Need help on a decision

[pyrxtc]

we have decided to move and want to sell our house. I am willing to do things to make it sell. I am de-personalizing and re-painting and doing some upgrades to make it more appealing.

We have wide pine floors. They are original to my house (age 185-240 years old, there is some discrepancy) and have been painted many times over the years. They have a thick coat of milk paint(blue), a coat of lead paint(grey), and a coat of latex paint(light brown, ugly) over them. The paint is chipping severely in some places. My dogs had a big part in that.

I am torn whether I should keep them covered with a rug as I have been doing so the buyer can refinish them when she's see's the bare wood in spots and how nice it would look or to paint them and make them even and decent looking.

Sanding them down is almost impossible. They would take forever and would have to be hand sanded. Milk paint is really, really hard to get up. We did it to the alcove upstairs and it took us two weeks and I don't know how many pieces of sand paper because they got eaten up fast. We had to use a palm sander because of warping of the wood and it is that way down here too. So refinishing is not an option.

Also, If you vote to paint them, what color ? Deep red ? Dark Brown ? Black ?

My house is an antique cape with colored walls, mint green, chocolate brown, and grey for the rooms with the ugly wood floors. All the trim is an antique white and there is a lot. The house still has that great antique cape look but could use some love by new owners.

 

[pyrxtc]

replying to other post and a comment. I am painting some rooms a tan color to neutralize them and re-painting trim. I just don't know what to do about floor color. The floors are ugly ! I just don't know whether to paint them again or let the new owners have the chance to re-finish them. Although one more coat of paint probably won't be much harder to remover than what is on there already.

 

[RitaE]

Well, you are going to have to disclose that you know about the existence of the lead based paint - especially lead based paint that it sounds like is exposed? I'm not sure how many buyers would walk due to it, but I know I'd at least insist it be removed as a condition of purchase and I'd probably walk. I just wouldn't want to deal with it.

 

[Darcy03231]

I wouldn't buy a house with lead paint in it either. I'd want removal of it as a condition of any sale.

If you don't want to sand them down and refinish them, I'd paint them (probably brown) and hope for the best. I just think in this market lead paint will be a tough sell.

 

[pyrxtc]

the lead paint has to be disclosed but unless you have really young children then it's not a problem. even then, if you paint over it and it seals, then it is not a problem either. That is what the state recommended when we tested for it.

All old house have lead paint in them somewhere. We all grew up in house covered in lead paint and we survived and none the wear. In order to remove it, you would have to gut the whole house. The next owner can do it, not me. I am hoping to advertise the house as a vacation house. Winter for skiing and summer for swimming and boating. A lot of homes up here are used like that. Also, if someone wants to restore it, they could do that. There are way more many amenities to entice that the lead paint won't even come into play for most people.

 

[shortbun]

I'd paint them a dark neutral color. I don't think you want the appearance to send unsophisticated buyers(people who judge based on surface appearance) running. Read up on what kind of paint and how to paint over lead. There IS a procedure to keep the lead at bay. The biggest issue is chipped, scratched paint where the dust would carry the lead into your lungs.

 

[pyrxtc]

I'd paint them a dark neutral color. I don't think you want the appearance to send unsophisticated buyers(people who judge based on surface appearance) running. Read up on what kind of paint and how to paint over lead. There IS a procedure to keep the lead at bay. The biggest issue is chipped, scratched paint where the dust would carry the lead into your lungs.

That's what I'm trying to do, is show people what it could look like. You watch all those shows and people look ta a color of a wall and say they could never live there or the furniture is what they don't like. I am minimizing and de-personalizing every room. I'm just unsure of what to do with the floors.

Lead paint will be disclosed as will everything else that is required but I'm betting it won't turn away a lot of buyers. NH does not have a lead paint policy for sellers except disclosure.

"Approximately three-quarters of the nation’s housing built before 1978 contains some lead-based paint. This paint, if properly managed and maintained, poses little risk. If allowed to deteriorate, lead from paint can threaten the health of occupants, especially children under 6 years old. If families and building owners are aware of the presence of lead-based paint and the proper actions to take, most lead-based paint hazards can be managed."

 

[ilovemk76]

we have decided to move and want to sell our house. I am willing to do things to make it sell. I am de-personalizing and re-painting and doing some upgrades to make it more appealing.

We have wide pine floors. They are original to my house (age 185-240 years old, there is some discrepancy) and have been painted many times over the years. They have a thick coat of milk paint(blue), a coat of lead paint(grey), and a coat of latex paint(light brown, ugly) over them. The paint is chipping severely in some places. My dogs had a big part in that.

I am torn whether I should keep them covered with a rug as I have been doing so the buyer can refinish them when she's see's the bare wood in spots and how nice it would look or to paint them and make them even and decent looking.

Sanding them down is almost impossible. They would take forever and would have to be hand sanded. Milk paint is really, really hard to get up. We did it to the alcove upstairs and it took us two weeks and I don't know how many pieces of sand paper because they got eaten up fast. We had to use a palm sander because of warping of the wood and it is that way down here too. So refinishing is not an option.

Also, If you vote to paint them, what color ? Deep red ? Dark Brown ? Black ?

My house is an antique cape with colored walls, mint green, chocolate brown, and grey for the rooms with the ugly wood floors. All the trim is an antique white and there is a lot. The house still has that great antique cape look but could use some love by new owners.

