Now what on earth does a refrigerator have to do with real estate? Afterall, it's personal property that only requires a bill of sale. It doesn't have any value on the appraisal. Food preservation is good, but is it really that important to the sale or purchase of a home? It's amazing how many times appliances impact the house buying decision.
The refrigerator inherited with a property may be a little weird. Colors range from avocado, dark brown, black, stainless, dirty white, aqua (yes, aqua), gold, red, almond and anything else imaginable. Finishes range from shiny to fingerprint proof to scratched to painted. There are even gas refrigerators (which are usually VERY old and VERY heavy). There are side by sides, freezer up, freezer down, no freezer, freezer in the box, ice and water dispensers, mammoth sizes and little ones. There may be one whose door latches from the outside but if someone is stuck inside they can't get out. What if it's pink and hung on the wall like upper cabinets with a five foot width? Three doors, two for the "frig" and one for the freezer all suspended at eye level in the air!
Buyers stumble over appliances for many reasons. The disposal of old refrigerators requires a trip to the local recycling center if the company that provided your new appliance doesn't take the old one. It also requires a strong back and a pretty good sized vehicle. Sometimes entry level buyers find the price of their dream refrigerator is beyond their budget, and they're hoping to luck out by finding a house with their dream provided. Occasionally an awful kitchen is camouflaged by awesome appliances.
What do St. Paul real estate agents recommend to their buyers? Make sure the appliances work and don't worry so much about how they look. New appliances can range from $150 to many thousands. A functioning appliance can be changed out at a later date when needed/wanted. If the kitchen is awe-some and the appliances awe-ful, buy the kitchen. It costs more to replace the kitchen than the appliances! Negotiate for a discount on the price to compensate for new appliances, but don't get distracted by those new shiny stainless side by sides next to the particle board cabinets that are missing their hinges. It's not an even exchange!
It's a good thing I have you to keep track for me. I had no clue. I kept looking at the bottom and it wasn't there. For some reason the button on my blog hasn't been showing for about a week. I can't imagine what I'm doing to get there. I think it must be the flowers! ;-)
Posted by: Bonnie Erickson | February 18, 2007 at 01:55 AM
Posted June 12, 2006 - You're right. It is BlogTopSites that isn't working. I'm after Curbed, the famous New York City Blog? and Grow a Brain that EVERYONE reads. Oh, my, the pressure is really on!
Posted by: Bonnie Erickson | February 18, 2007 at 01:48 AM
Isn't the button for BlogTopsite? BlogTopsites is messed up... or the real estate part of it is.
The gibberish I shared (it was a table... it looked like it was going to stay a table) is for PubSub The List... the real estate list? There is no button for "The List" is there?
It was Curbed, then Grow a Brain... then Real Estate Snippets!
Posted by: Maureen McCabe | February 18, 2007 at 01:47 AM
June 12, 2006 - For Saturday into Sunday, you're number three on the PubSub real estate list! Do you think it is refrigerator or flower or the blog as a whole?
You are up there with the big boys! Keep up the good work...
Posted by: Maureen McCabe | February 18, 2007 at 01:43 AM