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Answers (18)
- Charlottesville Real Estate, "Charles McDonald"
- Contributions:230
Kitchens and Baths are the best place to focus
your friend in Charlottesville Virginia
Find a home in Charlottesville
your friend in Charlottesville Virginia
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- Timothy Mattingly, "Timothy Mattingly"
- Contributions:7
Good anwers. I think that if you are looking to sell your home then the $1000 would be put to good use on the front porch is you have one. I have found that my buyers are turned off right at the front door. If your front door is dirty or if it is a metal door that is a little dinged up, use car bondo smooth out the dings, sand and paint.
Add two flower boxes to the porch and add some nice colorful seasonal flowers. If you want to sell, the front porch and door help sell.
If you are just looking for some other ideas, then take the $1000 and use that to updrage your 1/2 bath or smallest bathroom. New sink, vanity, tile and paint are less than $1000.
Add two flower boxes to the porch and add some nice colorful seasonal flowers. If you want to sell, the front porch and door help sell.
If you are just looking for some other ideas, then take the $1000 and use that to updrage your 1/2 bath or smallest bathroom. New sink, vanity, tile and paint are less than $1000.
- Pasadenan
- Contributions:21424
I agree with replacing the outlets and switches yourself; it takes less than 10 minutes a piece, and it would cost substantially more for your time just to find someone else to do it and to let them in. For residential grade, the cost is less than 50 cents each. Make sure you use GFI if near a sink or outdoors or in a basement...
Also make sure you buy a plug tester and use it for each outlet you replace to make sure you didn't reverse wires.
Also make sure you buy a plug tester and use it for each outlet you replace to make sure you didn't reverse wires.
- NTETS, "Mr Caveat"
- Contributions:6436
and while we are on the subject, you can eliminate coats by using a thicker paint or a paint primer combo. i would stay away from cheaper paints that require more coats anyway.
- NTETS, "Mr Caveat"
- Contributions:6436
no, it isnt a loss to not pay a pro to do what you can around your house, that is basic electrical, plumbing, painting or whatever you can do. so far this summer i have replaced about 5 light fixtures, 2 non-working outlets and some light switches, re-grouted my tub, replaced a sink fixed a soft spot in my deck. the cost to me was about 500 for everything including the all new tools i had to buy because i didn't have them before.
it is true that i have some free time so my time isn't "valuable," as in i couldn't sell my time to anybody, but still considering the wage that you would have to pay yourself to not sit on the couch and watch tv is pretty lazy. if you aren't getting paid then one activity is equally "costly" as the next.
plus i estimate the savings and improvement value to be far greater than 500 bucks.
oh, and fyi flat paint might hide imperfections, but it also makes rooms darker and look more cramped, so be careful with it and use it sparingly in rooms that use lamps or canned lighting.
it is true that i have some free time so my time isn't "valuable," as in i couldn't sell my time to anybody, but still considering the wage that you would have to pay yourself to not sit on the couch and watch tv is pretty lazy. if you aren't getting paid then one activity is equally "costly" as the next.
plus i estimate the savings and improvement value to be far greater than 500 bucks.
oh, and fyi flat paint might hide imperfections, but it also makes rooms darker and look more cramped, so be careful with it and use it sparingly in rooms that use lamps or canned lighting.
- Scott Applegate, "Applegate Properties"
- Contributions:11
Case by case, what does the house need? New paint? Plants and flowers for curb appeal? New bathroom or kitchen fixtures. Lighting fixtures. The $1,000 is best use where it makes the biggest impact for the subject property.
- real estate mike
- Contributions:2001
tankless water heater and nickel plated door knobs..
- Linda Strasberg, "L Strasberg"
- Contributions:2314
I agree with Mark...unless you're a total clutz...then don't touch anything without the help of a professional.
- Pasadenan
- Contributions:21424
In my experience, that only includes the paint and spraying, no cleaning, no patching, no scraping, no sanding, no priming, no caulking, no drop cloths, no masking, no protection, no scaffolding, no clean up, no trash hauling... To do one room right costs over $1k. To do the outside right costs about $5k to 15k.
"Do it yourself" mean pay yourself your hourly labor rates. For most home owners, that is a loss.
It used to be that you could pick up day laborers for about $5 per hour. Now it is closer to $8 to $10 per hour. Sure, many of them are more qualified and harder workers than licensed contractors, but you cover the insurance and provide all the tools and materials, and do all the supervision, and deal with all the carelessness and clean up all the drips.
And if you have to remove wall paper first? Forget it...
If you can do it for $1k, then a contractor can do it for $2.5k. No contractor in this area will quote anywhere close to that. The paint alone is $35 plus (before tax) per gallon and only covers about 200 sq ft for one coat. A 1200 sq ft house has about 6000 sqft of interior wall and ceiling surfaces. That is about 30 gallons just for one coat. That is at least $1050 for paint before tax and that doesn't even include brushes, rollers, tape, cloths, pans, liners, masks, gloves, ladders, step-stools, roller extensions, stirrers...
"Do it yourself" mean pay yourself your hourly labor rates. For most home owners, that is a loss.
It used to be that you could pick up day laborers for about $5 per hour. Now it is closer to $8 to $10 per hour. Sure, many of them are more qualified and harder workers than licensed contractors, but you cover the insurance and provide all the tools and materials, and do all the supervision, and deal with all the carelessness and clean up all the drips.
