Help! Long post about renovating a house to sell.

9 years ago

Hi!

I'm hoping people can help guide me. My mother passed away and my sister and I inherited her house. It is in South Florida, and we didn't sell for a couple years because the market is so depressed.

Long story, but my dad (they were divorced) is staying in it and helping us fix it up to eventually sell. Her house was sort of typical for many older ladies--somewhat run-down and outdated.

Her floor was terrazzo, which sounds nice, but is in terrible shape and I hate the color. She had decent carpeting in half the house.

Now, despite being run-down, her house in a neighborhood that is pretty squarely middle to upper-middle class.

I need to put in new flooring to make anyone want to live here, but I'm debating laminate vs. engineered wood. I want to make it look nice and it's a great house for someone with kids--centered around a patio and a pool.

I know laminate turns people off, but honestly, anything would be an improvement. I don't want to do tile because it gets too cold to the touch.

Thoughts? Have people who installed laminate had bad experiences or do they hear that clicking noise I hear about when walking? My dad has a small dog.

(He will probably also be vehemently against laminate and will tell me it will never sell that way.) I just have so much work to do on this house, and I need about 2200 sq. feet of flooring--so it's not cheap!

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Comments (8)

User
9 years ago
Neither. Market as "original terrazzo floors can be restored". They are a HUGE feature that you really should explore the cost of restoring yourself. That would really add to the appeal of the home.
gregmills_gw
9 years ago
Just curious but why did you ask about engineered? Why not solid Hardwood?

Like you said "anything" would be an improvement. But to get top dollar for the house laminate wont do that. A lot depends on how much work the subfloor needs. A sound subfloor is the key for any finished floor. No one wants to buy a house that has new floors and hear squeeks. Just a tip. Good luck!
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Thanks for all your responses. We looked at it again with older, wiser folks ;) and there were some issues that they pointed out. Issues that we don't want to tackle. Also, I decided that if I would ever do a renovation to an older home, it should be on an older home with some sort of character or charm. There's really no point in dumping money into this particular home. There's no architectural charm whatsoever. One thing that I was "right" about, however, is that renovations in areas such as this can be profitable since the homes range from 250K to over a million. With that being said though, I was NOT looking to profit. I just want to be in a good location in a house that I like. The example given by an agent is if the land alone will sell for 250K - 290K, then the land with a 2300 sf house all updated nicely can sell for well over 400K. Baton Rouge doesn't follow the usual "rules" in certain locations. Another example, sort of, is there's a mid century modern house that I really want (husband doesn't like it) for 525K, but they purchased it 6 months ago for 319K, and haven't done a thing to it. Agent expects it to sell for 375-400K according to comps, but wouldn't be surprised if they got closer to what they are asking due to location. Someone may come along and buy it for what they are asking then drive up the price per square foot in the neighborhood. This seems to be a trend over here. Location really talks since the city is running out of IN CITY property. @ Artichokey, yes we have large life insurance policies on both of us etc etc. My husband is an insurance nut. He gets it on EVERYTHING. It's annoying, really. Also, if anything ever happened to my husband and I needed to go back to work, I could and would. KickyMarcia, we took a tour of the house you posted, but the pool is an issue and there were a lot of things that I would want to update and or change. I'm the problem. I'm too picky. So, we will just wait until the right house comes up. Livewireoak, public schools in Baton Rouge are a mess right now. It's a political debate not suitable for here. But trust me, they're nothing like the schools in Tennessee. Either way, we LOVE the Catholic school they are currently attending. It's a great school, Church, and Community that makes the drive just something I have to do. Hopefully, however, we will find a home soon that gets us closer to the school. In the meantime, NancyinMich, I will check out those coolers. :) Again, thanks for all of your opinions and advice! Take care!
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I appreciate the feedback. Although I was kind of hoping to enjoy some kitchen and bath updates for the remainder of time that I am here...! ;) I have spent a lot of time planning and imagining how much nicer the house would look with a few updates. The logical part of me understands that it would be far easier to cut the price and let the next owner deal with the headaches, but the emotional part of me wants to see it come to fruition. So to clarify what all of you have said: See some open houses and talk to some realtors to get their opinions. At a minimum, remove wallpaper, paint walls/ceilings in neutral tones, clean well, repair what can be repaired, declutter, and focus on curb appeal. I assume that means not repainting cabinets or woodwork unless recommended by realtors? The house did not have hardwood floors, but we did put in engineered wood in the family and living rooms last year. Kitchen and entry have original brick floors. Only the hallway and bedrooms are carpeted now, and that carpet absolutely needs to be replaced. Fortunately, our area has weathered the economic conditions much better than other parts of the country. Homes are selling here, and those in our neighborhood usually don't sit on the market too long unless they are in really bad condition or have weird floor plans, etc. But many are smaller than ours with one car garages, small lots, etc. so are priced lower than ours would (hopefully) be. We live on one of the more desirable blocks with a little larger homes/lots, and the surrounding homes are well maintained. So even pricing it low to allow for updates, I think the asking price would still be higher than many of the others that have sold. I don't know if that higher price would deter buyers looking for a less expensive home or if the need for updating would deter those who are looking for something at a slightly higher price point.... Guess that is a question for the realtors. Other feedback is still very much appreciated.
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writersblock (9b/10a)
9 years ago
What LWO said. Especially in S FL those are a feature, not a drawback.

EDIT Get a quote from a terrazzo restoration company.

This post was edited by writersblock on Thu, Jun 12, 14 at 18:34
lucillle
9 years ago
"Her house was sort of typical for many older ladies--somewhat run-down and outdated."

Just wondering why you and sis didn't help renovate while she could enjoy?
Lars
9 years ago
Can you post a photo of the existing terrazzo? I agree that renovating the terrazzo might be the best choice, and I would never consider laminate or engineered wood.

Do a check of houses for sale in the neighborhood and see what types of floors they have and what kind of prices the houses go for. In my neighborhood, houses with real wood would sell for higher than ones with engineered wood, but then no one uses engineered wood in my neighborhood that I have seen. If you do a cheap reno, you will get a cheap price, and the extra money you spend for real wood should make you even more money and make the sale go faster - unless the prices in your area are depressed.
tomatofreak
9 years ago
South Florida is known for terrazzo floors; they're not easily found anywhere else. By all means, get someone out who can clean and fix any problems. Don't cover up that floor!
helenahandbasket1
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks to everyone for your answers!

Restoring means massive dust and clearing everything out of the house, so it's not something I would want to do while my dad lives there. They grind off the surface of the floor.

As for the other questions: Hardwood is not good in the humidity of South Florida. Hardwood is not used here at all. Most houses have tile, but I would only put in tile to sell it, since I find all cold, hard floors (like terazzo) unpleasant except in small doses.

And, geez, Lucille, way to be judgmental! That's quite frankly, a long story and none of your business. I'm just asking about flooring, but thanks.

This post was edited by helenahandbasket1 on Sun, Jun 15, 14 at 10:59
glennsfc
9 years ago
My advice to you is don't do anything to it, other than clean it up. Most buyers want to decorate how they would like. In my opinion, all you need do is to provide a house that is in good repair outside and inside and clean.

Help! Long post about renovating a house to sell.

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Help! Long post about renovating a house to sell.

Comments (8)

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