What's Wrong In the Cathedral Area Homes? CLEAN AND UPDATE or Lower the price!
I know that this will probably anger some of the residents and real estate agents who have listings in the Cathedral Area, but so be it. Here goes.........
I have been watching your listings languishing on the market and wonder why nobody has told you that you are making fools of yourselves. What makes sellers and real estate agents think that you can get top dollar for a home that desperately needs updating? Have you not noticed that buyers are NOT looking for Blue Carpet and Wallpaper that is uglier than sin. Not just UGLY, but down right nauseating! UGH! What about the homes that hasn't got a decent bathroom in the whole place? You may think that the claw foot tub is charming but the rust stains on the sink and tub is a clear indication of plumbing system that needs to be replaced. That rust isn't the water, it's the pipes, as in galvanized. That old light fixture might be beautiful but has it been rewired and grounded for safety? What do you think will happen if you try and put the electronics of today in an old home with old wiring? Don't even get me started if you still have Fuses............... You need to have a class in what is considered OBSOLETE!
F.Y.I. According to Merriam Webster's Dictionary.............................
Main Entry: 1ob·so·lete 
Pronunciation: "äb-s&-'lEt, 'äb-s&-"
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin obsoletus, from past participle of obsolescere to grow old, become disused, perhaps from ob- toward + solEre to be accustomed
1 a : no longer in use or no longer useful <an obsolete word> b : of a kind or style no longer current : OLD-FASHIONED <an obsolete technology>
2 of a plant or animal part : indistinct or imperfect as compared with a corresponding part in related organisms : VESTIGIAL
synonym see OLD
I have seen some really nice homes that have used the Quality materials when updating and they are an easy sell. But you can't possibly believe that someone who is spending near 1/2 million dollars on a home doesn't want to see some Quality materials in their new but Olde home. Quality Fixtures, Quality Plumbing, Quality Electrical, Quality of TODAYS standards, not from the 70's or even older. Have you missed the fact that the top dollar homes are renovated with the same standards of Quality that the home was originally built, but at today's higher level of Quality in Bathrooms and Kitchens?
When Mr. Meaker built the house at 611 Campbell Street, Joliet, IL in 1910, he didn't skimp on quality materials. So, when my husband and I renovated that home, it was with every material used being the highest quality we could afford, and still consider the resale value and return on investment. It was renovating to the standards of Mr. Meaker and how we believed he would have made it, if he were still there. It was working through the late nights and weekends and sacrificing our wants for the needs of the house. We did it out of love, and care for the integrity of the home and the man who built it. It wasn't LUCK that got us more than twice what we paid for the home 7 years earlier, it was Hard work, Careful Planning, Budgeting, and a QUALITY job Well Done.
When the original owners built these grand homes in Joliet's Cathedral area they were prominant people in the community who wouldn't think of using inferior materials and fixtures in thier homes. They were the Echelon of the area. They used the Best of the Best. They wanted to be the first to have the new and highest quality of materials for thier not so humble abodes. They wouldn't consider using IKEA assemble-yourself cabinets in the kitchen and call it a Gourmet kitchen. If the quality of workmanship and materials isn't there, than buyers won't pay top dollar, PERIOD! And NO, having stainless steel appliances doesn't make it Gourmet either. Come on People, let's get real!!
Last but not least................ For goodness sakes...............CLEAN THESE HOUSES OUT!
Have you missed the latest trends on HGTV and Discovery shows that supports the idea of, less is more when selling? If you can't see the room because of the stuff, than the buyers can't see the stuff that someone wants to hide either. The buyers know this, why don't you? Do your own Clean Sweep and let the buyers see the reality. Defects in olde homes are normal, disintegrating floors, walls, plumbing, heating, roofs, electrial etc. are not and can get you sued if not disclosed. Always disclose the defects and let the cards fall where they may. PRICE IT RIGHT and give the buyers the opportunity to see the Real home and make an informed decision about what they are willing to live with, fix or replace. These homes don't have to be perfect to sell, but buyers should always be perfectly clear what they are buying and sellers and thier agents need to clear about what the home is. Not what it used to be..........
I'm done for now..........whew! The honest truth, like it or not!