Comments on: Good Deal or Not? “freshly painted kitchen” edition (reader request)

By: zender

zender — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:18:48 +0000

Really….ignorance prevails. If you actually went there you’d see that its for the construction of the bank in the middle of the parking lot. Truth is a large amount of development is happening now in that “bad ” neighborhood….

By: jm

jm — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:54:06 +0000

for those brave enough to take the MBT that’s gotta be a sub-10 minute walk to the ny ave metro or like a three minute bike ride.

…but then what you save on housing you may just lose in regular muggings and associated medical costs.

By: soozles

soozles — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:04:12 +0000

Heck, I’ll probably have to install an extra rail on the stairs for myself one day.

By: Bloomingdude

Bloomingdude — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:42:18 +0000

It’s a bit far removed, which accounts for the fact that it’s a 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath place in reasonably good condition for only $439,000 — the price of a mediocre condo in Dupont. It sounds like a great deal for someone looking to stay in the area a while and make a lot of money in the long run. Eckington is small and won’t take too long to gentrify.

Although it’s not very close to a metro, it’s well situated for someone who works on the Hill (where home prices are a bazillion dollars) and doesn’t mind a short bus ride to work.

By: textdoc

textdoc — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:28:20 +0000

I remember my home inspector saying that (although it wouldn’t be applicable in an older home like this), it’s now building code that homes have to have a railing for the stairs for the full length of the stairs.

Agreed that it doesn’t look so great in the photos, but if the current or future owner has elderly parents, it could be a handy thing to have.

By: textdoc

textdoc — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:25:43 +0000

Agreed.

I think they should’ve had the backsplash be all white tiles, rather than white mixed with mint green. That plus the mint green paint around the cabinet make the kitchen look dated, when presumably it’s brand new or close to it.

By: soozles

soozles — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:21:45 +0000

Overpriced by at least $40,000. These photos are attempting to hide a lot. I notice a drop ceiling in two of the photos, including in the foyer. Ick! It really looks like a mish-mash of a renovation that was never finished. The kitchen has nice cabinets, but still needs a lot of work.

Why is there a photo of only one bedroom on the second floor and then one on the top floor with the low ceiling and short windows? What’s going on in the other second-floor rooms?

Nice staging in some rooms, but no real feel how the house is laid out, which I assume is intentional. All the upclose photos (the bannister and stairs, for example) make me think they don’t want to show the whole picture. And the handrail on the wall of the stairway has got to go.

Drop the price, and it should be a good little fixer upper.

By: 14thstgal

14thstgal — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:14:15 +0000

Ha! You’re right. Funny.

By: Sandra Day Bro'Conner

Sandra Day Bro'Conner — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:03:30 +0000

Take a look at photo #19 – a fantastic view of police tape surrounding a likely crime scene in front of the (worst) Giant (in town). A realtor actually sifted through a whole bunch of photos, saw this one, and thought “hey, why don’t we throw this in the mix? should help sell the house.”

By: DCer

DCer — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:59:58 +0000

The sellers have done many things right (for the purpose of putting their home on the market). It looks as if the rooms have been put into market-ready condition (painting so the house doesn’t look warn, new or cleaned up hard wood floors, etc). Overall, the staging is a nicely done, too. No clutter and pretty de-personalized. Having said that, a couple of points: The painting (colorful artwork) on the wall in the dining area, while the perfect size for the wall space, it could be too much for some buyers. I might have tried to go with something a bit more neutral to prepare for an open house. I wouldn’t go changing it, though, because I’ve seen some homes that have controversial artwork or even risque. I really don’t like the pendant lighting in the bathroom…not sure why it’s there or needed if there are wall sconces above the sink? Perhaps the bathroom is super dark and needed the extra boost of light from the pendant light but the placement makes me think someone tall at the sink will bump into it and have to stoop over in order to wash hands and not hit their head. Maybe the ceilings are really tall and this wouldn’t be a problem but I can’t tell from the pic.

On one hand, it seems like a great deal (just on specs alone) but in terms of location, not sure what the adjustment would be. I also really like the approach not to exaggerate/oversell the place, as it seems so many places in their listings, the descriptions are so over-the-top, it’s ridiculous.

Good luck to the sellers!