https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 23 Apr 2026 09:51:00 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-901355 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 12:55:05 +0000 heffalump 901355@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Allowance. There are few houses where I loved everything about it and it would be nice to pick my own things when moving in a new house. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-901204 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 11:57:47 +0000 jetsa 901204@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think you need to have an allowance when they view the house but just realize it will probably come up in negotiations and be willing to be flexible. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-901171 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 11:50:45 +0000 honeybear 901171@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would personally prefer to put in my own flooring, but I think it depends on your market. I expect that where we are, we'll have to do some updating, and that probably includes floors.</p> <p>Also, we've passed over places that were obviously fixed up solely for the purpose of selling. I assume (and sometimes can easily discern) that those renos were done on the cheap. So if I see "brand new tile" on the listing, I figure it's probably the cheapest stuff they could find. The best renos are almost always the ones that the owners did because they wanted them/thought they would improve their lives. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-901142 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 11:33:46 +0000 NorCalWayfarer 901142@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd prefer an allowance to put in hardwood or something other than tile (we had tile at our last place and I hated cleaning it). We needed a new roof for the house we recently bought and got a credit for it and then installed the roof before we moved in. super easy bc it was all done and new when we were ready to move in and we got exactly what we wanted. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-901138 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 11:32:17 +0000 Cole 901138@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think if I were selling I would put it on the market now with an allowance and leave a quote out on the counter during viewings. In the mean time I would look for tile and see if I could get on the schedule with a tile company. If the initial viewings aren't going well I would replace it. </p> <p>In our area houses either fly off the market within a week or sit for a long time. It seems like there is a group of people looking at any given time and as soon as something hits the market they run out to see it since inventory is so low here. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-901111 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 11:19:14 +0000 spaniellove 901111@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T.H.O.U.: I think the problem with letting it go for a while is that your best shot at selling is in the first few weeks, and after that you're forced to drop your price and your listing isn't "hot" anymore. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-901101 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 11:16:43 +0000 mediagirl 901101@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I LOVE seeing the words "allowance" in a listing!! We're house hunting right now and if someone said, the house is move-in ready or there is a flooring "allowance?" Gimme the allowance!!! :)</p> <p>ETA: You could write flooring allowance OR will replace after offer. Something like that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-901075 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 11:11:07 +0000 BSB 901075@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As a first time home buyer, I would prefer to have it move in ready. Maybe if I was buying my second or third home I would feel more comfortable taking on a project like that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-901073 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 11:10:22 +0000 HLK208 901073@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would for sure take the allowance. It's only a down side if I didn't have the funds to redo it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-901060 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 11:05:54 +0000 mlm2934 901060@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd be super excited if I was getting a credit to put exactly the tile I wanted in </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-901031 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:55:55 +0000 Freckles 901031@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would prefer the allowance so i can have the tile be the way *i* want it to be. Some people aren't as picky, so i would see what your real estate agent says. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-901025 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:54:14 +0000 avivoca 901025@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As a buyer, I bought a home with tile that was in decent shape but was ugly (it's from the 70's). As a seller, I'd prefer to put my house on the market with the tile repaired/replaced. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-901022 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:52:38 +0000 NeekieRose 901022@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As a seller, I would replace the tile because as a buyer I would wonder what else was not done properly when the house was built. It would be different if the entire house was a fixer upper, but if the only issue is the tile, it would be better to make the house move in ready. </p> <p>As a buyer, I would also offer less on a house that needed work, regardless of a stated allowance. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-900998 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:48:11 +0000 swurlygurl 900998@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I chose that I'd rather do it myself. Although, it might depend. If your house would speak more to the move-in-ready crowd, you might want to do it. If the house lends itself well to DIYers who are looking to customize the home, they would probably prefer the money </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-900953 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:33:47 +0000 T.H.O.U. 900953@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What about the option to list it now with the allowance and then if it doesn't sell to try to do the work yourself? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-900951 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:32:50 +0000 regberadaisy 900951@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>As a buyer I would prefer the allowance. As a seller I would replace it before selling because you can certainly do it cheaper than 5K if you're handy and look for clearance. