When most expectant parents would be nesting, my daughter and her husband tore out their kitchen. Sawdust swirled and workers buzzed while every dish, glass, pantry item, utensil, pot, pan, canned good and cooking appliance sat in the adjacent family room as if someone tossed in a grenade. So much for nesting.
When Baby George, curious to learn what all the commotion was about, arrived four days ahead of schedule, Paige and Adam had just nished hurriedly moving
items back in, making game-time decisions about what would go where. Grateful for their beautiful new kitchen and new baby, having everything in just the right place was not a priority.
Except for me.
Scene change. Meanwhile, in Florida, I am booking my ight to Colorado to see my new grandson and “to help.”
On the plane I practice my silent mantra: No. 1 Add value. No. 2 Do not overstep.
At the risk of being that motherin-law (who me?), I wait until the second day of my visit to mention
With the median price of a California home north of $900,000, most buyers will investigate a home’s structural integrity by ordering a termite inspection during the buyer’s inspection period. Knowing that, I recommend sellers order a termite inspection before listing their home. This allows them the opportunity to make needed repairs and receive a “clear” report to present to a potential buyer. When buyers and their agents have property inspections to review, they are less anxious about making an o er. And when they are less anxious, their o er will be for a higher amount. Buyers are also more receptive to a seller’s counter-o er when they have reports prepared by experts con rming the home’s good condition. Pre-listing inspections also help to eliminate that unpleasant surprise and disappointment when a buyer’s inspection reveals property issues.
the presence of wooddestroying organisms “dry rot” is frequently found in facia boards, barge ra ers, exterior trim and most always in uncovered wood decks.
The “as is” condition of Mary’s house was poor. The new paint and carpet it needed would be manageable but the huge wood deck that stretched the length of the back side of her home was too dangerous to walk on. It was beyond repair.
One contractor’s estimate to replace it was $80,000. Mary didn’t have the money for a new deck and she didn’t want to discount her home the cost of a new deck.
There were alternatives. There are contractors who will provide labor and materials and defer their invoice until escrow is opened. A new $80,000 deck would look great and help to sell the house, but Mary would never recover her $80,000 cost. Sellers rarely recover large investments they put into their home before listing it.
There have been about 1,000 homes sold this year. According to the multiple listing service, 22% had one or more home inspections available for buyers to review before making an o er and 78% did not have inspections. Homes with inspections sold for a higher price and in less time than homes that had no inspections. Wood decks always seem to be an issue. The older and larger they are, the more problems are revealed. They get weathered and deteriorate. They need painting or staining. Their foundations settle, requiring leveling. Termite inspections may not discover termites in a home but
Mary had considered selling her house “as is” to a contractor who would x it up and ip it. The price and terms, however, were not satisfactory. O en house ippers will not cash out the mortgage. They may want the owner to remain in title with the mortgage until they have the home sold to a third party. Other ippers may not completely cash out sellers until they have re-sold the home. Flippers are creative and will leverage when they can.
Another option Mary had considered was selling her home to an ibuyer company. Osborne and
that I know a great kitchen organizer in the area whom I’d be happy to call … Remind me to have “Fools Rush In” printed on a T-shirt.
“I mean, not to meddle,” I whisper to Paige and Adam so I don’t wake the baby. The three of us are standing in the kitchen. “And not to suggest you haven’t already set up your kitchen perfectly, logically! But it’s just that this organizer could suggest ways to better arrange your kitchen that could save you time.” A er “get sleep,” save time are the two words these new parents most long for.
I regretted the presumptuous o er the minute I made it. What made me think this idea would land well? George opens his eyes, makes a small squawk. Paige and Adam look at each other, look at me, then, to my surprised delight and probably due to their profound sleep deprivation, shrug and say, “Sure!”
I met Mary Rogers, a healthy cooking educator and kitchen organizer from Boulder, Colo., 20 years ago. I was living in Colorado and invited her to my home to get tips for one of my columns. She taught me to observe how I moved in the kitchen. For example, when making scrambled eggs, I used to ricochet around, opening the refrigerator to get the eggs, then taking ve steps to get a pan and another ve steps to get the salt.
“It’s math,” Rogers said. “Taking ve more seconds to get an ingredient, a bowl or utensil may not seem like much, but soon those ve seconds add up to 20, then a minute; over a week it becomes 10 minutes, and in a month an hour.” She set up my co ee station so I could make co ee without moving my feet.
“If your kitchen isn’t e cient, you’re not going to want to cook,” she said. “If cooking is a pain, you’re not going to make healthy meals.”
A er looking Paige and Adam’s kitchen over, Rogers noted how much they had gotten right on the y. They had edited cooking supplies down to only what they used. “In most homes, decluttering is the rst step,” she said, “but not here.” They knew what critical appliances and foods they wanted close, and had put silverware, glasses and dishes near the dishwasher.
She then made the following moves and recommendations to better streamline the couple’s new kitchen:
• Put food where you cook. Cooking ingredients, such as oils, spices, vinegars and canned goods belong close to the stove. Paige and Adam had their spices in a drawer near the stove, but when you opened the drawer you looked down on their lids. You had to pull each spice out to see what it was. Rogers
suggested either labeling the lids or getting angled spice racks made for drawers. Paige and Adam got the racks. A Lazy Susan can also work. Arrange spices alphabetically.
