What would you fix before putting a house on the market?

[SandrA9810]

We are leaving, and we have enough for about 6 months of rent. However, if we've lived here this long, might as well stay for a couple more months to get more money. On top of that, I'm going to be going back to Dallas in less than a couple month for the two holidays. So it's best if he stays here for the time being. Thats what he wants. And it's not smart to pay rent on an apartment no one is sleeping in...


And no one else is living with us, unless we decide to find a roommate.

Like I said before, while I'm in this house I would like to try do things to make it sellable.

The other thing I've noticed with the electric, is no matter what circut the vacuum is plugged into, you can see the strain on the lights in the other room. Any other place, I've seen it effect the lights in the room, but not the whole house. I guess it's another sign of bad wiring?

As for light bulbs, could've picked up 3 dozen for $10 at the flea market yesterday, all new, all sylvania brand. It's not about how cheap they are for me to buy. It's just even something that simple and that cheap that no one wants to help with the cost.

 

[Dictator]

Run Forest Run! Get your own life. They are bringing you down.

That's debatable.

 

[Green Tea]

As for light bulbs, could've picked up 3 dozen for $10 at the flea market yesterday, all new, all sylvania brand. It's not about how cheap they are for me to buy. It's just even something that simple and that cheap that no one wants to help with the cost.

If they have been paying the mortgage, insurance, electricity, water and property taxes, I seriously think you spring for the light bulbs without asking for reimbursement. Even new ones from the store.....not black market lightbulbs. Real ones.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

That's debatable.

Got it!

Ok, OP if you're choosing to stay with these people, do the world & future generations a favor & get your tubes tied.

What needs fixing here is way beyond the advice of a message board.

 

[Dictator]

For someone who has nothing to her name, sandra sure is critical of what others have.

 

[brunette8706]

Got it!

Ok, OP if you're choosing to stay with these people, do the world & future generations a favor & get your tubes tied.

What needs fixing here is way beyond the advice of a message board.

*
Exactly! Are these people for real? Maybe she is just posting for attention? Entertainment? I can't believe the OP and not having good common sense. She is on the boards with close to 7,000 posts, goes to Disney, SeaWorld etc. but lives in squalor. She doesn't have her priorites straight. She only cleans "eye level" what the heck is that, "eye level"???? So the dirt is on the floor and ceiling? This is a joke, right. She refuses to get a job, refuses to better herself, and she would rather live with 7 leeches then to get the heck out of there. She couldn't care less what we have advised. Birds with a Feather..........

 

[brunette8706]

For someone who has nothing to her name, sandra sure is critical of what others have.

*
Hi neighbor, I see your from Maryland too!

Anyway, what did I miss in your above post? lol

Brunette

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

*
Exactly! Are these people for real? Maybe she is just posting for attention? Entertainment? I can't believe the OP and not having good common sense. She is on the boards with close to 7,000 posts, goes to Disney, SeaWorld etc. but lives in squalor. She doesn't have her priorites straight. She only cleans "eye level" what the heck is that, "eye level"???? So the dirt is on the floor and ceiling? This is a joke, right. She refuses to get a job, refuses to better herself, and she would rather live with 7 leeches then to get the heck out of there. She couldn't care less what we have advised. Birds with a Feather..........

This reminds of a funny tshirt I saw in a boardwalk store this summer that said, "I have to work hard! Millions on welfare are depending on me!"

So I get up at 5am, pack all of our lunches, get kids ready for school, get to Philly to work by 8am, return by 6pm, help dh with dinner, help kids with homework, drop exhausted into bed and do it all over again the next day, spending weekends doing laundry & housework, paying almost $8K in property taxes on our little rancher, so that my tax dollars can help those who want to lay around in filth all day trying to decide whether to spend $10 for lightbulbs. I'm outta here!!!

 

[brunette8706]

This reminds of a funny tshirt I saw in a boardwalk store this summer that said, "I have to work hard! Millions on welfare are depending on me!"

So I get up at 5am, pack all of our lunches, get kids ready for school, get to Philly to work by 8am, return by 6pm, help dh with dinner, help kids with homework, drop exhausted into bed and do it all over again the next day, spending weekends doing laundry & housework, paying almost $8K in property taxes on our little rancher, so that my tax dollars can help those who want to lay around in filth all day trying to decide whether to spend $10 for lightbulbs. I'm outta here!!!

*
Isn't that the truth!

