Please discuss this house

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, you could replace stuff cheaply for $50k, but if you're buying a $2 million house, you're not (i) cheaping out on door pulls, or (ii) DIY painting your house.

Replacing high end wall oven: $10K (The built-in fridge and oven look fine. I didn't notice the dishwasher, but even a built-in Bosch or Miele would set you back $4K.)
Replacing kitchen tile and island countertop with high end replacements: $10K (there's not a whole lot of tile, and the island is a standard size)
Replacing door handles: $5K (even very expensive ones would cost less than this)

Where are you "cheaping" out? With a $50K budget, you could do a lot. And since NO ONE on this thread has actually inspected the cabinets themselves, no one knows if they need replacing. They're certainly not Ikea--maybe Merillat, but Merillat should last you several decades while before they need replacing.

Painting a room: $1-2K max, unless it's a great room, which none of these is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whaaaaat? Is this a joke? $2.4 million and you'd have to update every room. This house was really nice when it was last renovated back in 1988. The outdoor space is awesome, but the kitchen, baths, wallpaper, window treatments, and light fixtures would all have to be replaced.

Clearly you live far out in Virginia or Maryland. Probably in a new house in a subdivision too, right?

Nope. I live in a very similar (though much smaller) Colonial built in 1940. But my house has been updated in the last 20 years.

[Anonymous]

Yes, i agree with other posters. For 2.4 million, the house has too much updating. Maybe you could stage it with some newer, niCer furniture to downplay the 80's Risky Business vibe it's got going, there. Also, that kitchen is pretty bad for that price level and style of house. It is like they were going for the all white country kitchen look, but opted for cheap countertops that dont exactly match the cabinets that dont exactly match the drawer pulls. So it is a combo of dated and bad taste. Stage it with better furniture, paint over wallpaper, modern it up a bit, change out pulls In kitchen, paint cabinets a different color or at least match the countertops. No one wants to pay that much to have to renovate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Replacing high end wall oven: $10K (The built-in fridge and oven look fine. I didn't notice the dishwasher, but even a built-in Bosch or Miele would set you back $4K.)
Replacing kitchen tile and island countertop with high end replacements: $10K (there's not a whole lot of tile, and the island is a standard size)
Replacing door handles: $5K (even very expensive ones would cost less than this)

Where are you "cheaping" out? With a $50K budget, you could do a lot. And since NO ONE on this thread has actually inspected the cabinets themselves, no one knows if they need replacing. They're certainly not Ikea--maybe Merillat, but Merillat should last you several decades while before they need replacing.

Painting a room: $1-2K max, unless it's a great room, which none of these is.

PP here: As I said, you COULD get by with only spending $50k, but the person who buys a $2 million house is not likely one to go with the low budget remodel. Your pricing is right on for these appliances, but I think you would replace all of them. And installation can easily run in the thousands. Merrilat cabinets are nice (I have them), but they are not particularly high end. New lighting is in order as well. I think $100-200k is easily the budget for a high end kitchen remodel.

As for redecorating, replacing the granny window treatments alone is probably $25k. That's in addition to painting and plaster work.

[Anonymous]

Why does a $2.5 mil house need an updated kitchen? It is the butler who uses the kitchen, not the family

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does a $2.5 mil house need an updated kitchen? It is the butler who uses the kitchen, not the family

You must be new here. It's an overpriced $2.5 million house, not a $10 million house.

[Anonymous]

That kitchen really isn't that bad. The cabinets look fine, it's the knobs that are making them look bad, and that's an easy fix. replace all the appliances, the backsplash, and maybe the countertops, but I agree with pp that we're really only talking about 30-50k in kitchen remodel, not 200k.

The furniture, light fixtures and window treatments are making the place look dowdy, but that place has great floors and space. Paint is cheap.

I recently replaced the plastic handles like that on my 50-cabinet kitchen (that was last updated in 1984) with european bar handles, and it was $250 and I did it myself. It was unbelieveable what a difference it made, people thought I replaced all the cabinets.

I lvoe this house, not the current decor but the layout and the potential.

[Anonymous]

Did an earlier poster bash the neighborhood? Really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did an earlier poster bash the neighborhood? Really?

If you consider saying, "I personally wouldn't want to live there" to be "bashing the neighborhood."

[Anonymous]

Nice house. Fabulous rugs. I totally want to buy the rugs.

[Anonymous]

that's funny, i hated the rugs.