SHOP PRODUCTS
Houzz Logo Print
ladynimue

Which comps to use - new homes or similar homes?

ladynimue
16 years ago

Here's the situation we'll be facing soon. We're not ready to list with an agency yet, but I'll be getting their opinion when we do.

Meanwhile, to help us with some planning, can you tell us what you think?

We are in a strong sellers market. Many people are moving in for jobs and the competition for homes is pretty strong. To meet the housing needs there has been new builds going up, but still not enough to meet demand. So the older homes, like ours, are still selling quite well. We are a small town - just 86 homes are listed on Realtor.com today, and only 16 of those, 6 of them new builds, 'match' our sf, price range, and good location - what I would consider comparable.

I would still like to do the best we can to sell the quickest we can for the best price we can. I'm not sure how to weigh which way we should go.

Our move, job relocation, is something we didn't plan on so we happen to be in the middle of updating our master bath and remodeling the kitchen. There are certain things we would have done for ourselves, but I'm not sure we should do now.

I'm not sure whether I should base the updates/remodeling upon the new homes or upon other homes similar to ours.

The new homes are - new, lol. They feature all the things many buyers want - granite or solid surface counters, tile or wood floors (tile is preferred in this area), etc. The negatives to these homes are the lack of mature landscaping and smaller square footage. Price wise our 2300sf home will be competing with the new homes 1800sf.

Homes similar to ours in age and location to ours have smaller sf (around 1800-2000sf) and generally have NOT been updated. Other distinguishing facts between our home and the other older homes/new builds is our beautiful front courtyard and our humongous master bedroom suite - this was an addition put on in the 1990's. His and her walk in closets, fp, french doors, built in shelving, lots of space, separate shower, big tub, a water/toilet closet, double sinks and large vanity area, and several built in linen cupboards.

Bathroom updates we had planned were a new solid surface counter top, new sinks and hardware/faucets, replacing the toilet and replacing the carpet (yeah, yuk!) with tile. Now I'm not sure how 'high end' we should go. Similar older homes are not updated, but the new homes are, of course. Convention says to not outdo the neighbors too much, but the MB suite is also one of our best selling features. Someone might buy our home instead of one of the new homes because of this - right?

Same with the kitchen - should we just use laminate, like all the other similar homes, or go with granite/solid surface. Negatives to our kitchen are that it's small. The oven is SS, and we plan to make the dishwasher also SS to match, but not sure if we should now just leave the white fridge because it's not built in? We have already knocked down a wall to open it up a bit and give a little more counter space, and we are in the middle of installing new cabinetry.

Our other issue is the flooring. In spite of the entry, LR, DR, Sun Room, and kitchen sharing the same open floor space - the LR has a different colored tile. It looks weird imho and we planned to put hardwood over it all. Now I wonder if we should just carpet over the LR area (would still look a little strange, but not as bad) or just leave it as is?

I do not want to put more into this than necessary, but I'm having a hard time figuring out where our home sits via comps and whether the updates we had planned will be worth our while in terms of selling. Should the look of our home compare to the new builds or should we stay in line with the older homes?

Any opinion or ideas?

(whew, sorry, I didn't know I'd end up writing so much)

Comments (25)

  • dabunch
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here's how I would look at your house. The larger sqft (2300?)would appeal to me over the new 1800 sqft.

    There are a lot of variables to consider whether you can be comped with new or old. Is there A LOT of land left where you live? If there isn't then you should comp with old. New would be too costly to build. If there is a lot of land around where you live then it wouldn't cost much more to build a similar house to yours because the LAND on new construction is what pushes the price higher....among other things. With lots of land avialable, if your house is super updated, you can comp with a new 1800 sqft house.

    Sometimes if your house is under 10 yo & in excellent shape, you can comp with new. But yours still has to have something pretty special to put you in with the new...like a 50k view or something.

    You should get a bit more than a house down the street from you. I'm guessing as a seasoned buyer, I would be allowing for updates & the condition of your home to another (older, like yours) on the street. If a house with no updates , 2000 sqft is going for 300k & your 2300sqft updated kitchen, bath, floors, would be going for 320-325k tops. I would never pay dollar for dollar for updates on an older home.