Why do we waste our time posting to these bizarre posts? It does make ya livid though. Most everyone here on these forums do something that is called "WORK" for a living. Most people on these forums don't leech off of others. It's a disgrace.

 

[disneyofcourse]

You forgot the best selling feature of the home. It comes complete with 7 leeches that you get to support.

LOL its a fabulous opportunity and not many homes offer this amazing value . This thread makes me want to shower in my clean bathroom and go sit in my clean living room.

 

[okeydokey]

This is the kind of situation I always use with my children as a teachable moment.

When you refuse to support yourself and instead are lazy and rely on others to take care of you, you have no say about what kind of care that is. You get stuck living in dirty yucky positions because you CHOOSE to instead of getting a job and supporting yourself. So no complaining.

 

[sunnyday123]

We are leaving, and we have enough for about 6 months of rent. However, if we've lived here this long, might as well stay for a couple more months to get more money. On top of that, I'm going to be going back to Dallas in less than a couple month for the two holidays. So it's best if he stays here for the time being. Thats what he wants. And it's not smart to pay rent on an apartment no one is sleeping in...


And no one else is living with us, unless we decide to find a roommate.

Like I said before, while I'm in this house I would like to try do things to make it sellable.

The other thing I've noticed with the electric, is no matter what circut the vacuum is plugged into, you can see the strain on the lights in the other room. Any other place, I've seen it effect the lights in the room, but not the whole house. I guess it's another sign of bad wiring?

As for light bulbs, could've picked up 3 dozen for $10 at the flea market yesterday, all new, all sylvania brand. It's not about how cheap they are for me to buy. It's just even something that simple and that cheap that no one wants to help with the cost.

You have 6 MONTHS OF RENT saved, and yet no one is helping this woman who is losing her house?? Are you kidding me? How do you sleep at night? You're going to help ( finally ) fix some things so it can sell, yet you can't find it in you to get a job and help with the bills that you are making? Unbelievable.

And you won't buy lightbulbs because no one else wants to help with the cost? For the love of God, they were $10. Do you use the water? Electricity? Eat food? The utter selfishness of your posts, every one of them, continually amazes me.

It doesn't sound like any of the things you've mentioned are going to be a quick fix. It's more than likely going to sit until they foreclose on it. As a realtor, I wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole.

 

[Magic Mom]

It's his mother's friend that lives here with 3 kids (two teenagers, and a 10 yr old). No rent, no help with the bills. Maybe the electric every few months. His mother pays the gas, we cover the water/electric.

His father covered the mortgage, but he walked out last year. There's nothing good to say about that person, nothing good at all. That's when the friend moved in. His mother thought she'd pay rent which would help pay the mortgage. It's probably only costed her more money and more headaches. But it's made her see what I do to actually help around here.

.

Those people sound like total leeches. The kind that move from place to place sucking the life out of those around them and then moving on to the next victem when nothing of value is left. It's shameful and disgusting. The adult should get a job and pay his/her own rent.

 

[RitaE]

So your boyfriend's Mom now has

her grown son
You
Some Woman
and 3 kids

all living in her house and yet nobody is helping her to maintain it and nobody has a job to help her pay the bills?

Good Grief!

 

[Magic Mom]

So your boyfriend's Mom now has

her grown son
You
Some Woman
and 3 kids

all living in her house and yet nobody is helping her to maintain it and nobody has a job to help her pay the bills?

Good Grief!

You'd think between 4 grown adults they could come up with some money to pay the rent or at least keep the house from being a trash heap.

 

[kaytieeldr]

So your boyfriend's Mom now has

her grown son
You
Some Woman
and 3 kids

all living in her house and yet nobody is helping her to maintain it and nobody has a job to help her pay the bills?

Good Grief!

And, I think, an adult(?) daughter. Wasntthere a mention of eight people earlier in the thread - including a sister with a window-attacking predeliction?

 

[Swan4Me]

Disney trips? I'd love to be back home in Florida, walking through those gates whenever I pleased.

going to Sea World and Aquatica every other afternoon.

.

So how were you able to go to the parks on a daily basis?


I was looking at modest homes last year (with a friend) and they were all in tip top mint condition. In fact one house she loved-but when we went in backyard and looked at the roof-one roof vent had a plastic bag on it-for leaks-so she decided not to pursue it


NO WAY she would have looked at anything with broken glass or lights that didt work

 

[karice2]

OP,

No judgement here since I am a constant lurker and not really a super poster but here are my suggestions for the house. Things that you can do to help get it in for sale condition. Sort of a thank you to the woman for letting you stay for so long. I know that it sucks that no one is willing to help with the costs of things but putting on your big girl pants to do the right thing is what separates girls from woment.