And if you have to remove wall paper first? Forget it...
If you can do it for $1k, then a contractor can do it for $2.5k. No contractor in this area will quote anywhere close to that. The paint alone is $35 plus (before tax) per gallon and only covers about 200 sq ft for one coat. A 1200 sq ft house has about 6000 sqft of interior wall and ceiling surfaces. That is about 30 gallons just for one coat. That is at least $1050 for paint before tax and that doesn't even include brushes, rollers, tape, cloths, pans, liners, masks, gloves, ladders, step-stools, roller extensions, stirrers...
- NTETS, "Mr Caveat"
- Contributions:6436
pfft, you can paint the whole house inside and out for 1,000 if you are willing to DIY, and you can have a whole house painted either inside or out for 1,000 if you hire from the millionaires club(or in front of the home depot).
- Pasadenan
- Contributions:21424
I agree with SoCal Engineer; you can't get any painting done for $1k if your time is worth anything. Sure, if there is no prep work of any kind, you could do a quick paint touch up here or there, but that really doesn't address the issues, and if done wrong it could be worse than having done nothing.
If your facets in the kitchen and baths don't look new, it may be worth replacing those. You can often buy new and install for less than the cost and labor of cleaning up the existing.
I'm thinking about hydro-seeding the lawn again... it cost $400 for all of it, front and back... last time it was done. Probably there was some inflation since. But it requires watering 3 times a day for two weeks after seeded, and the city presently has a limitation on watering due to lack of snow pack and state water importing issues.
If your facets in the kitchen and baths don't look new, it may be worth replacing those. You can often buy new and install for less than the cost and labor of cleaning up the existing.
I'm thinking about hydro-seeding the lawn again... it cost $400 for all of it, front and back... last time it was done. Probably there was some inflation since. But it requires watering 3 times a day for two weeks after seeded, and the city presently has a limitation on watering due to lack of snow pack and state water importing issues.
- Mark Gallagher, "MarkGallagher"
- Contributions:101
If preparing to sell, paint your house in a few different neutral shades. One "off-white" color throughout the whole house will not be the best bet. It is often better to choose a specialty paint supply house when buying paint. Use a quality FLAT paint. Flat hides the most imperfections in your walls. For the trim, use Semi-Gloss. You could paint an average size house yourself for less than $1000.
Vanities, Mirrors, Light Fixtures, Switch plates, cabinet knobs, are all other items that are DIY friendly and inexpensive but can make a large difference.
- NTETS, "Mr Caveat"
- Contributions:6436
paint
- Francisco J. Navas, "Weston Resident"
- Contributions:8
Bathroom allways get the attention to the buyers,paint walls and replace all old caulking, will make it clean.
Main areas: grout cleaning or carpet cleaning. Hire a professional don't waist time and money trying to do it your self.
Main entrance or front door: Is the first impression of any person going into your house.Make sure is clean from dust and sometimes bugs, paint front door.
In general go around look for details make a plan that fit your budget.
Remember first impressions are very important.$ 1,000.00 can make a lot.
good luck.
Francisco J. Navas
Lic. Real Estate Broker
Main areas: grout cleaning or carpet cleaning. Hire a professional don't waist time and money trying to do it your self.
Main entrance or front door: Is the first impression of any person going into your house.Make sure is clean from dust and sometimes bugs, paint front door.
In general go around look for details make a plan that fit your budget.
Remember first impressions are very important.$ 1,000.00 can make a lot.
good luck.
Francisco J. Navas
Lic. Real Estate Broker
- William Allen, "William Steven Allen"
- Contributions:46
Curb appeal or Landscaping. This is usually a facet of Real Estate that goes overlooked. Great curb appeal can make you the envy of the neighborhood.
- James Callas, "ABBAUSA"
- Contributions:956
$1000 well spent will help.
Paint is always the first choice and it must be applied in a professional manner to bring the highest return.
Depending on the size of the home, you might have some money left over.
Next freshen up bathroom. (new mirror and maybe new facet set for the lav)
Finish up any funds left in the kitchen....new hardware.
Plan and price before you start and of course all of the above is do it yourself.
Good Luck!
James Callas - Realtor®
Paint is always the first choice and it must be applied in a professional manner to bring the highest return.
Depending on the size of the home, you might have some money left over.
Next freshen up bathroom. (new mirror and maybe new facet set for the lav)
Finish up any funds left in the kitchen....new hardware.
Plan and price before you start and of course all of the above is do it yourself.
Good Luck!
James Callas - Realtor®
- Simon Mills, "Mills Realty"
- Contributions:1858
If I was planning on selling I would spend the $1,000 to make my front yard look as good as possible. First impressions are critical and although $1,000 is not much it could certainly help someone who is interested get off of the right foot.
Simon Mills
Mills Realty
Simon Mills
Mills Realty
- SoCal_Engr
- Contributions:5661
You're kidding, right? For $1K, I wouldn't waste the money as there is nothing on the house that can be done for that cost - unless you want to buy nik-naks to "pretty up" the place.
I replaced 4 toilets...$3K.
I replaced 4 toilets...$3K.
If you had $1000 to spend on your house, what improvement or change would you make?
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