    That is how I see it as a buyer. I've bought & sold many homes.

    BTW- How old is OLd? As you know, homes built before 1910 cost sometimes more than new. How comparable are the locations?

    I had a 9 yo Colonial I was going to list. An agent used one of the new construction homes as a comp....BUT my house had a 50k view & my location was prime. The new homes had to deal with traffic congestion ect.

  • cordovamom
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    When your home sells, the comps for the bank appraiser likely will not include the brand new homes. The appraiser will compare your home to the homes that are roughly the same age. He/she will adjust for square footage or additional fireplace, size of lot etc. But basically you're going to be comped according to similar style and size and age homes. Therefore, I think you should price your home in line with the homes that are close to your home in age. Look at the average selling price per square foot for homes of your vintage and adjust that up to include the fact that you have more square footage then the average home in your sub division.

    Some people prefer pre owned homes because of the mature landscaping, size of yards etc. But typically, new construction homes are priced higher then a comparable existing home.

  • Related Discussions

    Which pipes for new home build?

    Q

    Comments (17)
    While I can't speak for all PEX products, I can state with 100% confidence that Wirsbo/Uponor AQUAPEX can be used with recirc systems. In their "Professional Plumbing Installation Guide" (which I am looking at right now) an example of such an installation is described. This is the product that we used when we redid our plumbing and it was great to work with. One of the outlets on the hot water manifold for the second floor is used as a return line for the recirc pump. The pump is controlled by motion sensors in the second floor bathrooms as well as via aquastat. That is, for 20 minutes from the last time motion is detected in the bathrooms, the pump will be controlled by the aquastat. All other times, the pump is off. This has all but eliminated the added costs associated with the recirc system.
    ...See More

    How to use comps to set a listing price?

    Q

    Comments (10)
    I need to wait to list until after the school move-in time due to a family situation that can't be changed. I do have the option of waiting to put the house on the market next spring, but my target is this fall. I don't think Sept is a particularly great time to sell, but definitely better than December/January. None of the comps were distressed sales. There are very few short sales and/or foreclosures in my town as the prices have held up pretty well. Comp 2's list price was $1,895,000, sale price was $1,850,000 so it seems to have been priced well. I forgot to mention that it backs to a grade school, which could either be a positive or a negative. Comp 3's list was $2,298,000, sale price was $2,305,000 so there were probably multiple offers. Houses have sold in my neighborhood with multiple offers, but I didn't include them in the comps because they're around 2200 square feet and mine is over 3000. As far as bells & whistles, what would you include? I think my house is pretty comparable given the age of the houses in my town. The main upgrade has been the kitchen with granite counters & stainless appliances. All hardwood floors on the ground floor. Three fireplaces, two of which are wood-burning. Steam shower & double sinks in the master. One negative is that the kitchen isn't open to the family room, as a lot of buyers seem to want that these days. The pool is either a positive or a negative, depending on the buyer. Almost all the houses in my neighborhood have pools. Comp 1 was listed with a pool for months at an original price of $2,195,000, then reduced to $1,995,000. When it didn't sell, they took it off the market and filled in the pool, then put it back on the market - it finally sold for $1,759,000 over a year after the original listing.
    ...See More

    New Home Build - Is this framing normal for a new home?

    Q

    Comments (20)
    Pitiful but may be ok. You are looking at it all wrong. It is not the lumber it is about if it is plumb and leveled esp at the windows. It is not about foundation bolt - it is about if any of them are missing more than 6' apart and and 2x at the corners. It is not about the OSB flooring, rather if OSB was glued and fastened properly.... Sheathing same way can not end in the air.
    ...See More

