please replace 'tile' with vinyl..I've been thinking tile all morning for this last darn bathroom!

Logic:

If one likes Brown, and Brown is Neutral,
one must ergo LIKE Neutral.

Maybe one just likes Brown....????

I have been thinking about what we have in common all weekend and why decorating is important to us and did a little research. These stats are from Boardreader which rates boards by activity. Here are some stats about That Home Site!.

Top 10 active forums on That Home Site! Forums - GardenWeb during last week:

Kitchens- 2,988 new posts
The Kitchen Table- 2,239 new posts
Cooking- 604 new posts
Appliances- 585 new posts
Building a Home- 389 new posts
Quilting- 308 new posts
Bathrooms- 306 new posts
Laundry Room- 240 new posts
Heating & Air Conditioning- 227 new posts
Antiques & Collectibles- 197 new posts

Somehow I feel insulted decorating isn't in the top ten :)

The stats don't clarify why we are so interested in decorating. I believe what we have in common is that most of us have a keen spatial sense and can detect nuances in color more than most. These talents make decorating important to us. Things that are "off" will bother us more than most.

I also found it interesting that ASID is requesting empirical evidence about the same question - why interior design is important.

They are offering not one, but three grants, of $35,000 each:

There are gaps in research and projects that document the impact of interior design. To this end, the Foundation is pleased to announce the second annual INTERIOR DESIGN RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAM, relating to how interior design impacts human behavior.

biochem, research this for us please and pass on your results!

Here is a link that might be useful: ASID Grant

I can't believe home dec is behind heating and air conditioning. Are you sure it didn't "tilt" and blow the top off the stats? : )

fly, I think this is from the last 6 months. Still no decorating....pools and spas beat us!!

Top 10 forums on That Home Site! Forums - GardenWeb:

Kitchens- 492,743 posts
The Kitchen Table- 488,108 posts
Cooking- 233,275 posts
Building a Home- 79,546 posts
Bathrooms- 77,799 posts
Quilting- 74,907 posts
Stepfamilies- 61,427 posts
Buying and Selling Homes- 56,776 posts
Pools & Spas- 56,597 posts
Holidays- 53,705 posts

Here is a link that might be useful: Boardreader

I don't trust those figures; it's as if decorating was not tabulated or taken into consideration. Quilting having more posts than decorating, impossible !!

I checked out Quilting and it seems very slow moving.

I do trust the figures for Kitchens and the Kitchen Table, very fast moving.
hummm, I'm puzzled.

They were the only stats I could find. I probably shouldn't have posted them without knowing if they were correct. Sorry guys!

We'll just lump this in with my Toyota statistic,--it's okay, we aren't creating policy with our skewed numbers :)

I think one of the things that bring us here is that we *do understand that design is important, and every product, good or bad was designed by somebody--it just didn't appear out of nowhere one day.

I think design can change people's lives, and I don't know that I am overstating that too much. We have had two clients whose personalities and behaviors changed after they went through a redesign. They were happier in their own houses.

One of the biggest myths of the home decor business (and it IS a business!) is the UPGRADE myth. Folks turn in their beautiful and functional laminate counters for cheap and ugly granites because it's an "upgrade". They get rid of solid brass chandeliers in favor of a cheap imported silver colored fixture that they don't even know what the material is. But, it's an "upgrade".

There's nothing wrong with living in a builder's grade subdivision or tract home. If it's what you can afford, that's great! You have achieved the American Dream of home ownership, and aren't renting an apartment. But, be realistic about what you do own. It's not Buckingham Palace, and no amount of "upgrades" will ever get you there. If the not so subtle pressure of HGTV and Madison Avenue have convinced you that you need solid wood imported exotic flooring, acres of white cabinets with glass to the ceiling along with soapstone or granite countertops, realize that you are NEVER going to be able to put that into your existing home and make it the TV home in your head. You're not starting with the right bones, and you're wasting your money. I've done 20K kitchens for folks living in house trailers, and all I could think of was "what a waste"! If they'd just economized a bit and put that money into another home, the whole living situation would have benefited and become "upgraded" rather than living in a falling apart 10K trailer with a new 20K kitchen in it.