1. Definitely replace the light bulbs. All of them. They may all be on one circuit and if one is out then they all blow. If the circuit is complete then there is less likelyhood of them blowing.

2. Replace broken glass. You can get a super clear plexiglass type material at Home Depot. They will cut it to measure and it will be easier to install with some of that sticky stuff that you put in windows when replacing them.
Less likelihood of the daughter breaking it as well.

3. Clean, clean, clean. I know it sucks to have to clean up after adults but you have lived there for awhile and it is the polite thing to do. Declutter as much as you can so that people can see themselves living in it. What is the girl scout mantra, leave no trace. I would go one better by saying leave it in a better condition than you found it.

4. Paint. It is an easy way to make an unappealing house look better. You can get some great paint for super cheap by going to the Habitat for Humanity Restore. That is what we call it around here. It may be different where you are. Just look up Habitat for Humanity and there should be a link for the local area. You can get some great stuff there. Some of it is brand new (dropped off by developers and the like). A 5 gallon drum of white paint for about 10 bucks. You can then tint it with a little color that you pick up at home depot and paint the walls. They are probably needed if the house is really that messy and has kids.

5. Curb appeal. Trim hedges, get rid of trash, wash the blinds, rake the leaves. Those things just cost the manual labor.

6. I have found that Grant's Ant Stakes work pretty well for keeping ants at bay. You place them around the perimeter of the house and the ants take the poison back to the nest.

7. For the mold, you will want a spray bottle of bleach and water. 2 parts bleach to one part water. This will clean all the surface mold. Spray and then wipe with a damp sponge. When painting there is some stuff that you can put in the paint to deter future mold growth. Hope that it doesn't go further than the surface because as part of the inspection process, if there is mold, forget about it.


I know this is a lot of stuff but most of it is labor. The most expensive is the glass replacement. You shouldn't be out more than $250. I think that is pretty reasonable for being able to live fairly cheaply and time to get back on your feet. It's the right thing to do and will make you feel better in the long run.

 

[surfgirl]

I would ask an inspector to come through with a complete list of things internal and external.

The problem with hiring an inspector is that if they've told you something - now you must disclose it. For example, if they tell you there is a problem with the electrical box, you either must fix it or disclose it. If you didn't know about it first, then you can't disclose it.

Don't go looking for problems - sounds like you have enough to fix without a tough inspector finding more.

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Ok, I've read through the entire thread now and an inspector is the LEAST of your worries.

When you look at other houses in the neighborhood and what they are selling for, I'm assuming that means good condition. Not great, just not 'trashed' which is what you are living in. If you list this house, people will pull up, take one look and see a broken window and drive away. How do you even get photos of this house that look decent ?

As for the friend with the kids ? Honestly, you may have a tough time getting rid of her. I don't know housing laws in CA, but she is basically a tenant. And tenants have rights. And she may be smarter than you realize and know that she has found her moneytrain and a free place to live. I would find out how to get her evicted, because even if you do sell the house, you have to get her out.

You are getting sucked into a big black hole of a house and a mess. get out now.

 

[mdsoccermom]

The problem with hiring an inspector is that if they've told you something - now you must disclose it. For example, if they tell you there is a problem with the electrical box, you either must fix it or disclose it. If you didn't know about it first, then you can't disclose it.

Don't go looking for problems - sounds like you have enough to fix without a tough inspector finding more.

-------------------------------------------------------------


Ok, I've read through the entire thread now and an inspector is the LEAST of your worries.

When you look at other houses in the neighborhood and what they are selling for, I'm assuming that means good condition. Not great, just not 'trashed' which is what you are living in. If you list this house, people will pull up, take one look and see a broken window and drive away. How do you even get photos of this house that look decent ?

As for the friend with the kids ? Honestly, you may have a tough time getting rid of her. I don't know housing laws in CA, but she is basically a tenant. And tenants have rights. And she may be smarter than you realize and know that she has found her moneytrain and a free place to live. I would find out how to get her evicted, because even if you do sell the house, you have to get her out.

You are getting sucked into a big black hole of a house and a mess. get out now.

Not a whole lot different than the OP.