    New Home Siding - Hardie or Wood for traditional home

    Q

    Comments (9)
    If I were to consider fiber-cement siding for a traditional New England house I would look at Hardie Artisan siding. Its a bit more than 40% thicker (5/8 vs 7/16) than regular Hardie siding. The Lap (4, 6 & 8" exposure) and Beaded Lap (7" exposure) versions have T&G end joints so the seams should not be an issue. The other versions (7" V-groove, 9" Shiplap, 9" Square Channel, 9" Bevel Channel) all have horizontal "lock joints" so they're easy to install and the end joints should not be an issue. All of these versions can be mitered at the building corners. The window trim should be 1" (5/4) cellular PVC or composite with a similar sill added. The Artisan sidings are primed and will need to be field painted and eventually repainted so I don't know why they are considered low maintenance; I would call them moderate-maintenance. As for cost I suggest not asking if something is more expensive than another thing but competitively bid both designs and see what happens. For me the alternative would be factory dipped stained white cedar shingles. They will not need to be stained after installation and should be restained every 20 years whether they need it or not. For more specific advice you should post the design of your house.
    ...See More
  • ladynimue
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for the great replies. So I'm understanding that we should'nt worry too much about the quality of our updates? We should go ahead and put in laminate counters and basic hardware and leave the unmatched tile floors and white fridge? It simply won't be worth our cost, right?

    I was thinking that our negative small kitchen would be outweighed or made even steven because of a top notch update. Same with bath update. But there's no way we want to spend more than we'd get back in value (not only money but we don't want to sit on the market for very long either - probably not a real worry since there's such a small pool of older homes available).

    When I think back to our reasons for choosing this home, it was mainly because of the mb suite. The small outdated kitchen nearly made us decide not to buy.

    There is land available for building here - BUT it's located 'in the country' and builders are so busy with new construction that it's difficult to find anyone willing to do the work - our town is in a 'boom' phase. The new homes are in small planned communities with a few pre-built homes ready for sale and the rest of the land plots are waiting for buyers. They have recently reduced prices, so I'm thinking that's a good thing for us?

    The mid-range model of the new homes, 2000sf, $100 per. The next size, 2900sf is going for $84sf. The smallest 1300sf sells for $134. They also get a 5% tax credit for being energy-efficient. They are offering lighting and bath upgrades and option of 9' ceiling instead of 8'.

    Homes in my school district are asking about $86 per sf., no updates, same # bed and bath. I should stay in line price-wise with these and make limited updates? Maybe we shouldn't touch the bath at all - it's old but not broken.

  • cordovamom
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Personally I'd make limited updates. You may not recoup the money if you spend it on costly updates. Try to make your small kitchen as appealing as possible on a limited budget, play up the master bedroom, you can do a lot to a bathroom without spending tons of money if you're careful about materials. Definitely replace carpet in a bathroom with tile, but moderately priced tile, don't go high end. Replacing a toilet is inexpensive and if yours is outdated, I'd do that. Same thing with the countertop and faucets, don't go high end, but replace if outdated or be prepared to adjust your price to reflect the fact that the bath is outdated.

  • chisue
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Do 'pretty up' the kitchen. If it's not merely *small* but also ugly (mismatched tiles?)...your house is going to sit on the market longer. Does your competition (older homes) have granite or laminate? Bring it up to 'equal' or better. I don't know that you will recoup the $$$, but it won't sell without a decent kitchen.

    Have you gotten out and LOOKED at your competition? Always a good idea.

  • brickeyee
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The market forces driving the price of new houses are not the same as existing houses.
    An appraiser will try to compare like-to-like to minimize the adjustments required since they add more uncertainty top the valuation.
    For example, square foot adjustments are often based on average square foot in the area/county/state/national cost data.
    It is one more place for the appraisal to move away from the actual property.

  • theroselvr
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here's how I would look at your house. The larger sqft (2300?)would appeal to me over the new 1800 sqft.

    There are a lot of variables to consider whether you can be comped with new or old. Is there A LOT of land left where you live? If there isn't then you should comp with old. New would be too costly to build. If there is a lot of land around where you live then it wouldn't cost much more to build a similar house to yours because the LAND on new construction is what pushes the price higher....among other things. With lots of land avialable, if your house is super updated, you can comp with a new 1800 sqft house.

    See, I would actually think different, especially if there isn't much land. For a larger used house with mature landscaping, I would try to come in with a price between the newer and older not updated. Of course it all depends on what an appraiser would actually say / do.

    We should go ahead and put in laminate counters and basic hardware and leave the unmatched tile floors and white fridge? It simply won't be worth our cost, right?