Just because you want to live in a nice home, and your home is modest, doesn't mean that you need these "upgrades" to make it a beautiful and functional space to live. And, the home doesn't need these "updated upgrades" in order to sell and move up the economic scale either. Save the granite and hardwood money for the home in the neighborhood where those are appropriate choices. You can't upgrade your home into Buckingham Palace when you start with a used trailer. Otherwise, you really are only second cousins twice removed from the people in the tar paper shacks with the satellite dishes in the yard and Mercedes in the drive. I see loads of them as I travel south on US 61 into the Delta, and I always have to wonder why there isn't a Toyota in the drive and actual siding on the house instead. The misplaced priorities of entitled instant gratification are mind boggling. "But, I want granite countertops! I don't care that they are gonna cost more than twice what the cabinets did! They're shiny and pretty! OOOOH!"

And, yes, I live in a modest 1970 ranch house in a modest to upscale community, and there's no granite in my house despite me designing it into others. It would be out of place, and it would be a foolish expenditure on my part. I love it, and wish we had the income to have a more upscale lifestyle, but I would be fooling myself if I decorated that way. But, ust because I am on a budget doesn't mean my home isn't a pleasant and welcoming place to be. That's what creativity and recycling are all about. I do have a white kitchen, but that's because my eyes are getting older and I need all the light I can get. More people in the Real World are in my economic class and situation than the more wealthy folks on GW that don't even realize that they aren't representative of the population as a whole. And the sad thing is that folks in homes like mine have watched too much TV and think that "everyone" needs to purchase upgrades for their home or else everyone else will think they are cheap unsophisticates with no sense of style. Spending money doesn't equal style or good taste.

Pal - I was just going to post the exact same thought - that design can change people's lives.

I have a sister who has had a pretty tough time in life and her home was a reflection of that. She has a disability, a demanding job, and has always lived with somewhat domineering people. She is in her mid-fifties, now single, but had never remodeled anything; she had not even picked out a single piece of furniture! She was too embarrassed to let anyone in her home for the past 10 years or so, except siblings and one long-time friend.

She is just finishing a whole-condo renovation with a designer that really understood what she needed. She called me last night to tell me that she was having a PARTY. With lots of people, some she doesn't even know. It is miraculous.

Pal- Thank you, thank you, thank you, for saying SOMETHING about the resale issue. I am so tired of reading (especially on the kitchen forum) that everything must be done for the invisible, future buyer.

My opinion...decorate your house for YOU! If you decide you love red walls or yellow cabinets, there's this little thing called primer. It works very well and allows you to change colors, quite easily. As for countertops and fixtures, again, no matter what you pick, chances are the 'invisible future buyer' will not like it and want to change it, to whatever is popular at that time.

So, IMHO, live for the moment, decorate your house to fit you and quit worrying about resale. Life is too short to put off (sometimes forever) what really makes you happy and says 'home' to you. Darn HGTV...

Hollysprings, I respectfully disagree. Yes, I live in a builder grade tract house, and my laminate countertops were fairly functional, true, but not beautiful.

Imo, my granite is very nice-looking, not "cheap" in appearance at all, and I enjoy the feel of it, and the earthy tone it sets for the room. I much prefer the organic vibe of it over the laminate. Love plunking my hot pans right on top of it.

Don't think the granite or anything else I've added was a "foolish expenditure" or "looks out of place." Maybe I just don't know any better, but I'm pleased with my choices.

Yes, some of the elements I've selected happen to be in style...I can't help that. I actually LIKE granite, nickel, tile, and wood. I also like quartz and marble. Call me crazy or a mindless sheep. All of those materials are classic, beautiful choices in my view.