• Eliminate pantry treks. Seeing cooks walk back and forth to their pantry is one of Rogers’ top peeves. Reserve the pantry for storing backups of condiments, canned goods, paper towels, etc. and for lesser used serving pieces, such as platters and appliances (that wa e iron). Because the pantry can also be a good place to store snacks, which aren’t needed for cooking, Rogers relocated snack foods there, moving them out of the cooking area.
• Thin the caddy. Many kitchens have a caddy to hold cooking utensils, which get crammed with gadgets cooks rarely use, Rogers said, “so when you pull out one, three more come with it.” Thin the canister so it holds only the six to 10 utensils you reach for most. Move others to a nearby drawer.
• Keep dishes, glasses and atware by the dishwasher. The second-best place is near the kitchen table, so table setting is more convenient. If you can achieve both, even better. Similarly, store dish towels near the sink, potholders by the stove.
• Clear the counters. Unless an appliance is heavily used, keep appliances o counters, especially in the cooking triangle, that busy area between sink, refrigerator and stove. The kitchen will look better and you’ll have more room to mix ingredients and chop vegetables.
• Weave in prettiness. That said, Rogers applauds any move that makes the kitchen a place you want to be, including adding functional décor like a handsome set of salt and pepper grinders, a handmade wooden cutting board, a beautiful fruit bowl and pretty linen dish towels.
• Use bins strategically. Paige and Adam were making good use of labeled bins for our, sugar, dog treats, and nuts, but Rogers saw opportunities for more, including one under the sink for cleaning supplies. “Products are easier to access when they live in a bin you can pull out.”
A er Paige and Adam adjusted to the new normal, they admitted a kitchen organizer was a great idea. “I loved my new kitchen before,” Paige said, “but now it’s even better.” Phew!
Marni Jameson is the author of seven books including the newly released “Rightsize Today to Create Your Best Life Tomorrow,” “What to Do With Everything You Own to Leave the Legacy You Want” and “Downsizing the Family Home.” You may reach her at marnijameson.com.
Open Door are the largest home buying companies in the area. Their o ers are based upon the home’s “as is’’ condition. If their o ering price is acceptable, they will cash out the seller and the mortgage within a few weeks. Of course, the price these two companies quoted Mary was signi cantly less than what she believed her home was worth.
Mary believed selling the home in “as is” condition was her remaining option, which was why I was in her living room. I was not enthusiastic. Typically, buyers steer clear of properties with known structural problems. They o en perceive the issue as worse than it really is. Besides, if the deck’s condition was acceptable to some buyer, the appraiser would likely commit to its unsafe condition and include pictures. That would set o alarms with most
lenders. The listing might attract a “bottom sherman” looking for an opportunity, but their price wouldn’t match what Open Door had already o ered.
I asked and discovered Mary had $15,000. I told her she would need to spend $10,000 but we could solve the deck problem. A few days later, I returned to Mary’s house with Manuel. He is a licensed landscaper. I asked him if he could remove the deck and build two small porches from the living room and master bedroom and do some simple landscaping where the deck had covered. He said he could, and I introduced him to Mary to work out the details. A few weeks later we had a clear pest report and an acceptable backyard, sans deck.
Not every home is market ready. Some, like Mary’s, need major repairs. Sellers who list their homes prior
to resolving a major hazard may incur liability. A Roseville broker shared with me an incident where a buyer previewing the property tripped and fell, injuring themself. At trial, the homeowner was found negligent for damages for not repairing the sidewalk prior to listing. The sellers then led a lawsuit against the listing broker for breach of duciary duty claiming the listing agent should have advised the sellers to address the problem.
According to the CDC there were 35 million medically consulted injuries in a home in 2022. Trips and falls were the second most frequent accident. Let’s be careful.
Ken Calhoon is a real estate broker in El Dorado County. He can be reached for questions and comments at ken@kencalhoon. com.
4045 sq ft. commercially zoned Historical Building. Construction has started and permitted with the city to convert the shop to retail and access upgrades. The upstairs addition shares the 721 Main Street address, and this part of the building has current remodel plans and a permit that can be assumed by new owners. Rough framed, plumbing and electric are finished, but insulation is not completed. Heat and air system also in. Main building could be anything you want with residential at the second floor with a deck and stairs leading down to a fully fenced 40x49’ private parking lot and year round creek.
TO THIS SERENE, MOUNTAIN RETREAT! PERFECT BLEND OF COMFORT AND
Nestled on 1.75 gently rolling acres, the home features 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, a large kitchen, equipped with easy-to-clean countertops, built-in gas range, double ovens, wood oors & pantry closet. The expansive living room boasts high ceilings, laminate ooring & a charming wood-burning stove. MASSIVE 4-car garage complete with a spacious workshop, bonus room & powder bath, is the perfect spot for all your toys & any future projects. The oversized carport provides ample space for a boat or RV. Located just 1.5 miles from the stunning Sly Park Lake, a mere hour's drive from Tahoe!
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Beautiful 2007 Manufactured Home in a Desirable Park, Newer Vinyl Plank
