I'm pleased to report that a certain house that I was rather smitten with is finally under contract. This is the house that I've referred to previously as "the house with the great tile".
It's an unassuming little French Colonial, brick, with ugly awnings and bushes that take up half the yard. However, subtract these elements and it's really a great house. The wood casment windows are in great shape and still have their original storms and screens. The interior is beautifully detailed, with bright, bold tile in the kitchen and bathrooms. I love it.
Once they get rid of the ugly wallpaper, the worn out carpet, and add a few light fixtures, it's going to be a truly stunning house.
Would it be too strange for me to go over and introduce myself to the new owners of the house, once they are settled in? I have to be sure that they don't get any ideas about, say, ripping out all that tile.
In unrelated news, it secretly pleases me that another house, the one our agent swore would sell really quickly at the price they were asking, is still on the market.
4 comments:
Chris-
Absolutely go introduce yourself. If they're young, give them my father's advice when I bought my first house at 26: "Don't touch ANYTHING for six months." The lesson is that you'll be amazed at what won't bother you after a while like it did when you first move in...
That house had unbelievable wallpaper, one upstairs room was plaid, one was black paper with dinner plate sized pink flowers, one room had yellow floral stripes. Eventually I did get rid of them all.
As to the realtor, I always take great satisfaction in knowing the niche older house market better than many of them!
In unrelated news, it secretly pleases me that another house, the one our agent swore would sell really quickly at the price they were asking, is still on the market.The first house we put an offer in on was one of these. The sellers - already in their new home, paying two mortages - refused to even counter because they were "so offended" [at our 90% of list price offer]. The realtor - a dual agent - insisted that the price was appropriate, and the comps were legit, and nevermind that independent research I had done.
We walked away.
The house sat on the market another ... 18 months, at least ... and sold for rather less than we offered.
If you ever want to hear an evil cackle, mention this house to either of us - five years later, the schadenfreude still just bubbles over.
Umm... YEAH it's got great tile! What a sweet house...Maybe my pink tile bathroom has made me partial to those mid-century color schemes, but those really are great. And I'm with Mike-- introduce yourself and give them that advice! My neighbors stopped by to say hello and asked me very worriedly if I was planning to remove the pink tile; there was a HUGE sigh of relief when I said no, followed by a threat to never do such a thing!
Still, I've had to learn to accept that the next owners of our house will probably redo the bathroom. Sigh. I don't even want to think about it.
I'm sure that the new owners love the tile. There are simply too many good comparables that have relatively plain kitchens and baths that they could have chosen instead. Tile like that, you either love or hate.
I wille be sure to stop by and introduce myself once they've moved in. At the very least, I'll make sure that they know I want to salvage the fixtures if they decide to renovate.
As for the other house, it was a good house. Good condition, nice street. I would think it would have sold quickly, too. My problem with it was just a lack of anything that made me go "wow!".
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