On the subject of resale:
I once sold a condo with a very dramatic color scheme. Everyone insisted that at a minimum I had to repaint the neon green and teal bathroom with all the chrome. The couple that bought the place thought it was the bomb, right down to asking me where I got the neon green towels so they could get some. Someplace on clearance... they inspired the whole room. I told the couple if they'd have asked me sooner I would have left them instead of packing them up.

You can't predict your buyers, or know when a design element might be the one that makes it stick in their minds (in a good way).

It had been a total redo on a short budget due to plumbing issues. Said room also had Armstrong peel-n-stick vinyl tile. Everyone oohed and aahed over my "slate," (which I admit is what I really wanted), but it was a lot more comfortable than a stone or tile floor.

That was actually an important lesson for me -- sometimes the humble, cheap material is the better solution.

I think stinky, that this is different because you made the choices of your own volition and you chose a granite and other materials that you liked.

This is a bit different than feeling that you "must" or "must not" have granite because of resale, and if you must, choosing the lowest grade, not because you love it, but because you want to spend the least amount of money you can and fit criteria. I looked at houses that had new stainless steel appliances, but they were of the 3 for $1000 special variety. That is not providing the buyer with much more than a nod toward their possible desire. (unless of course you live in a 3 for $1000 type of setting, which is fine, I am not criticizing that either.)

So the thread is really about making personal choices first, and thinking of things like resale (of course) but not making that first and foremost. This may mean that some of your choices do not translate well for resale.

Two things that I did that make no direct investment to return sense were 1) a Subzero refrigerator as part of a custom enclosure. and 2) full restoration of the plaster cornice and ceiling on the first floor. These two things probably cost $25,000 or more and I will get zero extra for it. My unit is a 2 bedroom/1 bath condo, period. I will get more than some units because of the nice restoration, and it may sell quicker...but the potential buyer is not paying a $25K premium because I did this.

It was my choice though, to improve my environment for the time I lived there, and I did it Knowing I may not directly recoup.

deedee, no need to apologize at all for posting those stats, it's just a surprise to see that !!

As for a trailer home getting granite countertops, I say "why not?" in the sense that life is short and if it thrills you, just do it. I dare hope that people don't feel they have to have granite, if they get it it's because they want it and it makes them feel good.

Thanks for spelling that out, Pal.

Mitch...well said!

I am obviously not a Realtor, or a financial planner, but I think two of the biggest myths are that part of the formula for success = home ownership. And that a house is the biggest INVESTMENT you will ever make, as opposed to a house is the thing that you need that you will spend the most money on.

Not everyone should or needs to own a house. One of the most successful Realtors in my city, who will only rarely take a listing under $750K (which is still pretty substantial here) has never owned a house.

There was a big push before the bubble and during the bubble that your house was primarily an interest or equity building mechanism that you lived in almost secondarily. A house should not take place of your retirement fund.

Of course I think a lot of people realize this now, but what about people who liquidated a lot of their retirement assets to buy a house, because that was a "better" long term investment.

A house is first and foremost a place to live, not an investment property.

I really don't see how the nicest plastic laminate can ever be more beautiful than the cheapest of granite!
I'll take natural, organic materials any day.

I have seen some *really ugly granite. Just because it comes out of the ground doesn't mean it's beautiful.

::: clapping :::

Totally agree Palimpsest. A true and sober accounting of home ownership over most periods in history suggests housing is 1) a possible inflation hedge and 2) forced savings ... assuming you don't refi every 6 months. Calling a home an investment was NAR genius. Homes are consumption. They physically deteriorate very day and when they aren't deteriorating they are becoming functionally obsolete. When home prices are rising , it's typically the land value that is rising.

Alas, though, they are so much fun! But it felt a lot better when unsustainable home price increases could give everyone the ability to call indulging in your kitchen fantasy, one upping the neighbors landscaping, or jetting your tubs (replete with sound and color) an "investment".

sorry-- the Oh, and resale line goes at the END of my post. What the .....?

