Would YOU buy this condo(Post #19-more info)

[PixieTopaz]

I'm helping a single male friend buy his first place and he stumbled on a Townhouse that has been vacant for 6 months-s a good deal can be made.. I think the main reason it hasnt sold is the kitchen cabinets

Good area-newer units-all the units have painted cabinets -and this one has Delft Blue ones



So-would you try re-painting them even dark brown, black...or what?

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I think I would Kilz the cabinets and then paint them either a nice white or a nice <insert creamy tinted color here>.

 

[bumbershoot]

It's actually possible for a place to not sell for so long because of the color of cabinets? That's just nutty IMO.

Are they just the deep blue in the pattern, or are they actually patterened? Meh, I'd probably take the place either way, and probably keep the cabinets! Sounds interesting to me (says a person who had a cornflower blue bedroom, even the ceiling, as a preteen/teen).

 

[PixieTopaz]

They are solid blue-delft was the shade i could think of


It was really a guess to why this place hasn't sold

 

[Disney Doll]

The color of kitchen cabinets would not stop me from buying an otherwise perfect condo. If that has been the case with this partiular condo, then I recommend your friend buy it if ti's a deal and paint the cabinets another color.

I would probably not choose brown for the cabinets, because I think it would be boring. Black is a possibility, depending on what he was going to do with the rest of the kitchen and what the floor, counter, & appliances look like etc. If the appliances are white, cream colored or stainless, I might do black for some contrast and do kind of a black/white, black/white/stainless or black/cream theme. If the appliances are black, I think black cabinets would be too much black, so then I'd do the cabinets either white or cream.

The countertop is quite important to look at when choosing cabinet colors too.

 

[kaytieeldr]

The cabinet color seems like an unusual reason to pass up on a good deal. Has he visited the condo at different times of the day/different days of the week? Is he considering the purchase seriously enough that the owner might entertain his request to spend a night there? Can he make the purchase contingent on an inspection?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

If other units aren't sellling, this unit is similar except for the wild color of the cabinets, there is no reason to not buy it.

However, if no other units are selling--it is something else.

In this market, simple cosmetic issues can make or break a sale--or at a minimum, cause a problem in the sale price. (We are presently buying a house and the walls are filty and need repainting. Really a cosmetic issue--but it cost the bank probably about $10K or more b/c the home appeared to be a fixer upper when all it needed was a coat of paint.)



I'd do some research to confirm based on comps that it is just the cabinet color causing the problem. Consult the listing history also--has the condo been reduced in price recently to get it to sell.

There are a couple of homes in my neighborhood that are not selling. They've been upgraded and look great. They are priced at a steal and should be selling. However--due to insurance--it is keeping buyers at that price point far away in this buyers market.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

All things being equal, if the color of the cabinets are what is stalling the sale, then ask for a painting allowance (money off the purchase price) and go for it!

I have a friend who is a realtor and yes, the color of cabinets, heck the color of a carpet can stop a sale. Drives her batty that people don't see the "potential."

With all the choices out there today (in many places) use the less than great color to negotiate a lower price and go from there.

Painting the cabinets: Much will depend upon the type of paint that was used. You may want to look into the cost of stripping the old paint before repainting. Depending upon the size of the kitchen, you may want to price the cost of removing the cabinets and replacing them all together (depending on the quality of the current cabinets).

Good luck to your friend!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

If it was a "bargain", it would not be sitting there. Kitchen remodel is very expensive and my guess is that the price does not reflect the listing price.

What are the comps for the last 6 months on the condo place? That is the info you need.

Maybe it is not going to appraise out for the listing price or perhaps something else like no FHA approval?

Do some more digging.

 

[EllenFrasier]

I think when people buy a condo they want it move in ready, not having to do any work on it. If the cabinets are a turn off, it would be enough to make people not buy it. It's not like buying a house to fix up in my opinion.

 

[shortbun]

I would never pass on a house/condo due to color that could be changed. Get a good inspection prior to finalizing the contract. We just bought a big house with a wagon wheel chandelier in the kitchen-complete with spurs and bunkhouse lights.

 

[kathie859]

The unit is either:
1) over priced
2) there's a glut of comps that are nicer
3) like a prev poster said no FHA approval (if it's a condo) Even if he's paying cash--this could affect resale value

If it's a cash sale and he loves the place, he should buy it knowing he'll want to do something about the decor; however, he needs to do some due diligence to make sure that the managment company and/or condo association is fiscally sound. That's a real issue right now in this screwy real estate economy.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yep.

