What's your secret weapon? Do you put something special in your houses?

Question

I read a post a while back where a gentleman highlighted the fact that he'd put one of those natural rainfall shower heads in a unit of his and potential tenants loved the house. Do you have a special item like this?

I recently put a really nice bathroom sink in a unit and it rented in less than a week on the market. It was expensive... originally, but I got it with the leg broken off at the depot for $90 and put it back on. I also usually get Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan paint in huge quantities from Sherwin Williams when it goes on sale for $22/gallon. People seem to really like it. I try to attract a higher quality tenant and usually I hear "This house is so much nicer than the other crap we looked at."

What's your secret weapon?

Brian Beadle · Answer

I am a huge proponent for going the extra mile with moldings, back splashes, vessel sinks and other finishes alike. (fix and flip)  I love to get dirty and do some work myself on my properties, so to put up crown moulding and wainscoting it may only cost me an extra $50. The difference is night and day, and the buyers notice immediately!  
A nice stone or glass tile backsplash in the kitchen and bath give a room a higher end feel at a very inexpensive cost. 
On my last property I bought a pair of solid travertine vessel sinks. They must have weighted 60lbs a peice.  I bought them on eBay for $59 a peice!!!!!! They were B grade sinks and could not be sold in the high end boutiques. If you try to fing stone sinks in stores you wont find one for under $500. I couldn't notice a flaw, and they functioned beautifully.  They were immensely popular in the open house.

Keep your eyes open for deals and don't skimp on the finishes, people will notice the extra effort.

Cheers, Brian

Kevin Dickson · Answer

I have a few Pet Peeves in regard to maintenance, so I try innovations that add pizazz while reducing maintenance.

The Pet Peeve:  Bath/shower enclosures with ceramic tile surrounds.   It only takes a year for the caulk and grout to get moldy and nasty.  Also within a few years the backerboard may get soft or tiles get loose.  Tuning that back up to look perfect is always a major project.  Replacing the shower valve is a problem that will usually lead to a bigger job too.

The cheapo permanent solution is to remove the old tub and to come back in with a 3 piece fiberglass tub and surround.   This solves the maintenance problem but looks like a trailer trash solution.

So my idea has worked pretty well in cases of bathroom gut remodels, when the existing tub is not in good shape and all the tile needs replacing.  This idea is stolen from the past, before the days of tiled tub walls.

Until 1950 most homes used clawfoot tubs.   All the plumbing parts are still stocked by Ace Hardware, and a new lightweight clawfoot can be obtained economically from  http://www.vintagetub.com/asp/american_bath_factory.asp

The advantages as I see it:
1.  There is a shower curtain that wraps completely around the tub.
2.   No water hits the walls and causes damage.
3.   For the next 100 years, all you have to do to tune up the bathroom is paint it and replace the shower curtains.
4.  All the plumbing except the P-trap is visible and accessible.
5.  Most people think it has retro-vintage coolness. 
6.  Clawfoot tubs are usually deeper and more comfortable.

One disadvantage - whoever cleans or paints has to get way down and have long arms to reach  under the tub and  get the wall behind.  This is one of the reasons that the market moved away from clawfoots.

Do I think that clawfoot tubs add resale value?  The jury is out, but I've sold a couple houses with them and I'm pretty sure it didn't reduce resale value.

Account Closed · Answer

Shane Johnson  I like the look of slate in bathrooms.  But it's not recommended for areas with water.  Slate is porous and needs to be resealed to protect it from water damage, not to mention cleaning products a tenant is sure to use  (or mis-use).  Do you have any slate in rentals that have stood the test of time?

Account Closed · Answer

Jon Klaus The Dallas area must have cheap granite and prefab granite installers.  In my area you can do a bath vanity for $200 and get prefab 8'x 2' counters for $350 (with sink cut-out). IMO, the reason I see so much of it here in $120K houses and rentals is because the cost of labor for other counters outweighs the material cost of granite.  Nothing fancy in color or edging when it comes to cheap granite.  Like Rob says, the cheap granite looks shoddy next to the great stuff in the showroom.  But it works wonders in a kitchen, even if you leave the original cupboards and floor.

Ben Stout · Answer

I have a huge stockpile of boxes of tile, fixtures, and other stuff I hope I'll use eventually. Lots of great ideas on this thread! I am noticing a lot of upscale, yet relatively cheap to do improvements like nice sinks, backsplashes, nice vanities.... great food for thought.

Mike Sumsky · Answer

New light fixtures, door knobs and trim package are relatively inexpensive and really sharpen up the property, especially if the house is older and prior owners/tenants have done a lot of messy painting without being too careful.

Marian Smith · Answer

I would think slate would be fine on a bath floor.  It is used on roofs.  Porous tiles can be a problem in showers evidently, with water somehow wicking through to the substrate--even that seems unlikely to me, seems like it would be a grout or caulk problem.  But the tile guys blame natural stone tile.

Shane Johnson · Answer

Good point, and no I dont. First time using in a bathroom. I hope i dont run into any issues, and if i do, well, I only have $150ish into it, and wont think twice about ripping it out. I did use a 2 part epoxy grout (humongous pain and sets up insanely fast) but claims never have to seal/reseal. I sealed the slate before putting the grout in, and intend to seal/use an enhancer in a few weeks after its dried out. TheI guess well see how it holds up. For now, it is just me and a roomate living in this house. I bought it as an owner occupy and am living there for the first two years more than likely.

Jon Klaus · Answer

Rob, how much per foot do you pay for the counter tops?  You never see granite in my  neighborhoods, so it would be a huge differentiator.

Rob Knoles · Answer

Granite counter tops in kitchen. Not very much more expensive. Where I live, in Seattle, there is a plethora of Chineese granite and cabinet wholesalers. They have 2cm thick granite for ridiculously cheap.  It might not look that great in the showroom next to the expensive slabs, but alone in the kitchen of a rental unit,  they look like a million bucks...at least $100,000....

What's your secret weapon? Do you put something special in your houses?

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