Marcolo, you are preaching to the choir here on income inequality. But I recall the last time we went down that thread, being drawn and quartered. Sad.

Marco, who determines what is needless and what is needed? That's very subjective. Most home improvements fall under "wants" rather than "needs" in my book, but that doesn't mean one shouldn't pursue them, imo.

Look on the bright side...in a capitalist economy, if everyone only got by on what they truly "needed," the whole system would cave in. Creating a climate where wants feel so urgent they appear to be needs is essential!

I live in a climate where wants feel so urgent they appear to be needs . I have teenagers!

Pal, I had to chuckle when I read of your restoration of the home's plaster cornice. We sunk close to $6,000 in our prior home removing textured ceilings and having smooth put in. I'm sure we didn't get 1 penny of that money back.

In our new home, every single ceiling is textured. I think this time I'll learn to love it.

Funny you should mention this...just did one of my bi-annual assessments of real estate in my neighborhood (thank you Trulia!).

All are "similar-sized" 4 BR 2.5 BA colonials, 1 acre, ~1970. That's a lot of years for upgrading to occur. Three have been sitting on the market for over a year, maybe 2. Three that went on this year all sold! For higher prices??? I was stunned.

When I first saw the listings I had shook my head. So WHY did those sell for ~$450 when a similar one is sitting at $360??? All 3 had new kitchens (granite), upgraded baths and the others do not. One of the new kitchens had the weirdest most non-functional layout too, but beautiful granite, cabinet and hardware choices. LOL! I wanted to take it apart and rearrange it.

So in my area anyway it appears to me that the few buyers out there are paying more for already done. Perhaps Less work to contemplate, as opposed to good design?

Maureen...LOL!

Biochem, my take on it is that it's a buyers market in most areas of the country and in some areas, a brutal one. Many buyers are looking purely at "bang for the buck."

The mentality is: "What am I getting for the money?...I want to get the most I can get. Afterall, in this crashed economy, I should be really getting a great deal, even a steal!"

The HGTV educated/indoctrinated have been guided to expect certain finishes/materials in the kitchen & throughout the house. Who cares if the finishes don't reflect their personal taste? What does that matter in the equation?

Good design? Design and layout are less crucial matters on the HGTV train of thought. Many house hunters don't know, much less care, about such matters, imo. If storage space is ample in the kitchen, for example, & everything "looks good," the flow of the room seems to be of little consequence.

Of course there is a different approach in prime areas, as Pal has pointed out often, where the architecture reigns supreme. You and I are talking more typical American abodes; maybe not the finest examples of 19th or 20th century building, but houses that offer servicable, hopefully reasonably attractive, dwelling quarters.

A new kitchen is new only for a short time. If it's all about resale, why not wait til you are ready to sell, assuming the kitchen isn't totally dysfunctional or falling apart? Otherwise your "neutral" choices will still be 10 years old when your buyer sees them.

We were on the market for 4 years before buying last year. As far as redone kitchens influencing resale, our one rule was that we wouldn't buy a house with a newly updated kitchen unless we loved the kitchen. We didn't want to pay a premium for something we hated. What we mostly found were cheesy looking cabinet redos with cheap granite slapped on, many with clashing backsplashes. Over that time we made offers on 5 houses, and all of them had kitchens needing total gutting. Frankly, I would rather have just moved in to a house that did not need such extensive work, but at least this way I paid for what I wanted.

I will say, though, that the few houses we saw with beautiful new kitchens flew off the market, some at prices above asking. But the kitchens in these situations were beautiful kitchens, not generic, "upgraded for resale" specials.

Biochem

I agree with your assessment. The vast majority of people will select a house that is move-in ready.

What is happening in my market is that "move in ready" is a list of criteria, and extra quality doesn't necessarily add to the offering price.

