Thanksgiving has come and gone, now the Holiday Season is in full swing! Can’t believe it is December 1st. Where did the time go? It is also a time of planning for 2012 is just days away and so are life’s changes. The spring real estate market kicks into gear in February. Empty-nesters or Boomers are making plans to move to smaller housing and the young growing families, GenXers are hoping to move into the Boomers life style. With today’s economy and real estate market it’s a dilemma…
As defined by Wikipedia, a dilemma: (Greek: δί-λημμα “double proposition“) is a problem offering two possibilities, neither of which is practically acceptable. One in this
position has been traditionally described as “being on the horns of a dilemma“, neither horn being comfortable. This is sometimes more colorfully described as “Finding oneself impaled upon the horns of a dilemma”, referring to the sharp points of a bull’s horns, equally uncomfortable (and dangerous). This may be an overstatement to say the least and certainly not a pretty picture. Can you imagine!
Well, today’s home owners can image the dilemma of trying to figure out if they can sell their home for adequate money and quickly enough OR should they make the changes needed to accommodate their family or life needs. No matter what the ultimate decision, resale should always be factored in. I found a very helpful article by MSN Real Estate -well worth reading, email us for a copy. Many of the issues discussed are things that we at BjtO Designs preach to our clients. It is always the whole package, not just a list of things to do that will make the difference and this is often hard to convey. Every house needs a “wow factor”. Hiring a home stager or renovation management consultant is so well worth the money before you head out and make costly errors. The range for this type of service is $250 to $1,000 depending on experience and expertise.
Here is a preview of a house we will feature in upcoming blogs…
Focusing on bathrooms: on left is the before and very dated, mis-matched master bathroom. Simple changes, totaling $7,500 transformed this bathroom into a “wow”!
When this 1980s house was built the contractor must have taken advantage of a special on bathroom cabinets as the same laminate style with gold etching was used in all the bathrooms. Might have been lovely (maybe not) in the 80s but certainly dated
and worn looking in 2011. 
This kid’s bathroom was transformed with a new slate floor, bead-board wainscoting, new double sink vanity with gray granite counter and topped off with a large mirror framed with 4″ painted pine. All clean, uniform, fresh and traditional which will transcend buyers’ expectations in a decade.
The updates that we made with our client were very geared toward improving the appearance but also being practical and durable so as to survive three young children. The items selected were of quality but not over the top in price, all rather affordable.
These home owners are GenXers with a very active lifestyle which includes extensive travel. Every single update was made with their personal style in mind and then weighed against resale preferences on down the road. More to follow on this fun and all encompassing project…