OP, you need to see past the "blue cabinet" excuse.

 

[abdmom]

I just sold my house 8 months ago. It is incredible the reasons people have for not buying a house. Everyone was out there looking for a "steal". There's loads of foreclosures/short sales and many people are keeping their pocketbooks firmly shut. I can totally believe that blue cabinets (and my mom used to love to paint her cabinets blue) would make a potential buyer pass it by.

 

[dawson5]

Like others have said, see what is going on in the complex, also see if you can find out a history of the place. We have a house the next block over that has been on the market probably four times since we moved here. People keep buying it and doing more to it (added more garage-four car now, redid the kitchen-new cabinets & granite countertops, finished the basement and re-sided & landscaped) it still doesn't sell. Every time it is on the market for a year or more. Most homes in our neighborhood sell fairly quick. It is not over priced as far as I can tell, but from what we've been told, when the house was originally built, they used basic appointments and it does not flow. It sounds like they've overcome the basic stuff with all the remodeling. There is only so much you can do to a home until you start ripping out walls. It is also larger than most in here, has a walk-up 3rd story that is finished. It is priced the same as a regular four bedroom home but is larger than other four bedrooms here.

 

[Becky2005]

It's actually possible for a place to not sell for so long because of the color of cabinets? That's just nutty IMO.

Are they just the deep blue in the pattern, or are they actually patterened? Meh, I'd probably take the place either way, and probably keep the cabinets! Sounds interesting to me (says a person who had a cornflower blue bedroom, even the ceiling, as a preteen/teen).

I absolutely HATE "neutral everything" but that is how houses are done to sell and it drives me nuts. We are finally adding color to the house, just took us a while to decide for the main room. I hate the wallpaper in the kitchen, always have.

I'm a weird one though as when I was looking at houses, IF it was something cosmetic, I ignored it. If it was the layout I didn't like, then I paid attention, one house I felt the hallways were too narrow, that isn't something easy to change, so no go. Not liking the wallpaper in the kitchen, not even a consideration.

If the only issue is the color of the cabinets, then I definitely would be considering buying it...cabinets can be changed.

 

[bumbershoot]

I have a friend who is a realtor and yes, the color of cabinets, heck the color of a carpet can stop a sale. Drives her batty that people don't see the "potential."

Wild! I can't even imagine. Guess it's b/c I'm a renter.

I think when people buy a condo they want it move in ready, not having to do any work on it. If the cabinets are a turn off, it would be enough to make people not buy it. It's not like buying a house to fix up in my opinion.

Hmm, good point. I think we're in a unique situation b/c we rent a condo, and our condo owners bought it in order to fix it up and rent it until they retire...they gutted the place, so I didn't think about people not wanting to do that for a condo. But it makes sense for someone wanting to actually live in a condo, not rent it out.

If it was the layout I didn't like, then I paid attention, one house I felt the hallways were too narrow, that isn't something easy to change, so no go.

Very true.



OP hope your friend finds a place he likes soon!

 

[disykat]

My first house was a fixer, so we knew we'd be replacing everything soon anyway.

My second place I wanted ready to live in, so I was somewhat choosey about what I'd be willing to change out. If I truly didn't want blue cabinets and the price was not low enough to compensate for me having them painted or the time it would take to do it myself, I might pass. My goal was finding something nice enough to live in, with only a few changes that we could make gradually. I found it in this house.

Changes cost money. If it's a deal, sure. But if I can get something for the same price without having to pony up for changes, I'm going to.

 

[PixieTopaz]

So I had only seen pics on Realtor's website.

He saw it today and tells me that the woman who owned it (he's sure it was a woman, mind you) had words stenciled on the walls of Dining room and one bedroom.
Also stenciled words around the light switches

So his realtor says they can write in a clause for money for painting-to me the whole room would have to be repainted-IF the stenciling can be covered?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

So I had only seen pics on Realtor's website.

He saw it today and tells me that the woman who owned it (he's sure it was a woman, mind you) had words stenciled on the walls of Dining room and one bedroom.
Also stenciled words around the light switches

So his realtor says they can write in a clause for money for painting-to me the whole room would have to be repainted-IF the stenciling can be covered?

On a resale show--one of the things they commented on was depersonalization and removing family pics AND sayings of a personal nature. Evidently, it can cause a home even in a well selling area--to sit as a dud until it gets made over from that. It's a huge distraction.

While some people can look past that--evidently those folks aren't looking at the condo and aren't interested.