    I'm not a fan of granite and unless I am picking it myself, it would be wasted on me. I think a nicer laminate would be fine. It's what we're putting in our new house. I wouldn't stress too much about the kitchen, it is what it is. Do the best you can to make it fresher, keep the price decent and let the next person have it as their "eventual project". If you can do the floor and counter I would.

    Bathroom updates we had planned were a new solid surface counter top, new sinks and hardware/faucets, replacing the toilet and replacing the carpet (yeah, yuk!) with tile. Now I'm not sure how 'high end' we should go. Similar older homes are not updated, but the new homes are, of course. Convention says to not outdo the neighbors too much, but the MB suite is also one of our best selling features.

    Again, update that stuff but I wouldn't go high end, nor would I go cheap.

    There is land available for building here - BUT it's located 'in the country' and builders are so busy with new construction that it's difficult to find anyone willing to do the work - our town is in a 'boom' phase. The new homes are in small planned communities with a few pre-built homes ready for sale and the rest of the land plots are waiting for buyers. They have recently reduced prices, so I'm thinking that's a good thing for us?

    Reducing (to me anyway) is not good. It will bring your value down. With new, people can pick their model if they choose to wait, which is what we did. We walked just about every community in 3 counties until we found ours.

    Our other issue is the flooring. In spite of the entry, LR, DR, Sun Room, and kitchen sharing the same open floor space - the LR has a different colored tile. It looks weird imho and we planned to put hardwood over it all. Now I wonder if we should just carpet over the LR area (would still look a little strange, but not as bad) or just leave it as is?

    Would you happen to have a picture?

    Your best bet may be to bring in a few agents and see what they suggest. They know your market and can tell you the best way to prep your house.

  • ladynimue
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here's a pic of the mismatched floors, not very good ones but hopefully you can see what I mean about the floors not matching.

    This one shows the entry and corner of kitchen wall - tan color floor at entry, institutional gray leading to LR. There was an entry into the kitchen, left of front door, right there behind my ds in the red shirt - it's been closed off.
    {{gwi:2035827}}

    This one shows how the tan is on the kitchen floor (behind the walls). That corner, from the green wall on down to counter level has now been removed, so there is an open view to all the other rooms. The galley kitchen behind 4 walls doesn't feel like such a prison now.
    {{gwi:2035828}}
    This one was taken shortly after we moved in, boxes and stuff every where, an upended piece of furniture on the left side of pic - but it's the view from the entry. Original owners had white carpet in the area... PO's then removed carpet and put in this ugly, ugly gray tile (imho - don't mean to hurt the feelings of anyone who likes it).
    {{gwi:2035829}}

    The bath - again taken right after we moved in. I painted and ripped off the trim around the base of the tub and then never did anything to fix it, lol. I was 8m pregnant and had crazy ideas.

    {{gwi:2035830}}

    The solid counter and sinks are in bad shape - fine cracking, etc. + have that gold/bronze swirly design in them The cabinets are from the 90's but in excellent condition. Toilet is behind the pocket door.
    {{gwi:2035831}}

  • ladynimue
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks again for all the continued suggestions. I'm getting a real good idea of what we should do and consider. Lots of stuff that hadn't occurred to me. I appreciate all the replies!

    One thing about the new builds - because it's a boom it's very hard for people to find a rental while waiting for homes to be built. It's a serious problem here right now. I was thinking the developers decided to lower price because the homes weren't selling and the older ones are because there's no place to live temporarily. They said, in the newspaper, that the lower prices and new options available were because of an influx of new construction workers available to work and decreased building supply costs - and public feedback.

    Oh, and what I meant by unmatched tile in the kitchen is that it doesn't match the gray in the LR...it's the same as the other rooms.

  • cordovamom
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for the pictures. I'd definitely carpet over the living room tile. The mismatched tile would really cause a buyer to discount that heavily. The bath actually isn't as bad as I'd imagined. I think removing the carpet is a must, tile with a porcelain tile that mimics a real stone. It's hard to see the sink top with all the stuff on it, but if it has fine little cracks around the drain (crazing), a lot of cultured marble tops get that, if it's not too bad, I'd actually leave it. If it's cracks throughout, replacing the top with another similar top isn't that expensive. Definitely put that molding back on the tub.