A new vinyl window, is a "new window" a historically appropriate divided lite sash, either new or original but upgraded at ten times the price of vinyl...is a "new window". A drywall ceiling is a good new surface, a restored plaster ceiling at ten times the price is a good new surface.

So the *typical buyer won't pay the premium for better work, at least according to my Realtor.

That's what I was trying to say in response to Biochem, Pal! There are a set of prescribed expectations (unless we're talking shoppers of fabulous, sought-after location/great architectural features) and attention is not given to other elements so much. Remember, we are talkig RW here...not GW.

Keep posting Pal, I enjoy your posts. So you state your opinion, so what, everyone has one.
Lynn - I can't believe you are using God to get back at Pal. For shame. Let it go, you are entitled to your opinion as well but lets be civil.
And yes, that is my opinion as well.

Absolutely keep posting - I'm a trend-bucker rather than follower, most of the time. Re Corian - I chose a Corian-like granite pattern for my kitchen because I didn't want seams and really didn't want sealer chemicals seeping into food prepared on the counters. Lot's of people have misteken it for Silestone. For the bathrooms, I chose granite because I love it and don't prepare food in there so could indulge. I also chose an amazing slate look-alike porcelain for the master bath (that was about 2x as much as real slate would have cost!) because porcelain's easier to care for than real slate in a wet area.

Re resale - I never consider it at all. I do all of my remods to fit my taste, my lifestyle, my family - don't plan to sell, but if I did, I could always paint everything bland white. I love my greyed jewel tone walls with crisp white woodwork, and it gets compliments from guests, so who care's if they're 'this year's color' or not?! I don't watch HGTV, though, so maybe it's my insulation from that that'sa given me the freedom to decorate/remod as my taste calls for. I do love Houzz, though, and have gotten some great ideas there.

I love my walnut laminate floors, too, and especially love not having to worry about my dogs rough-housing on them. Hardwood's beautiful, but if you live on a slab foundation, garden extensively and have big pets, they're not a good choice, nor is carpet. Not that I hate carpet, I just hate it on my first floor. Not a judgement call on anyone who has either, just a statement that some surfaces are better for some people's lifestyles than others.

In general, I feel that the best design is the one in which function marries beauty, so though I love antiques and classics, my house has both a 200 year old settee (gorgeous, but not for kids to romp on) and comfy leather overstuffed couches (again, great for a house with pets, especially parrot and dogs.)

Decorating should be a celebration of personal taste, style, vision, not slavish attention to rules, peer pressure, norms... My take on it, anyway.

And in answer to the original question - no, GW doesn;'t really reflect RW - from a psychological view, it's a microcosm society whose members may trend to adopt the group views - pretty much what human society normally does in the 'us vs. them' bonding that creates a society. Okay, my psychobabble background's now reared, so time to sign off! ;-)

Anyway - decorate to please yourself, all - why else would you take on the overhead of owning a house and the requisite repair bills?!

I am not a good representative of the sampling for the trends. I may not choose some of the elements listed, but it has nothing to do with what's popular.

I love brass if it has a patina or will develop one. Just bought a vintage coffee table with a brass base and I'm totally enamored. I wanted a brass bed, but couldn't find one with patina that would accommodate my cal. king.

I prefer chrome fixtures in the kitchen and bath. Love how it reflects. I like different finishes, but prefer to use chrome for my home.

I think the above finishes are timeless and no matter what the flavor du jour is, they can always look fabulous in interiors.

Flooring I choose based on the state of my family. If I didn't have big hairy dogs and small children, I wouldn't mind carpet in some areas. It IS nice to lounge on the floor in the living room and the dogs have good traction for their game of chase, but the material is not practical for us so it will be going. I've ripped it out everywhere else and painted the slab until I can decide what to do. I have considered all of the options and have used vinyl in two rooms to try it out. Too slick for the dogs.

