Appreciating What You’ve Got!
The most compelling reason to own a home has always been the appreciation. As in asset appreciation. But when you’re dealing with an older home, there are other assets – architecture, character, other initially incomprehensible renovations – to appreciate. When you go to sell this home, you will want not only appreciate all of those quirks but maximize the up side. The more you can demonstrate the benefits, the more value your home will have.
We had a variety of challenges here to overcome, but it was fun seeing the potential, knowing that we could make it a success. Appreciating what you’ve got always paves the way for surprising, creative solutions.
1. Funky Kitchen
The kitchen had good quality Spanish tile, but in a loud pattern that made no sense. Plus, there was a tin ceiling, contemporary lighting and new stainless appliances. We went with updated funky farmhouse; everyone was delighted with the result. We painted the ceiling a rich gold from the tile, and the inset shelves a glossy black. With casual, youthful art this space really is awful cute!
2. Seedy Old Basement
The good news was the basement was dry. The bad news was it was a vibrant yellow and chipped, not in the good way. We saw this as great additional square footage – ample space for everyone to relax, watch movies, play games, anything.
3. A clunky claw foot tub
Some people love original claw foot tubs; others don’t know quite what to do with them. They cost almost as much to take out as to put in, given that they’re iron and quite heavy. Painted neatly and with the surface in great condition, a claw foot tub can provide character to a home and lend a sense of stability and tradition for buyers. Fortunately with this home, the oval shower rail was already installed; it just needed a bit of cleaning. Those things can be costly to buy new.
4. An Attic Master Bedroom and Bath
Sloping ceilings create niches, and spaces with personality; they can be romantic, too. With hardwood floors in excellent condition we had good bones to work with here. The bathroom had 1970s era 6″ brown tile, but it was in great shape, and the fixtures were new. We went with what we had and made some stylish staging lemonade:
Overall, the house came together nicely. By appreciating what we had to deal with, seeing the up-side, we were able to demonstrate the value and present an appealing home. Even in the living room, where the fireplace was a bit close to the front door, we were able to create 2 separate seating areas, and extend the room to the far end with an elegant writing desk.
To appreciate your house, give us a call — 815-530-3566. Ask for Margaret.
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PS – how would you have handled the kitchen?