  • ladynimue
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Cordovamom.

    Yes, it's crazing around the sink drain. I didn't know that was normal, but it looks dark inside the fine lines. Is there something that will clean it or make it not look so obvious? It's not dirty, but my normal cleaning doesn't seem to take the darkness away. It'd be great if I could save it because the top is in great condition, plus it matches the tub and shower.

    Does anyone think we should also retile the shower floor to match the new flooring? I'm not sure if that's a diy job - impossible to hire help.

    I'll have to replace more than the tub trim - I ripped some of the side so it's all jagged. I don't know what to replace that with yet. Maybe a larger size trim will do? Might look funny, I'll have to check.

    It hurts to think about putting carpet over that gray tile when I know how wonderful the wood floors would look. You're right though that it'll only turn off a buyer - time to let go of my dreams for this house :) At least the carpet stores have people hired to install - otherwise we'd have to learn to do it ourselves.

    Thanks all, for clearing my head on all these issues :)

  • cordovamom
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Crazing around the drain of a cultured marble sink usually happens because alternately running very hot water and then cold causes tiny cracks in the top coat. If they're surface scratches they can sometimes be buffed out, but since yours appear dark and discolored, I'm thinking they're not just surface. I personally don't know of anything to clean them, perhaps someone else can pipe in here. The good news is that the newer cultured marble tops are supposed to be manufactured a little better so as to not "craze" easily.

    I don't think I'd bother retiling the floor in the shower as long as it's in good shape. The front panel on the tub is removable. You may be able to purchase a replacement panel for that, if you can find one that matches. Another alternative would be to find a wider trim piece.

    Do you have a picture of the kitchen?

  • chisue
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sad the PO wasn't able to match the LR tile in the Kit. Even if you could match it, it will be cheaper to cover the LR tile w/carpeting.

    Does bleach do nothing for the tiny cracks in the bathroom sinks? The rest of the countertop looks fine; I wouldn't stress over the sink cracks. One could replace the whole thing or make cut-outs and drop in new sinks -- unless a cultured marble installer has ideas about the cracks.

    Leave the shower floor alone if it is in good condition. You could tile the floor and the front of the tub in matching or coordinating tile. First, see if you can get a whole new front panel for that model tub.

  • lyfia
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    For the baths I'd definetly take out the carpet. Don't worry about the shower floor matching. You have a large threshold there separating it. I would remove the tile in the toilet room though and have it match. You mentioned replacing the toilet. What would be the reason for that? Is it broke or? I think from what I see in your pics most will be just fine.

    As for the other tile. I don't know if carpet over it would be a plus or not if your area isn't a big carpet area. To be honest I like the gray tile better than the pinkish orangy ones and as a buyer I would probably want to replace that tile instead. This is a hard one. I'm thinking maybe if there was a better transistion between the floors such as a a band of tile with both colors to tie it together it might work much better. Sort of a threshold in tile. Maybe a listello type line that has colors of both tiles. It could be done, though for selling carpet would be less of a mess. I just cringe because putting carpet tack strips down will destroy the tile underneath it. Tile can be cut with a grinder and a strip of it removed to replace with some transistion tiles.

    BTW an appraiser will be using the other older homes as comps and then they will add value for features such as wood floors, granite counters, etc. Not a full cost to you probably, but they will add value on new remodeled things that are above standard for the houses. Also if your area is normally carpet then the tile would be considered an upgrade too.

    Cute "demo kids".

  • ladynimue
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, my brain is really starting to move from "what I planned and dreamed for this house" to "what's reasonable for selling". That's a big leap and I appreciate the help getting there.

    I found some product named "Gel-Glaze" that is supposed to restore shine to cultured marble. Also found something called Bath Wizard which is supposed to repair small chips and sink crazing - it's $30 so I think it's worth a try if I can reduce the discoloration, maybe with a very very fine sanding. I'll just have to play around with it.

    Now that front panel on the tub...ughh. It does *not* come off. It's glued to the wood behind it. Somebody's bright idea. It drains slowly so we wanted to get under there and take a look, but no go. We'll have to tear it off and I'll see if I can find a replacement, or I'll just use the floor tiles.