My dream countertop is zinc, so I definitely don't fit into stone or stone-like group. I'm ignoring the lack of resale value because I think they're wrong. My next door neighbor is a realtor and can't believe I'd rather not have granite. I hate any speckled countertop, reminds me of a yucky moment as a child, and the sedementary ones are way too expensive. I've been planning a kitchen remodel for 3 years, and it's still years away so it may not even get done. I did paint the oak arched doors white :) They are on the chopping block, though, because the Kitchen forum's preference for drawers instead of lower cabs is a sound one.

Any big interior changes in our house will not be recouped at resale. We'll have used up the spread between what we paid and what we may get if listed with new HVAC, foundation leveling this winter, and new windows and doors to replace the single pane junk we have now. I'd still make the changes, because it would make living here that much more enjoyable. We do plan on staying for many years, so I don't feel I'll be throwing money out the window with any improvements. They will make a big difference to US.

good post katrina ellen!

I read everything that pal writes, and look at all the websites he shows. I love to learn, and make my own opinion from what I've learned.

I don't do trends, redid my kitchen in white cabinets, chrome, glass tile backsplash, cobalt blue walls, color speckeled solid surface formica, green and blue marmoleum on the floor ...don't care about resale, or what others really think of how I live.

I happen to LOVE my own choices ... that's all there really is to it!

There's a difference in home maintenance items and home improvement upgrade ones. Replacing your HVAC, or hot water heater is simple home maintenance. You aren't going to get any bump in value for choosing a high SEER unit or tankless water heater. People expect a home to have those things and won't pay any extra for your more expensive choices. Choosing to upgrade those items will not result in any higher perceived value for the average buyer at all. It takes someone educated in the nuances of home ownership to appreciate the differences, and they still won't be willing to pay any real extra for them. The mindset that views a home as a "bank" won't even put them on the balance sheet.

Replacing vinyl windows with wood ones or a basic acrylic tub with a basic cast iron tub comes under the heading of "invisible upgrades". They might as well be home maintenance items, because they won't result in a nickel more of "value" for your home. They're items that are only noticed if they are absent, and the difference between the good, better, and best isn't rewarded. The funny thing is, these are the upgrades that make a home more pleasant and cheaper to live in! They are primarily functional rather than decorative in nature. But, no one really cares about them if they have jatoba flooring an a jacuzzi in the house!

The rest of the crazy making HGTV influenced upgrade mania is primarily decorative in nature, and don't offer much of a substantial improvement over the budget surfaces that they replace. Granite is harder to scratch, and cooler for laying out pastry, but it isn't a huge improvement of the laminate it replaces. Exotic woods don't offer any functional improvement over standard domestic hardwoods like oak and maple, and they are a much worse choice if you are interested in keeping your choices low impact. Replacing functional oak cabinets with functional painted white ones in the same configuration doesn't do diddly for too little counter space and no room for everyone who wants to help prep.

There are't very many of the the Great Depression era folks left that are still making economic decisions in our society. My parents were of that generation, and we never had anything new in our house that wasn't replacing something that was broken. The only allowable "redecorating" was new paint, and we had to earn the money for it ourselves. That house still has the same 1960's metal venitian blinds.

Yes, it'd judgmental to say so on my part, but I think that we could use a whole lot more of the Great Depression Reuse and Recycle thinking than the Everything is Disposable and Made in China type.

Greendesigns, since I'm the only one who referred to replacing my HVAC and water heater, I'd just like to note that I only mentioned that because Pal spoke of older tract homes with older equipment.

While I think that at resale time down the road it will be considered a plus that the house has newer stuff, I agree that the better quality equipment I purchased will not register (more than likely) with future buyers. However, if *I* ever shop for a house again, will certainly inquire about the SEER rating and furnace efficiency of hvac systems! Less stellar equipment may not be a deal breaker, but I am educated now, and would want to know what the full story was.

I think recycling is a wonderful idea, and disposing of things thoughtfully is too.

There is a balance. To me it's fine to change something just because I like it more. To use my laminate again as an example, yes, the laminate was servicable, it wasn't completely awful, but I enjoy the look and feel of the stone in the room far more. It is nice to place hot pans on too as I mentioned before.

