Check out this house

[takeagander]

www.trulia.com/property/3087167536-2633-Lynnville-Ct-Lindenwood-IL-61049
Check out this house listing and tell me what you think. See any major problems? If you were selling it what are some things you would change? If you were buying it what are some things you would do when you moved in?

Thanks!

[ijack]

Does it have a garage? The windows look original, so that could increase your energy costs.
It doesn't look bad, but my changes would be painting the outside, updating kitchen (and probably baths), replacing windows and coverings.

[sa]

It looks like it has good bones, but it's outdated. The bedrooms can be fixed up with minimal cost, but the kitchen and exterior will cost quite a bit.

[rosetyler]

If I were selling, I'd declutter a lot. And get rid of all the black decor. It looks kind of overwhelming and dark. The kid rooms, especially the one with all the crazy colors, is too much. Honestly, I'd probably overlook this just because of the decor. It makes the rooms look much smaller.

[takeagander]

Nov 19, 2012 12:46:10 GMT -5 ijack said:

Does it have a garage? The windows look original, so that could increase your energy costs.
It doesn't look bad, but my changes would be painting the outside, updating kitchen (and probably baths), replacing windows and coverings.

2 1/2 car garage.

Original windows.

Exterior is brick.

[takeagander]

What would you change about the kitchen?

[ijack]

I would still paint it - the color isn't doing much for me. If you don't like painted brick I would at least paint the trim/shutters.

[Deleted]

I love the yard. I have no idea if that's a good price or not but I would like to see the bathrooms and an additional photo of the kitchen.

[juliahenry]

First of all, the owners seriously need to declutter- too much stuff to really see or get a feel for the house itself. Then, it needs new pictures. The pics on the listing are all of personal stuff and items that will leave with the present owners, not stuff that shows off the house itself.

[rosetyler]

And why are the realtors including a listing like this?

house beautiful. 4 br,2.5 bath ranch w/loads of extras. peaceful setting,located just minutes from rockford,dekalb & rochelle. send your kids to eswood schools,ranked one of the best in state k-8.motivated seller!

Where are the capital letters? "house beautiful"? It doesn't do much for me.

[Here]

The decor is horrible and makes the house look dated. A few things like light fixtures need to be updated. The kitchen looks okay. I don't like the backsplash but the cabinets look good. The outside needs paint to brighten it up. I would redo some of the floors because it looks like linoleum.

[juliahenry]

Oh and if I were a buyer, I would get rid of the black curtains right away. It would look better with nothing on the windows and rooms would look bigger without that stark contrast between window and wall.

[rosetyler]

And yes, I'd like to see bathroom pictures. That can be a huge selling point or a dealbreaker.

If I were buying this house, I'd probably want to change the walls (is the dining room paneled??), and many of the light fixtures look dated. I'd want to change out the shutters or paint them, and update the door and the whole look of the side entrance to make it not look as 70s/80s.

I'd also be repainting most rooms (if I were selling, I'd take them all to a neutral, light beige or gray tone).

I like the yard, though.

[takeagander]

Nov 19, 2012 13:05:58 GMT -5 rosetyler said:

And yes, I'd like to see bathroom pictures. That can be a huge selling point or a dealbreaker.

If I were buying this house, I'd probably want to change the walls (is the dining room paneled??), and many of the light fixtures look dated. I'd want to change out the shutters or paint them, and update the door and the whole look of the side entrance to make it not look as 70s/80s.

I'd also be repainting most rooms (if I were selling, I'd take them all to a neutral, light beige or gray tone).

I like the yard, though.

I think that most of the walls are actually paneled. All painted white/off white, with the exception of the gold/rust walls.

[minniebee]

I think the furnishings are turning me off, the house might not be bad with updated furniture & decor. There are so many really dark pieces of furniture that the whole house seems dark. With lighter/brighter furnishings, the house might look a lot better. Also, the sellers would be doing themselves a huge favor if they decluttered, the house isn't showing really well in the photos, but I think there's potential.

The fenced yard and well-kept landscaping are a plus.

I don't know why this bothers me, but I can't get over the odd placement of the hardware on the cabinets. Having the knobs in the center of the cabinet doors screams 1970 to me. It looks like the cabinets have been painted, which was a good step in making the kitchen look more modern, but by keeping the hardware in the middle of the doors, the kitchen still looks outdated to me. That would be an easy fix.

[takeagander]

Nov 19, 2012 13:00:09 GMT -5 juliahenry said:

First of all, the owners seriously need to declutter- too much stuff to really see or get a feel for the house itself. Then, it needs new pictures. The pics on the listing are all of personal stuff and items that will leave with the present owners, not stuff that shows off the house itself.

I agree. I think the people are still living there, but there is a lot of stuff packed in.

[sa]

Nov 19, 2012 12:54:42 GMT -5 takeagander said:

What would you change about the kitchen?

The cabinets are outdated. If I were considering buying this house, I would want to consider the price for all new cabinets.

As far as working with the cabinets that are there, maybe move the placement of the knobs. Having them right in the center is what makes them look dated most.

[takeagander]

Nov 19, 2012 13:08:38 GMT -5 minniebee said:

I think the furnishings are turning me off, the house might not be bad with updated furniture & decor. There are so many really dark pieces of furniture that the whole house seems dark. With lighter/brighter furnishings, the house might look a lot better. Also, the sellers would be doing themselves a huge favor if they decluttered, the house isn't showing really well in the photos, but I think there's potential.

