Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

From welcome mats to closets, show us the money

By JUDY STARK
Published April 23, 2005

Half a million dollars doesn't buy what it once did.

That was the conclusion of our team of judges last week at the Parade of Homes sponsored by the Volusia Home Builders Association.

We were judging homes in a price category that topped out right around $500,000 in communities on the state's east coast, around Daytona Beach. Some of them were lovely homes. Some of them - well, let me explain.

A large part of the cost of a home goes into land and labor. It's easy to forget about those and just "ooh" and "aah" over the fancy decorating at the model. The home you buy, of course, won't have that gorgeous furniture or breathtaking window treatments or cute accessories.

So it's important for you as buyers, and for us as judges, to filter those out and see what's really there. My fellow judges and I approached each home asking, "Where is the money here?" Sometimes we could find it; sometimes not. (The homes we were judging were base-priced around $350,000 without home site and pool. The as-shown price was about $500,000.)

It's easy to spot the money in details like crown molding, solid-surface or granite counter tops and high-quality plumbing fixtures and appliances. There's money in the allocation of space: big rooms and lots of them? Hallways? There's money in pools and spas and in those retracting sliding-glass doors that open up the house to the pool and lanai. And there's money in fine finish work: wood that has been sanded silky-smooth, a perfect paint job (with no drips!), tile laid in an unusual pattern, molding that fits precisely. Hats off to the skilled and caring workers who lavish our homes with care and craftsmanship.

So it's disappointing to walk into a home in this price range and spot a cheap ceiling fixture in a secondary bedroom or a fan in the master bedroom that's clearly a bargain-basement special. Or a stained carpet (bring on the OxiClean!). Or to see that the kitchen faucet is a sturdy item from a middle-market manufacturer. I'm no slave to designer labels, but we know what things cost; we know which are the top of the line and which aren't. What supports that $500,000 price tag?

In another home we cringed at the plastic-wrapped lampshades on the chandelier in the dining room. I gasped at the prominently visible hook and nail that held up a mirror in the entry hall. We were speechless at the painted-on fake crown molding in a bedroom. Yet the same house had a very nicely detailed fireplace, built-in bookcases and a serving niche in the dining room. Maybe that's where all the money went.

The homes that won our hearts were those with good floor plans. One of the noisiest areas of the home is the family room with the big-screen TV. Look carefully at the placement of bedrooms. If they're right off the family room, will early-to-bed family members be able to sleep while others stay up late watching TV or movies? One home required that swimmers drip across the living room to reach the pool bath.

Builders are missing a major bet in the way they outfit closets - or don't. Even in these half-million-dollar homes the closets were lined with the same coated-wire shelving you can buy at the home center, the stuff that's in every $125,000 starter home. Builders, you are missing a golden opportunity here. A gorgeously outfitted closet should be a major memory point. Of course, it's an option, not a standard feature, but you'll never sell it if you don't show it. Help your buyers imagine how easy it's going to be to get dressed in the morning, to pack a suitcase, to store things in a closet outfitted with shelves, drawers, racks and bins. Give your buyers something to brag about to their friends: "Wait till you see my closet!" In house after house we sighed and shook our heads at this missed opportunity.

Here's one more free tip for builders: Do something about your welcome mats. How many times have I stepped over a tiny, scruffy, worn mat that says everything but welcome? You need a mat that's big enough for the large-scale, lavish entry of your home, something that's as attractive as the house and isn't bleached by the sun. Best foot forward and all that. First impressions count.

Returning from Daytona Beach on Friday, I spent an hour virtually motionless on Interstate 4 between the Lake Mary rest stop and downtown Orlando, a distance of about 10 miles. At no time did my speed exceed 15 mph. This is nightmarish. When we talk about the cost of housing these days, let's not forget to figure in the cost of wasted time, gas (at $2.25 or more per gallon), psychic wear and tear, and the general annoyance of spending too much time going too little distance. Is this how you want to start and end your day? As the Legislature debates who will pay for growth management, I-4 is a perfect example of how we all pay, one way or another.

Judy Stark can be reached at 727 893-8446 or stark@sptimes.com

[Last modified April 22, 2005, 08:41:05]