This is unusual

[Anonymous]

This original owner house from 1972 just listed for sale. Not an estate sale.

The original owner (can’t be young) in 2021 redid whole house top to bottom, new bathrooms, kitchen, everything. Looks like the HGTV playbook open concept white kitchen and the bathrooms out of a property brothers episode.

I like it But if the owner bought this nice trade up level house in 1972 he can’t be young. Why do all this work in a hot market?
https://www.redfin.com/MD/Rockville/9917-Sorrel-Ave-20854/home/10898381

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This original owner house from 1972 just listed for sale. Not an estate sale.

The original owner (can’t be young) in 2021 redid whole house top to bottom, new bathrooms, kitchen, everything. Looks like the HGTV playbook open concept white kitchen and the bathrooms out of a property brothers episode.

I like it But if the owner bought this nice trade up level house in 1972 he can’t be young. Why do all this work in a hot market?
https://www.redfin.com/MD/Rockville/9917-Sorrel-Ave-20854/home/10898381

The owner had to gussy up the interior because the house looks like an ugly brick bunker and has very little curb appeal?

[Anonymous]

Could be a number of reasons.

They could get a discount on the renovations to make a return on investment.
They renovated with the intent of staying or handing it down to a child, but circumstances changed.
They always wanted to renovate, but just came into a bit of cash and decided to go for it.
They thought they would make money but probably did not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Could be a number of reasons.

They could get a discount on the renovations to make a return on investment.
They renovated with the intent of staying or handing it down to a child, but circumstances changed.
They always wanted to renovate, but just came into a bit of cash and decided to go for it.
They thought they would make money but probably did not.

They have a child/friend/nibling who is trying to start a flipping business.

[Anonymous]

Wow talk about a return on investment. Sold for $87,000 in 1972 and now it will go for 1.4 mil.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This original owner house from 1972 just listed for sale. Not an estate sale.

The original owner (can’t be young) in 2021 redid whole house top to bottom, new bathrooms, kitchen, everything. Looks like the HGTV playbook open concept white kitchen and the bathrooms out of a property brothers episode.

I like it But if the owner bought this nice trade up level house in 1972 he can’t be young. Why do all this work in a hot market?
https://www.redfin.com/MD/Rockville/9917-Sorrel-Ave-20854/home/10898381

The owner had to gussy up the interior because the house looks like an ugly brick bunker and has very little curb appeal?

But still he bought it almost 50 years ago. It is a mid block four sided brick colonial so that is what it is. But this is WAY beyond painting walls, sanding floors and some new stainless steel appliances, painting cabinets and putting in new light switches. This is a full blown gut renovation.

And if he or she has money and knowledge to do it why let house run down to 2021 then at hardest time possible to get people and most expensive then do it? Why not back in 2009-2016 when easy to get folks and cheap. My house was renovated back in 2010-2016 when folks were available, cheaper and could at least enjoy it themselves.

He also missed spring market.

[Anonymous]

The wood floors are not going in the same direction between the living room and kitchen, also upstairs between the hall and bedrooms. big mistake! It's a good house in a great location, but I would have to rip up all those floors and start again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The wood floors are not going in the same direction between the living room and kitchen, also upstairs between the hall and bedrooms. big mistake! It's a good house in a great location, but I would have to rip up all those floors and start again.

Oh, good catch. Maybe there was a wall between the living room and kitchen which would have reduced the contrast.

[Anonymous]

It's kind of ugly, but still better than is usual in Potomac.

It might be that the owner was in the building or real estate business and knew how to update it cheaply. Let's see if there are buyers at this price.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This original owner house from 1972 just listed for sale. Not an estate sale.

The original owner (can’t be young) in 2021 redid whole house top to bottom, new bathrooms, kitchen, everything. Looks like the HGTV playbook open concept white kitchen and the bathrooms out of a property brothers episode.

I like it But if the owner bought this nice trade up level house in 1972 he can’t be young. Why do all this work in a hot market?
https://www.redfin.com/MD/Rockville/9917-Sorrel-Ave-20854/home/10898381

The owner had to gussy up the interior because the house looks like an ugly brick bunker and has very little curb appeal?

But still he bought it almost 50 years ago. It is a mid block four sided brick colonial so that is what it is. But this is WAY beyond painting walls, sanding floors and some new stainless steel appliances, painting cabinets and putting in new light switches. This is a full blown gut renovation.

And if he or she has money and knowledge to do it why let house run down to 2021 then at hardest time possible to get people and most expensive then do it? Why not back in 2009-2016 when easy to get folks and cheap. My house was renovated back in 2010-2016 when folks were available, cheaper and could at least enjoy it themselves.

He also missed spring market.

What's wrong with a 4 sided colonial? Its quite big.

[Anonymous]

I like the wallpaper in the main level bathroom -- b&w drawing of what appear to be store fronts/row homes. Anyone happen to know who makes it?

[Anonymous]

Owner was likely convinced by a son or daughter to fix it and flip it. My bet is that all the finishings are pretty cheap.

[Anonymous]

His neighbor a few doors down under contract same house but a train wreck of a house all original in poor shape. Same house same block.

So I guess he will know pretty soon. These pictures show what house would have looked like pre renovation as both same age and same builder

https://www.redfin.com/MD/Rockville/9900-Sorrel-Ave-20854/home/10898070

[Anonymous]

We had a similar situation.

I'm guessing the original owners adult child is handling this, much like my sibling and I had to. There is money available so adult child or adult relative redid the interior in order to sell for the greatest price. This way there is more money in the long term to take care of the original owners, who is / are probably in a nursing home or continuing care community at this point.

They also know it's easier to find a buyer at a higher price when the place is move in ready these days.

[Anonymous]

And--it probably really did look like a train wreck inside, with all original everything that has not been kept up at all. Which is the reason it was redone completely. The baths and kitchen were probably original and in awful shape.

The "trainwreck" example pp posted looks fine to me. I've seen real elderly person house trainwrecks,.in my parents neighborhood and here, and they need a whole lot more than a coat of paint.