Because it's so small, there wasnt a lot of money to be made by selling it, so they just fixed it up quick and dirty to look pretty.
Not a lot needed to be done to make it liveable, but there's plenty to do if you want to fix up stuff.
My real estate buyer agent also advised me not to put a lot of money into the house since it won't increase the resale value.
Most of the key improvements folks look for had been made before I got here, which means I got a great deal. But what I paid is about what it's worth, so now any more money I sink into the property, basically I won't get back out when I sell.
Oh whatever. I'm still going to make the improvements that make it a nice place for me to live in. The carpet, for example. And the screen doors, which are the thing costing all the money, since the doors are not a uniform size. I need those to help keep cats inside.
But now that I'm really living here, I'm noticing the things I didn't. The kitchen floor (which I hate) was obviously a rush job to make the place look more attractive to buyers. It's totally uneven and parts of it still need to be glued down.
The cabinets are beautiful to look at but maybe not as functional as I'd imagined and some of them don't close quite right despite the obviously new hinges. Like they got the doors on and decided that was close enough and didn't bother to adjust them.
My decorating choice to go with white and other light colors, to match the style of the house... well I always knew it would mean work with two cats. But my girl kitty is having bowel problems in her old age and without getting into the details, let's just say white is going to be a challenge for me.
I've always promised myself never to be a person who loves their furniture more than their cats. I also don't want to be a person who doesn't let themselves have white things because they might get dirty. I am glad that the house came with a washer and dryer because I suspect it will get a lot of use.
The carpet is a stainmaster with a pet pad. The white sofa to be delivered at a later date is scotchguarded.
And if it any of these things get dirty and start to show wear, then they do. And I will know I lived a life while it was getting dirty.
I'm still missing a few things. My old desk and entertainment center are totally the wrong color. Theres still a few boxes to unpack and a few boxes at the old house. I'm using a plastic shelving unit in the corner even though I had intended to have all "real" furniture.
Things don't fit quite right in some places, my digital tuner doesnt get any over-the-air TV reception here, and my one door has a trick to it I haven't quite figured out what it is yet.
But its okay.
It doesn't have to be perfect.
It doesn't ever have to be perfect.