I would vote to get them refinished. If not, then repaint a dark brown color.


Did your DH get the job in Mountain View, CA?

 

[pyrxtc]

I would vote to get them refinished. If not, then repaint a dark brown color.


Did your DH get the job in Mountain View, CA?

No, they imposed a hiring freeze. We are still going to move. We will move closer to my parents to help them and then wait until the freeze is over and try our luck then. Stuck in New England for another year at least.

 

[marlynnp]

Paint the floors. Except leave the alcove that you refinished as is. That way prospects will see what the floors look like if they wish to refinish them.

 

[MomToOne]

I am your target buyer - I LOVE old houses with "character" and hate new construction. And by new I mean anything built in the last 75 years LOL

Those of us that love older homes know all about things like lead paint (and mold, and plaster cracks, and knob and tube wiring, and....). We don't have a problem with that stuff as long as it's been handled properly. The only part of your description that bothered me was that you mentioned you had a coat of latex paint on it - I would have gone with an oil-based paint given the other layers.

I personally would paint the floors a lighter color - it will show the dirt less than a darker color, and that's something I would consider if I saw the floors. But take the time to do it right, and hire a professional if need be.

 

[pyrxtc]

We did not paint it with latex paint. It just seems that is what is there. It could be oil paint ???? It was there when we moved in. We used area rugs and rug squares (not glued down) to cover the wood so it would scratch as little as possible, my dogs still found a way in the living room. I wish they had gotten to the whole floor since it's a gorgeous honey color in one spot, but that took 9 years... LOL!

If we paint, we would get floor paint. I want to make sure it's done right so someone else doesn't have to repair anything we did. It will be in move-in condition.

We have enjoyed remodeling it, room by room. The rooms we have done, we have kept the same molding design as original and even hid things in the wall for when someone else remodels it. ( Webkinz, hot wheels, things like that sealed in plastic with a date.) It's fun to find things.

 

[Swan4Me]

I was watcing one of those "First Time Home Owners" shows and in one state-in the Northeast-one part of the home buying inspection is for Lead based paint-and every home over 20 years old gets this inspection. The sale is not allowed until the lead paint is removed by the seller.

 

[englishteacha]

My house is from 1924. I know there must be lead paint. We don't chew on the windowsills.

I'd paint the floor.

 

[pyrxtc]

I was watcing one of those "First Time Home Owners" shows and in one state-in the Northeast-one part of the home buying inspection is for Lead based paint-and every home over 20 years old gets this inspection. The sale is not allowed until the lead paint is removed by the seller.

The shows lies. That is not how it works. there are only rules for removal if you are renting. You can sell a house with lead as long as you disclose it. And the removal is only required for renters if they have a child under 6 or a pregnant woman. Massachusetts is more tough on it but I don't believe any of them "require" removal. For some houses that would almost mean a complete tear down.

 

[mrudman]

I'd love to buy your house! Sounds like my dream home,

Problem is I don't have the funds, lol! How much are you planning on asking for it if you don't mind me asking?

 

[sherry7]

The first house I owned was built in 1869, and all of the rooms had wide plank floors that had been painted over the years. The planks weren't smooth at all, you could see a considerable amount of grooves, etc. even through multiple layers of paint. This sounds exactly like your floors.

Most of the floors had been covered by carpeting by the previous owners, so we left those as is. We did repaint one of the bedroom floors however. I went to either Lowe's or Home Depot and bought an oil-based floor paint. I did around the baseboards with a trim brush, and rolled the rest on using a roller with a 4 foot extension handle. It stunk awfully for several days, and took a long time to dry because it was oil-based. But it was super durable, and never scratched or chipped. (For the record, we didn't have pets.) I chose a dark brown color, about the same shade as chocolate. It did show dust because the color was darker, but it was super easy to run a damp dust mop over the floor once a week.

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

If you decide to paint, be sure you fill in all the chips and gouges with wood putty first!
Our house is from the 1870's and had painted woodwork. DH stripped down two rooms and it was a real ordeal with the milk paint! After that, he just stripped the doors and replaced the trim in the rest of the house with new! Much, much easier.
Best of luck selling your old house!

 

[MrsPete]

Refinishing would be ideal, but since that's not an option, I'd paint dark brown. In my mind, it's softer and less stark than black.

The possibility of lead paint wouldn't deter me a bit. I personally know a child who has developmental delays because he ate lead paint, and his issues are severe . . . but my children are 14 and 17, and they don't chew on windowsills. In fact, they didn't chew on windowsills when they were toddlers either. Most children who were injured by lead paint grew up sleeping in CRIBS that were painted with the bad stuff.

 

[pyrxtc]

I'd love to buy your house! Sounds like my dream home,

Problem is I don't have the funds, lol! How much are you planning on asking for it if you don't mind me asking?

It is a 14 room antique cape. 4 bedrooms and 2 office area's with a first floor laundry off the kitchen that triples as a half bath and pantry area with 2 full bathrooms also. We have just under an acre of open grass for playing, a shed, and a garage just big enough to hold your outdoor grown up toys. we are 5 miles from a great ski mountain, 2,734 feet to the top, or dropping your boat in the 10 mile long lake. It's only 3 miles to the town beach for swimming. 30 minutes to Concord and 90 minutes to Boston. Plus the student teacher ratio is 9/1.

We plan on asking in the area of $260,000.