My functional oak cabs painted white, left in the same configuration serve me fine. I'm not a gourmet chef! I prepare simple meals, and my needs for storage and workspace are more than well-met by the original layout. Granted, a person for whom cooking is an elaborate affair may feel disappointed with my cabinetry and counter space. Oh well!

I agree that not "keeping up with the Joneses" when we purchase or re-do is essential to rewarding results. Doing anything to please or impress is doomed to failure... I think we can make that sweeping assumption whatever the endeavor.

We all are better served when we are attuned to what our motivations and priorities are, and live from a place of authenicity. That authentic place will yield different choices and results from house to house, life to life. That's what makes it all so interesting.

The throat ramming that I got from HGTV on resale helped me sell my house in less than a month and for OVER asking price in a declining market.

Yeah, Auntjen...we can spot the stuff a mile a way now, can't we!

Regina, congrats! Tell us more...it would be so nice to hear about positive news on the real estate sales front.

I second the congrats, Regina. Would love to hear what you did.

On the other hand, a house in my neighborhood was the subject of 4 bids, one cash and one over asking after having been on the market less than a week. It had pans in the attic to catch the rain water, and the original drapes from 1978 hanging in threads. In a declining market. So who's to say what sells a particular house at a particular time?

In any case congratulations for having a successful sale in this market.

Guess what, flowered chintz, swags and jabots may just be coming back in style. Some of the Blair House furnishings are to auctioned off. According to the Washington Post story about the auctions,

The auction house may be spearheading a comeback of formal 1980s window treatments. In June, it auctioned a cache of elaborately swagged and festooned draperies from Patricia Kluge's Charlottesville estate, Albemarle, created by designer David Easton. "They did very well," says Elizabeth Wainstein, the owner of the Potomack Co. "It shows there is still an interest in the 1980s look, especially coupled along with a historical or interesting provenance."

She reports a lot of buzz about the Blair House furnishings. "The Blair House curtains are in excellent condition and have been extremely well cared for," Wainstein says. The top-selling Kluge curtains were two pairs of yellow silk drawing room draperies (one panel with a four-inch rip) that had been estimated at $600 to $800. They were sold for $16,450 to a Palm Beach designer.

Here is a link that might be useful: Blair House Curtains to be Auctioned

Pal, you've noted similar things before about your area's real estate. Granted, where you live is just different! You chose well, and I'm happy that you are situated in such a place, but your area is not representative of most of the country.

It's not making an apples to apples comparison to draw experiences from your area & compare them to so many others that are more unlike, than like yours, in important ways, nationwide.

You live in an historic, interesting city that has lots of great architecture. Even less well-preserved examples are surely netting good prices and selling easily, as most people in your area understand the instrinsic worth of those houses.

I would say yes, about the location, but this house was a pretty nondescript 1978 infill house that would be indistinguishable from a suburban house of the same era.
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My point is mostly that there isn't one or two solutions that will apply to all people. I don't think staging would help the above house, where it will help a house in good condition to stand out from the rest.

What area WOULD be representative of most of the country? Pal's thoughts seem appropriate to my area as well as most of the northeast/mid-atlantic states. And jibes with what I read in the national newspapers.

Of course, we are talking about trends, not individual situations. I don't think that most people anywhere understand the intrinsic worth of historic houses. Most people can't wait to put in vinyl windows and other horrors.

I assume an outdated house in disrepair would only sell quickly and for over asking, if it was priced very low and/or in an area without much to choose from.

My home was just a standard cookie-cutter 80s ranch, 1400 square feet on .20 acre lot. 5 houses were for sale on my street at the same time -- ouch...some the exact same model. The market is flooded and there is a ton to choose from in the price range. But almost everything comparable was outdated and didn't show well. There are also a ton of foreclosure's and short sales that are priced lower, giving buyers a chance to 'get a deal' that I had to compete with.