    Is there any product that will restore a tile surface shine? That's the only problem with the shower floor - it's very dull.

    Since those pics were taken we've installed a frameless shower door, added knobs/handles to the cabinets, removed the huge mirror and installed vanity mirrors and lighting. It already looks a ton better!

    The toilet works fine but the bowl is very stained. I've tried everything but a pumice stone, I just can't bring myself to do that.

    About the mismatching tile.... The PO could have matched, no problem...that same tan tile is still being sold at Home Depot today. Who knows why they decided to do it this way? You're right Lifia, it's the transition between the two tiles that is the problem... it looks strange and it needlessly divides the spaces making it all appear visually much smaller than reality. I think I'll have to wait and ask the agent what he thinks of this issue.

    What about those carpet tiles? The ones that just click together, no glue or anything? That way the tile below wouldn't be damaged. Maybe too cheap?

    I'm still looking for a pic of the kitchen, can't seem to find one so might have to take another (but it's a huge mess right now because we're still in the middle of work).

    But here is a more updated view from the entry. We use that room as a 'sun room', but kept the dining room stuff in there temporarily while we were working. We have since added crown molding to all the main living areas, repainted all rooms (that green and purple are gone!), and new lighting everywhere. The kids rooms and 2nd bath have also been updated. Also new windows and french patio doors. We've also put new doors on all rooms and closets, except the french doors leading to the master. Oh, and the landscaping has been 'prettified' - that was the first thing I worked on since it was easier for me to do with a newborn.

    I haven't taken many pictures and I guess I should have :(

    {{gwi:1638384}}

  • lyfia
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Have you tried the Mr Clean magic eraser on the toilet? Clean it good ahead or put bleach in to sanitize before getting your hands in there. Turn off the water and flush until bowl is empty and try the Magic eraser. I'm always amazed at what it gets off.

    It sounds like your house is looking nicely updated and you might be close to competing with newer homes. If the market is as you say my guess is you'll sell quickly just as I did even though our market was probably slower than yours. How does your updates compare to the older homes? Everybody that saw mine was very suprised how up to date the inside was even though I still had avocado green and harvest gold baths.

    Dull tiles in the shower seems like a good thing to me. Not slippery or is it really obvious they look worn. I think you might want to leave that to the next owner to do what they want. I think a few small things is OK to leave to the new owner as long as everything looks well maintained and taken care of otherwise. Ie no wood rot and that kind of stuff.

    Carpet tiles might not be bad for doing the floors and not damaging the tile, but I think they are fairly expensive compared to other carpet and I'm not sure how buyers would view them. You still have the wall angle there separating the spaces so no matter what there is a separation. I wonder if you could check and see if they could cut out a strip with an angle iron and chisel for you to lay some kind of transition (maybe a mosaic of the two tile colors) along the line of the wall to blend the two.

    Is carpet a plus or minus in your area?

  • cordovamom
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think you're well on your way to making moderate updates that will help to sell your home faster without spending oodles of money that you won't recoup. I do think that you'll see a bigger return on your investment if you keep the costs reasonable. You don't want to do cheap renovations, but you also don't want to do expensive renovations.

    I've never used the carpet tiles, although I've seen it done on HGTV. I don't know what the cost difference would be between carpet tiles and a medium grade carpet installed. I'd be tempted just to do the carpet, but as I said I don't know the price difference.

    I believe there are ceramic tile polishes or waxes to restore the shine to your shower tile floor, although I've never used them. Do an internet search to see if you can find any information.

    Good luck using the product you found on the cultured marble top, let me know if it works !

  • theroselvr
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm with Lyfia, I like the gray tile better, but obviously, you have more of the tan which would be a b1tch to replace. You say that you painted the green, is it possible to take a new picture? I wonder if you'd be able to find a tile to border the two tiles, it's a good option. The only other problem I see is that the tile was laid differently.

