Do Buyers Know or Care about Construction Quality?

We have been thinking of selling our home, and maybe retiring. Not having decided on keeping or selling, we have been renovating anyway.  My question to you all is this.  I have always built things the right way. I am currently upgrading systems that I built 25 years ago.  I was making a special trip to a different plumbing supply this morning to get the heavier gauge brass fittings, which I know last longer than the     usual quality. I am refinishing oak moldings with Rubio Monocoat from Abbot, available for only… $116.00 for a quart. I am also putting seven coats of Epiph?? Eurethane onto the window sills. Also available for only $51.00/ quart.

brucef

in Real Estate - Sales 12 years and 2 months ago

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Bond | 12 years and 2 months ago

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The last house I sold, I asked three realtors if I should rough in a kitchen  and price the house accordingly, letting the new buyer pick cabinets,appliances, finishes and price the home accordingly.  All three were in agreement that I should put in a kitchen, that most buyers just don’t have the vision that they think they do. I knew a painter that worked with a bank on foreclosed properties, his crew would go in and spray everything except the floors stark white just to brighten it up, and these were foreclosures.  That being said, I think you will make up your money on most visible finishes, but not hidden or utilitarian upgrades like better quality plumbing fittings. I used Monocoat on the floors of the last house I re- did, I don’t think the ease of reparing scratches with Monocoat added to the value of the house, but I do think that the nice mellow glow that it has helped sell the house overall.  I think I agree most with Miss718, make it look nice, but don’t break the bank.

snarkolepctic | 12 years and 2 months ago

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BruceF – some people will value the craftsmanship and loving attention to detail but most won’t, in my experience.  Save yourself the headache, time and money and do what it takes to make your house look nice but skip the fancy finishes.  You  should do the labor intensive “right thing” for your own enjoyment, not to sell a place.  I have grappled with this myself through the years. Bottom line: invest your time and money elsewhere.

brucef | 12 years and 2 months ago

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At the beginning of every Pinkie and the Brain episode, Pinkie would ask Brain what they were going to do. Brain’s answer was “Same thing we always do, try and take over the world”. In our case, my  equivelant to taking over the world is renting our home out again, and postponing retirement. I guess this may turn out to be an attempt to prevent a new purchaser from defiling the “temple”?

cupolacoffee | 12 years and 2 months ago

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It pains me (massively) to say this, but the product you’ll be selling is a building. The prospective buyer might appreciate your work, your standards, your workmanship, or maybe not. Even if they’re bowled over by your craftsmanship, they STILL might tear it all out. I’m guessing your wife has already tried to convey this.

brucef | 12 years and 2 months ago

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Thanks forthe reality checks. I am still awaiting the groundswell of support that does not agree with my wife.

cupolacoffee | 12 years and 2 months ago

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“So are prospective buyers secretly saying, “It’s a tear down”, or is present day craftsmanship valued?”
Craftsmanship is valued, but today’s buyer, buying at today’s astronomical prices, that usually translates to mean the buyer’s designers, the buyer’s contractors, the buyer’s preferred tile and bidet, etc. If your house has a desirable location and is attractive and in good shape (even superlative shape, as your past informative posts lead me to believe), then that is enough. No need to embellish anything pre-sale @ $116.00/qt.

timber | 12 years and 2 months ago

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I recently put about $20,000 (not a huge sum) in fixing up a house before I put it on the market….it made the property look good and I’m glad I did it but it probably wasn’t necesarry….before I officially put it on the market, the third person who saw it made me an excellent offer that I couldn’t turn down (of course the property was priced right)….the new owner’s plan is to totally gut it

brucef | 12 years and 2 months ago

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Full disclosure Little original detail survived, and old origin preceded the more decorative eras. Mostly the 22 fot width and four floors plus attic. And view of Manhattan.      Saved stairwell balusters and rail.

timber | 12 years and 2 months ago

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hard to answer your question…does the house have lots of detail that will interest such a buyer….or is it’s best asset size and/or location that would interest someone as a “tear down”….imho there seem to be more and more folks interested in gutting and rebuilding and taking advantage of the maximum square footage allowed on any given property…..but that’s just imho

brucef | 12 years and 2 months ago

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Web interface truncated my query, but here is the 2nd try. In the event of a sale, does it make a difference to a prospective purchaser that not only are there no surprises behind the walls, but that everything they can’t see has been done right without shortcuts? Should I care about installs that will surely outlive me? Sometimes when I take apart an old wall, I discover hand writing that obviously was written by the builder in 1846. So are prospective buyers secretly saying, “It’s a tear down”, or is present day craftsmanship valued?   I have never taken shortcuts, but it does seem easier.