The fenced yard and well-kept landscaping are a plus.

I don't know why this bothers me, but I can't get over the odd placement of the hardware on the cabinets. Having the knobs in the center of the cabinet doors screams 1970 to me. It looks like the cabinets have been painted, which was a good step in making the kitchen look more modern, but by keeping the hardware in the middle of the doors, the kitchen still looks outdated to me. That would be an easy fix.

If you were to change this, how hard is it to move the knobs to the side? What do you fill the hole in the center with?

[sa]

Nov 19, 2012 13:10:27 GMT -5 takeagander said:

Nov 19, 2012 13:08:38 GMT -5 minniebee said:

I think the furnishings are turning me off, the house might not be bad with updated furniture & decor. There are so many really dark pieces of furniture that the whole house seems dark. With lighter/brighter furnishings, the house might look a lot better. Also, the sellers would be doing themselves a huge favor if they decluttered, the house isn't showing really well in the photos, but I think there's potential.

The fenced yard and well-kept landscaping are a plus.

I don't know why this bothers me, but I can't get over the odd placement of the hardware on the cabinets. Having the knobs in the center of the cabinet doors screams 1970 to me. It looks like the cabinets have been painted, which was a good step in making the kitchen look more modern, but by keeping the hardware in the middle of the doors, the kitchen still looks outdated to me. That would be an easy fix.

If you were to change this, how hard is it to move the knobs to the side? What do you fill the hole in the center with?

It shouldn't be too difficult. Remove the current knob, fill the hole, sand if necessary and paint. They make templates to help you make sure the new hole is in the same spot for each of the cabinets, but you could make your own as well. Once you've decided on the spot, then just drill a new hole and screw the knobs back in place.

[Deleted]

As a seller:
Decluter
Remove the black curtains.
Maybe paint an accent wall to give the place some color
With 159 days on market I would paint the shutters to give curb appeal
Take down 75% of the stuff on the walls
Take that stuff from on top of and around the living room fire place
Remove what ever that thing is surrounding the recliner in the bedroom
Take all those frames off the dresser in the bed room
Declutter the boy and girl bed room. Too much wall stuff and stuff on the furniture
Declutter the nick nacks behind the washer and dryer


As a buyer:
I would paint walls
Repaint that dark color in the kitchen
Remove and replace all the dark curtains
Redo all the flooring that is not carpet. That tile or linoleum is NMS
Change the kitchen cabinet hardware and color
Change all the light fixtures

[rosetyler]

From your answers, takeagander, it sounds like you are not the owner, but perhaps an interested buyer? I don't know you, but it makes me happy that you didn't decorate that house.

[Deleted]

The house has no curb appeal. I would paint the shutters. I'd add some more dimension to the landscaping. It would be nice to add color, but that would be hard this time of year.

On the inside, the cabinets have to be changed, I could not live with the hardware placement for even a day, yes, I'm that kind of crazy. The whole color scheme is extremely outdated. I would go though and make everything a lot more sunny and clear out the clutter.

[morningmania]

The pictures are horrible and show the furnishings and hardly anything about the house and rooms.

The home needs to be decluttered. It should show as simple, uncrowded, and impersonal but homey.

The outside of the house needs to be updated or repainted. Are the shutters really pink?

I think that wall colors need to be neutralized.

Window coverings need to be changed or removed. The more light the better.

I think the picture of the outside of the house should include the garage.

The wording on the listing is awful. I feel like a 10 year old wrote it.

I would want to change the counter top, white cupboards and white counter is too monotone for me.

The outside trim needs a serious color change.

[takeagander]

It does need a new roof (it has 2 layers of shingles. If the brick was to stay the same color what color would you paint the shutters to give it an updated look?

If you were to offer a bid on this house how much would you start below asking price? Or does that depend on the market? There was another home in the neighborhood for sale on and off for 2 years, maybe more updated, same price, one less bedroom, never sold. There is another house in the neighboorhood that is $10,000 more but way more out of date. The "town" is unincorporated.

[raangoli]

I agree with the PPs that the house needs to be de-cluttered and perhaps made to look more neutral. Also, the pictures don't give me a good sense of the flow of the house. For example, I don't understand where the washer dryer is because of the furniture piece in front. Is it a hallway? A mud room?

[takeagander]

Nov 19, 2012 16:39:14 GMT -5 raangoli said:

I agree with the PPs that the house needs to be de-cluttered and perhaps made to look more neutral. Also, the pictures don't give me a good sense of the flow of the house. For example, I don't understand where the washer dryer is because of the furniture piece in front. Is it a hallway? A mud room?

It is a very odd placement. In a "mud room" inside what would probably become the front door.

[Deleted]

The pictures are focused on the furniture, not the actual space

[GailGoldie]

Nov 19, 2012 13:00:09 GMT -5 juliahenry said:

First of all, the owners seriously need to declutter- too much stuff to really see or get a feel for the house itself. Then, it needs new pictures. The pics on the listing are all of personal stuff and items that will leave with the present owners, not stuff that shows off the house itself.

that's all i could think of - that it was pictures of the owners STUFF and not the house (esp the pic of some desk in the kid's room, wtf?).... but it looks like it has lots of potential - great yard.