    For the toilet.. When I cleaned my parents house for sale, the toilet was horrible, I'm surprised I actually got it clean. Trying to think of what i did. I don't doubt I used Clorox Clean Up, I most likely shut the water off & flushed to get the water out. I usually throw a bottle of bleach in the tank also for older toilets then brush it after it sits. After spraying with CCU, I probably took one of those green scouring pads, possibly with ajax. I remember using that cleaner in the purple container, think it's called Bam. I'm also pretty sure that I used lime away. This was not all done at the same time. I started in August, think we finished around November. While the toilet didn't take me that long to clean, I did a little bit every time I went there, trying a new cleaner on it and scrubbing. I think it helped to have the nasty water out of the tank one the bleach took care of that. At times I went 3 times a week. There's also two other great cleaners you might want to purchase Greased Lightening & Krud Kutter.

    Looks like you have a cute house. Hopefully you can figure out what to redo.. the best bang for your buck.

  • lyfia
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What I'm thinking is maybe something like these to separate the two tile areas, however in the colors of your tiles of course. Something like this also ties in the diagonal vs. straight.

    {{gwi:2035832}}

    Another Straight and diagonal listello

  • cordovamom
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I know in some areas of the country, Florida for example, tile in a living room is acceptable, but to me it would be a huge turn off. What part of the country do you live in? Is tile in the living room generally acceptable? Still even if it is, I think the transition suggested by another poster would just "muddle the mess", be too busy and distracting in other words. If you can't have the same tile throughout the two adjoining spaces, I really would consider covering the living room tile with carpet. Ask your realtor for her suggestion, but looking at the two types of tile together just makes me dizzy!!

  • susanjn
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Love the kitty-in-motion near the table!

  • ladynimue
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Lol, kitty had just been shooed off the dr table.

    I brought home a sample of porcelain tile tonight. It's looks very nice and goes perfectly with the dark bath cabs & is ok looking with the counter.

    CordovaMom, this tile makes me dizzy too! I've always hated it, but dh wanted the floors to be the last thing we tackled, so here we sit. Tile in the LR is perfectly acceptable here (and common), but so is carpet. Wood floors and laminate wood really aren't very popular, except with people like me who prefer them when doing an update- and the rare custom builds have also used them, but for the most part it's tile. If the layout has the LR or a FR separated, then that's more likely to get a carpet.

    I'll see what the real estate agent thinks - he should know what people want or will think when they see our floors. I'll carpet if he thinks we should, but otherwise I think we'll leave it as is...if we had the time to install new flooring (even laminate wood) ourselves it might be worth our while cost wise, but since we'd have to high the labor I don't think it'd be worth it. I'd rather offer a flooring allowance if it comes down to that. After all, we still bought the home like this and it's a much stronger sellers market now than it was 4 years ago.

    It's rare that any of the older homes here have had any updating at all, so I think we'll be in the lead somewhat...if someone wants to look for themselves just shoot me an email and I'll send you the real estate link.

    I'll take a pic of the kitchen tomorrow after dh has cleaned up his mess from working on it today.

  • lyfia
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You know you bought the house with the tile as is right? If you are as you say in an area that is a seller's market you'll probably sell just fine with it as it is too.

  • ladynimue
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I agree Lyfia :) We'll have no problem selling, even with the mismatched tiles. But I'm still willing to invest a bit if it means our asking price won't be reduced or might even go up. Best bang for our buck, or however one would put it. Since we are DIY, some things make more sense than others, and I've learned from the posts here what we should and shouldn't do for the most part -- really invaluable advice which I appreciate so much.

    I'm going out today to chose different cabs and counters than we had planned for ourselves. I'm glad we hadn't already finished the kitchen because we would never have gotten back that money or been able to enjoy the remodel ourselves. We just need to finish what we've started and then we'll list the house.

  • ladynimue
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here are the kitchen pics I promised.

    Here is a Before pic, taken soon after we moved in -

    {{gwi:1574238}}

    The same view today -
    Rug and dining table are temporary, light will be raised, and we'll finish the crown moldings after dh finishes with the walls/drywall. I'll also paint the entry the same color as shown on top left.
    {{gwi:1574239}}

    This next pic gives a very good view of the flooring.

    {{gwi:1574240}}

    I'm really, really pleased with how taking that corner away opened up the space. Thanks for any thoughts or opinions you care to share!