Upgrades, and Touch Ups?

Amber, do you have to sell?  If not, do all of the above slowly so you can at least enjoy it. It is such a pity that you have suffered with the "downgrades" for so long and can't stick around to enjoy the "upgrades".  That is assuming that your house will sell in a hurry. 

We're relocating to another state (if we can sell). These are just some things I think would make the house more appealing. The property will most likley sell the property (its why we chose it). We just dont know if we should even bother with some of the upgrades, or  leave it be and sell.

This is just a quarter of our proptery. (2.43 acres)

Personally I think the roof and windows are more important than the countertops, but this is a personal preference.

I am in the same boat, trying to figure out what to do with our house before we put it up for sale.  In my opinion, if I were you I would spend a little money on the kitchen but no need to go for granite (just make it look fresher and clean).  I would not try to put a tub in where one doesn't fit well anyway.  See if there are other, smaller changes that would spiff up your bathroom (new lights? new fixtures?  everything sparkling clean).  Roof and windows are things that will come up in an inspection so yes, I think you should put some money into those.  We replaced our roof two years ago because we had to (it was leaking) but now am glad that I will be able to offer that to buyers.   I don't know about the garage, but I think I would stage the dining room as a dining room.  (But if it leaves you without a necessary office, then maybe you need to keep the office?)

Don't sink any money into the home that is not safety or inspection related!  If the roof is still goo, try cleaning it.  Don't replace the countertops unless they are stained and chipped, just make sure they are clean.  Don't bother with the tub in the master bath if you have a tub elsewhere.  Clean out the garage so there are ONLY cars in it, and turn the dining room back into a dining room.  The windows, however, I would consider replacing since you can market them as an energy saving as well as looking better.

Ask me how I learned all of this...no, don't!  The one consistent comment we got about our house when it was on the market was that the garage (clean, new, oversized 2 car) was a definite plus (it is an older neighborhood and most of the other houses had one-car garages converted into living space).

Dunmoved,  really?  But it's just so tempting to make things look better.  Will buyers really like my house just as much if I leave my kitchen cabinets alone (laminate with some paint over the parts that were charred in a fire once)?  Will they not be turned off by peeling wallpaper and stained carpets and worn out wood floors?  I have and will continue to put some money in the house because I just can't believe that buyers are all looking for fixers.  On the other hand, I'm trying not to spend too much money.  The way I see it, I am not listing my house yet so I get to enjoy the changes.  (And in the end if I can't sell, I'll appreciate the changes even more).  Maybe you should go ahead and tell me how you learned all of this. 

I second that about the roof and windows coming up in inspection, the granite would come up in the appraisal no?  You could pick the wrong color of granite and someone wouldn't like it so they wouldn't buy.  It is touchy. 

Who knows, if you do all these upgrades you're talking about , you may decide you love it and no want to sell it after all!! Like on that HGTV where a family wants to move, so they show them 2 houses that need work, then they show them what they could do with the house to fix it up to their liking, (within budget of course).  Then they show them what they could do with their existing house,  some people chose to stay in their home they are currently living in after they see how much nicer it can be after some work.

We put about $100,000 into upgrading our house.  Granted, not all of it was in order to sell but the kitchen remodel WAS and we went the whole route including all new maple cabinets and granite countertops.  Painted every room a nice neutral color.   Re-did the back deck, even added a privacy screen on the deck when someone commented that you could see into the neighbor's yard.  Everyone who looked at the house loved it.

Our tenant has a really nice kitchen.

Amber, what a beautiful piece of land!  I tend to agree with dunmoved on which issues to put money into.  If you are on a tight budget it makes even more sense to only sink money into major things.  If your roof is OK, you might get great results from having it cleaned.  Windows are important, and will represent a big improvement!  I would bump that to the front of the list.  It does not cost alot of money to clean and stage your home (and clear out garage).  Keep in mind that right now is not a good time to go into debt (for upscale materials), counting on a sale to put you right.  I would stage the dining area as it is a focal point, but again you can use items you may already have.  Cleaning, paint, and relatively inexpensive items like lamps, area rugs, and art could really change the look inside.  Plus you can take those with you when you move!

Do whatever you can short of spending money.  You are already going to lose a lot of money.  All the buyers are looking for firesales and the only way for you to get attention is to be the cheapest listing in your area.

I spent 120K upgrading my home and I've lost it all.  You don't need to do the same!