The reality is that for most of the people in the buying pool for houses at that price range in Bethesda and other close-in DC suburbs, time is a more valuable commodity than money. At that price bracket, most potential buyers are 30-something professionals, many of whom are married with (or planning to have) kids. For many people in that demographic, it's worth it to spend more for a house that requires no work, because the tradeoff for a cheaper house with major projects is that you have to spend the time to plan a remodel, hire someone to execute it, then either live through it or move out (which takes even more time and planning). When I bought my house 10 years ago, I was single, 30 years old, and worked at a law firm. I had the flexibility to extend my rental until some work could be done to my house, so I bought a house that needed cosmetic updates, and got a good price in a hot neighborhood where houses were selling for above asking within a few days. The prior owners 'totally 80s' choices were not appealing to buyers, and also did nothing to highlight the portion of the house that was the original structure from the early 1900s. Once I moved in, I never had time for the DIY projects I envisioned (such as gel staining the kitchen cabinets!), and the house felt like a 'work in progress' for a while. Now I am married with a baby, and I still have a full time job. If I were house hunting now, a house that was 'move in ready' and required nothing more than paint and decorating, would be worth a lot of $$. Because the time and effort required for major renovations would be a tipping point in terms of stress and quality of life, which is hard to quantify in dollars. And I say this as someone who has a decent 'eye' for imagining the potential a house has. In fact, I just recently moved back into my house, after moving out for the summer for a major remodel and addition (totally worth it, but totally exhausting and stressful and time-consuming). Many of my friends who are not into decorating and house stuff also have trouble even imagining the 'after' that a house could be, and overestimate how much it would cost (even at the inflated prices in this area) to make changes. So I think for the average buyer here, 'move in ready' is worth $$$$$, and a 'needs remodeling' house may not even be considered unless it's a tear down to build a mcmansion.

Thanks for the update and a very merry Christmas to all as well. tj

Well that is the dilemma... I actually like some of the wood trim. I think the dining room looks great. Has a bit of character. Im just trying to find the proper "balance" of where I should paint some trim... My husband is ready to have someone come in and paint it ALL WHITE... everything.. I'm like noooooo!!!! So my immediate mission is to "update" and lighten the home without making everything ALL white and losing ALL warmth and character of the home. I dont know what "fixes" I should start with. Doors? Staircase risers and rails? I don't want "all white trim" going up in every room. That means white doors everywhere... once you start... it just keeps going. I have archway into dining room... if it gest painted white it will look weird to have white on one side and brown on the other... so there goes the wood in the dining room...

Ok, you've convinced me to go with dark sashes and muntins! Thank you for the feedback! Some more variations (I'm kind of obsessed). Bottom left is existing window frame colours with muntins added, and stucco painted (tudor boards kept the existing colour) Bottom right is dark sashes, a taupe-y casing, and both stucco and tudor boards repainted. (Top left existing, top right was an old version with lighter muntins/sash)