by Staff
Okay, here goes. We rapped the buyers on the knuckles yesterday so now we’re going to hit the sellers…nice, aren’t we?
As Realtors we are blessed to have listing appointments. On listing appointments we are sometimes subjected to an overzealous Seller’s long list of “upgrades” that often aren’t upgrades.
It’s not often the Seller’s fault. Typically the home is newer and the builder sold the Seller on the idea that $50 a yard was a fair price to pay for the “upgrade” of crown molding. The builder didn’t tell the Seller it was a cheap piece of yellow pine cut on an industrial router somewhere on the outskirts of Columbus, Georgia, and nailed up by a half-stoned temp worker with little supervision. We’re just saying…
So, here are some things that we don’t consider upgrades on a listing appointment. Later this week we’ll tell you what we think ARE some pretty cool upgrades (things you may not have ever thought about).
- NOT AN UPGRADE: Crown molding (we covered this above). Unless it’s made of teak and hand routed by a finish carpenter. If that’s the case, the rest of the house will show the same workmanship and the quality of everything else will be so fabulous you’ll never even notice the crown molding.
- NOT AN UPGRADE: Wainscoting. Like crown molding it’s typically industrially made and cut. Think of it like paint or wallpaper or any other design element. It can be elegantly done, yes, but does it really add extra value, well, no.
- NOT AN UPGRADE: Tray ceilings. You see this feature a lot on newer homes built during the boom. These cost more to produce because the tray actually had to be built into the trusses, but that being said, it doesn’t add any value to the home. It’s benefit to a home sale is that it can help contriubute to the overall atmosphere of a home in that it is a little more upscale. As a Realtor, however, you don’t want buyers to notice ceilings and closets. These items should be check offs as acceptable positives and move on. “Big closets? Wow, yes I love it.” Unless it’s got stained glass, any ceiling that illicits a conversation is a bad thing.
- NOT AN UPGRADE: The garden tub: another builder “upgrade” hoisted on the starry-eyed. Really, who takes a bath anymore? Kids, that’s who, and you don’t want the water bill for filling up one of these suckers week after week. You want a tub that’s an upgrade, get one like they have at the Ritz Carlton and other upscale resorts…long enough for a person to lay out in, with arm rests and martini holders. A buyer for one of these can afford the high water bill.
- NOT AN UPGRADE: Raised panel cabinets. Taking cheap wood and adding a raised panel just adds to the “contractor grade” feel of a lot of newer homes. When you see a hardwood cabinet it’s unmistakable, and usually goes with a kitchen that’s just as beautiful.