I watched Designed To Sell, House Hunters, Property Virgins, and Unsellables constantly for months leading up to us putting our house on the market. I took what I learned and just made simple changes for paint, decor, etc. We did a cheap redo of our kitchen to get rid of the original cabs and we put in ***gasp*** Corian counters, haha. Buyers loved seeing solid surface after every other house in our range had laminate.

Our Realtor is a top agent in the area for over 30 years and she was very concerned that it would not appraise for the offer that our buyer gave. There were no comparables in the area that were priced near as high. We priced a little high, knowing that we'd probably get lower offers -- never dreamed we'd get an offer for over asking. But every single person that saw our home wanted to buy it. Staging can make a huge difference. It did for us! I really think the only reason it did appraise was because we were there and kind of 'made friends' with the woman who did the appraisal.

Maureen, I agree that no area could represent the entire nation. I also can imagine that you could relate to Pal's reports of sales in his area. I'm sure others can too, I don't think he lives in that much of a vacuum.

As far as stories of run down, leaky houses selling like hotcakes, no...that doesn't jibe with the newspaper coverage of the housing market across the land that I've read. It also doesn't echo the experiences of people in my life who have recently put their houses up for sale.

The people in my circle have encountered very demanding buyers who expect an awful lot for very little. Leaky roofs and thread bare window treatments would not be overlooked. I think that's worth noting.

The people about whom I am speaking have houses in great condition and they are priced fairly. It's really tough out there. The days of getting four competitive bids burst with the bubble (for most.)

I just don't want to lose sight of what many folk are encountering in this economic climate. Someone struggling to sell may wonder...why not *me*? I'm not getting any offers and my roof doesn't leak!

Having said all this, at the end of the day, I agree wholeheartedly with Pal that no prescription for staging would work for everyone.

Furthermore, as he also implies, (I think) this whole "which houses sell and which ones don't" business has more than a tad of mystery attached to it. There's something bigger than us and all our efforts at work here. Sometimes we have to trust that things happen, and happen on whatever timetable they happen on, for a reason!

Regina, your situation is textbook for staging and it worked for you. Five similar houses on your street, so yes, it makes a lot of sense. But you did more than just staging, you renovated a kitchen. I am not sure that you would get a full return on the investment of a new kitchen in many areas unless you bought the house when it was worth less than it is now minus the entire cost of the kitchen.

The house I just bought was staged and had a new bathroom installed during a period where it was taken off the market. I made an offer when it accidentally reappeared for a few days and the new bathroom was just a demolished part of the house. There was one other offer at the same time as mine and neither of us wanted the new bathroom and neither of us liked the staging, ironically.

They took feedback from people that weren't serious enough to offer and made zero return on the new bathroom. Since they had bought in a relatively low market, they didn't lose anything but they didn't make anything on the extra effort either. They used a professional stager and the people who rented it from me said the same thing I was thinking: it's a great house but it's so drab and ugly with this paint color everywhere.

I think these kinds of things are like walking a tightrope. You need to analyze what is the best series of choices for your situation.

I spent $2,000 on my kitchen remodel. I say "corian" but it was a cheaper brand of the same type of solid surface. We did it ourselves. We got the money back and then some. Kept the existing appliances except for the micro. For that, we took out the cheap vent hood and installed an over the counter micro freeing up some ***much*** needed counter space. Kitchen looked much like the one you posted above with the soffit. We actually demolished the soffit ourselves, with a shovel - lol! Then made the new cabs go all the way to the ceiling giving us more cab space than the competitors. Got that idea from HGTV as well. Kept the floors. Just new (cheap) cabs and solid surface counters and we DIY.

Wow, Regina, great job! The fact that every person who saw your house wanted to buy it should make you feel very proud. Hope you are in a place now that you really like. If you don't like it, it sounds like you know what to do! Bet you learned a lot from your previous house and the DIY work you did there.