On Apr 20, 3:45*pm, Gary > wrote:
> Janet Bostwick wrote:
>
> > On Thu, 19 Apr 2012 23:21:39 -0400, Cheryl >
> > wrote:
> > >I heard today that two things that people look for when you want to flip
> > >your house is hardwood floors (check) and granite countertops (check).
> > >Floors done last year and countertops this year.
>
> > Buyers also come in and say they don't like the color of the granite
> > and it will have to be changed. *Ditto the floor. (that comes out of
> > the purchase bid)
> > Janet US
>
> I totally agree. *No matter how you fix up your house to sell, new buyers
> will want something different. Kitchens, flooring, paint colors. *Better to
> not spend that money and keep your selling price that much lower.
>
> IMO, you improve your house to suit YOU and make you happy while you live
> there. *You have no idea what the new owner might want to do.
>
> Gary
>
> PS - I deal with house turnovers often and this is true, not just me
> guessing.

Nobody wants to buy a remodeling project, so baths and kitchens have
to be in "move-in" condition. But I agree not to put a lot of money
into things the new guy might well want to tear out.

I've seen a lot of idiosyncratic remodels in the neighborhood next to
mine, and the more individualized they are to the owner's taste, the
longer they sit on the market. Not everybody wants to pretend they
live in Tuscany, oddly enough. Or live in a motel-look-alike, with a
quartet of patio doors flanking an upstairs balcony.

If you're looking to make your house appealing to today's buyers, make
a tour of open houses in your area, and note what sort of cabinets,
sinks, etc., the developers are putting in.