be enough, but little things creep in, I can do this, touch up that, rearrange the other thing...and it will be better.  As hard as it is, we're going to have to draw a line and stop or we'll have to hock the Journey to pay for these additional things.

Before you think our house is falling down, it's not.  We've carefully taken care of it and did many upgrades, all appliances have been replaced, all systems, heat, air conditioner, hot water heater upgraded with better and more efficient units.  New roof, new siding, repaved driveway, etc, etc, etc.

The preparations are becoming almost an addiction, and to let it get out of control means we'll never get done.  So we're drawing a line, it'll have to be good enough.  After all, chances are the buyer will repaint the rooms, change the tile and so forth.  I'll let them spend the time and effort.  I can quit anytime, really...

In the mean time, there is one "Enough" that we have, or I should say Marti, has completed.  She's given her boot the boot.  Her ankle is doing very well, the bone has healed and she is having rehab therapy twice a week.  She now wears a brace on her ankle and in a week or two will be free of that, too.


 In no time she'll be back training for that marathon she's been dreaming about. ;c)

Thanks for visiting and feel free to leave a comment.

10 comments:

  1. there is a fine line between not doing enough and doing way to much..don't cross the line..!..I always think if the house is sparkling clean that is half the battle..it is usually sold before the new buyers even enter the front door!..called 'curb appeal'!!..

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  2. and I am sure that your home has that already!!..we are sending you good 'thought's and hope that once it sells it will be quickly!!

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  3. Glad to hear Marti is well on the mend. Yes I would say by the sounds of it that enough is enough and I agree the new owners will want to change things.

    Take Care
    Brenda Brown

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  4. Brenda comment nails the issue. Most folks see what they will do to the house, not what you have done. I am sure all is well and once you get Marti off the injured reserve list things will come to an end. Enjoy the "journey" though.

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  5. It's time to Stop Working and Start Playing....

    No BOOT...WOO HOO...Disco Dancing soon;o))

    See you two at the Rally!!!

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  6. We sure understand the 'enough' thing. I looked at my house through a typical buyers eye..and realized in our market, my house is already better than some that are on now. My realtor said 'it's fine'. No more money pit for me :) I just hate paying a mortgage for a house I don't even live in!!

    See you soon!

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  7. I am sure your housing market is a lot different now than it was for us in NW Ohio 3-5 years ago.

    Basically, any upgrades would be for the purpose of a faster sale, but would not have likely increased the selling price. With all the foreclosed and distressed housing, it just did not make sense for us.

    Our Realtor advised that it would be better to be flexible on the price than put in new items that potential owners might not care for anyways.

    Who knows, good luck!

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  8. Hope all that money and work you've put in pays off for you.

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  9. Sometimes you just have to make yourself stop and say, “I have done enough”. People often work very hard to make their home sellable by redoing the house to suit their tastes only to find out later that the new owners changed things around to suit their requirements. I am guilty of this too. Happy to see that Marti is doing much better!

    John
    relaxedrush.blogspot.com

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  10. OMG! It’s painful to read about the pain but good to read that Her ankle is doing very well, the bone has healed and she is having rehab therapy Roof Leaks Repair Products

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