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-900935 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:29:22 +0000 Foodnerd81 900935@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Generally I would prefer to choose my own tile, but I'd have concerns that there were other problems at play too, so I'm torn. If you provided a note from an inspector and quotes from a contractor or something I'd be more inclined to not worry about it though. </p> <p>I would hate to buy a house with brand new *something* that was good quality, but that I hated, because I would know I was paying for the nice newness of AND would want to replace it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-900919 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:26:03 +0000 Alivoo01 900919@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd prefer the allowance so I can pick the flooring. For instance, if they want wood floors instead of tile, they can do that with the allowance and pay whatever is extra. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-900915 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:24:21 +0000 Bao 900915@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I personally would like to choose my own tile...it would be a bummer if you went through all the work to put it in and then the buyer decides they don't like it and rips it back up. I guess it's a risk either way... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-900912 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:23:08 +0000 spaniellove 900912@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd prefer to see the least offensive tile already done. We bought a home that was move-in ready, and although we have days where we gripe about some things not being our taste, I just couldn't imagine having more projects to do. Plus I know I passed over houses that looked like they were in poor shape - I wouldn't have read the description to see that there was an allowance. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-900909 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:22:24 +0000 Modern Daisy 900909@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it totally depends on what your competition is offering to buyers. If most of the homes are move-in ready, then I would definitely take the time to replace it with totally neutral tiles before listing it. If you have something clearly above the competition like a better location, lot, etc. then it might not be as necessary since buyers will just see the tile situation as a small hurdle to getting everything else they wanted. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-900904 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:21:26 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 900904@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lemondrop: $5k is about the going rate... $2.50/sq ft for labor, and about $2.50 per sq ft of tile. Oh, and there's the tile around the fireplace and backsplash on the kitchen that would have to be redone to match it. *sigh* </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-900902 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:20:48 +0000 mrs. wagon 900902@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was going to vote allowance, but I would only be ok with it if the allowance also came with a report from an inspector that says everything is ok with the floors (why did that happen to the floors in the first place? Will it happen again? Is it a water issue?) and an estimate from a builder for the cost of the work. Also a clause that says the work can be done before move-in. So with all of that I realized that as a buyer, I'd rather just have it move-in ready to have peace of mind. </p> <p>I vote move-in ready, and put down some super neutral, plain tile!</p> <p>ETA: I'm not asking YOU those questions, those would be my questions as a potential buyer looking at the house! My question is always, is there something the seller is hiding? Why didn't they do it themselves? and... all work ends up being more expensive and take longer than you expect. Those are my thoughts as a potential buyer! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-900890 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:15:51 +0000 lemondrop 900890@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, I would get quotes to see what the allowance should be, 5k seems steep, but I'm totally DIY and love a house that needs a few projects done. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-900878 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:11:48 +0000 mrs. bird 900878@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>do you have some bids in to have them done? maybe people that have bought houses before would have an estimate as to how much the floors would cost and would know if $5k would cover it, but when we've looked at houses, ones where i had to look into the cost to repair things were def moved down the list if there was something else that looked easier- even just having the bids out for a couple options so they could pick might be enticing, because then there is no question as to whether the floors get fixed, just how &amp; with what. at an open house you could just leave a couple tile samples and the estimate for a couple of them and the amount you're willing to cover. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-900867 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:08:05 +0000 Dandelion 900867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd just see the tile and make a mental note that it needs to be replaced and keep that in mind when making an offer. If I love the rest of the house, it wouldn't deter me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-900863 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:07:22 +0000 hellocupcake 900863@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel bad that we bought a house that has brand new carpet throughout...carpet that we will be tearing out and replacing within the next 6 months. I would have definitely preferred an allowance (: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-900861 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:07:18 +0000 katsupgirl 900861@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If given an option I'd prefer the allowance. I'm not the DIY type so would pay someone to do it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-900860 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:07:08 +0000 wahine08 900860@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We bought our house with brand new carpet in it and 2 years later, we replaced it with tile. I liked that we could choose our tile and not feel terrible about ripping up carpet. If it was new TILE we needed to rip up but we didn't like, I'd feel more guilty and put it off longer.</p> <p>So I chose the allowance! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-youre-buying-a-house#post-900851 Tue, 02 Jul 2013 10:03:55 +0000 DillonLion 900851@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The reason we bought our house was because it was 100% move in ready. We are not the DIY types :) </p>