Modern materials bring old homes into current decade

DEAR GAIL: We bought our house in 1986 and have loved it for the last 20-plus years. My husband has received a wonderful job offer in Boston so we’re putting the house on the market this month. We know it is a bad time, but we want to get our kids settled in during the summer. We realize that we have to do significant updating since we haven’t done anything to the house since we bought it. What are the most important things we need to do? — Molly H.

DEAR MOLLY: You’re right that it may not be the best time to sell, but I’ve also been hearing a lot more positive news from Realtors and that they are busy with buyers. Since so many of the homes on the market are from newer developments, you’ll need to bring your house out of the ’80s to compete.

Of course, you know that I’m going to suggest updating your kitchen and baths. They are the rooms that will bring you back most of your investment. I’m hoping that you at least have oak cabinets and not white-washed cabinetry. If your oak cabinets are in good condition, you should be able to just oil them and add nice hardware. If you have white-washed cabinets, you should consider refacing them; it’s cheaper then replacing them. Over time, white-washed cabinets seem to turn yellow, which gives a kitchen a dirty and dingy look. Plus, we haven’t used white-washed cabinets in newer homes probably since the early ’90s.

Next, look at your counters. You can make a big difference by changing out your tile and, for sure, any laminate countertops with granite. The price of granite has dropped during the years, so it would be a wise investment — especially in the kitchen and master bath. In your secondary baths, as long as the counters are in good shape, you should be fine. Believe it or not, granite has even become standard in apartment complexes.

How are your sinks and faucets? Are they still the same ones? If you have the original kitchen sink and faucet, replace them. A scratched, chipped sink and old faucet immediately dates a kitchen. Do you have the Lucite faucets with the “H” and “C” on the knobs in your baths? They are a dead giveaway of an older home. New faucets and sinks are extremely reasonable and give a face-lift to the whole room.

Tubs and showers also should be replaced with new ones. Back in the ’80s, most were made of prefabricated fiberglass, which they are still using. But, they can’t stand up to 20-plus years of cleaning. Also consider taking out dated shower doors on your tub enclosures. If you have a separate shower in your master bath, look into a frameless shower door; it makes such a visual difference.

So how’s your flooring? Do you have any blue or mauve tiles with flowers or high-gloss peach and gray marble? Out they go and replace them with neutral porcelain. Select a tile that looks like travertine, not just a plain cream. When tiling, also replace the vinyl in your secondary baths; if it has been down since 1986, it probably needs replacing anyway.

A couple of other things that really time stamp an ’80s house are popcorn ceilings, bad sponge painting, cutesy wallpaper and wallpaper borders.

We never think we’re going to stay in our homes as long as we do. Then, time goes on. We know we want to update our homes, but other things come up. Before you know it, we’re moving and now have to do all of the things that we’ve wanted to do during the past 20 years. Only now, we don’t even get the chance to enjoy them. It’s one of the toughest things that I see happening all the time.

It’s so important to move the focus for buyers to the good bones and possibilities of a property and away from anything that will make them think fixer-upper. With a surplus of homes on the market, you don’t want them buying down the street. Best of luck, Molly, and enjoy Boston.

Gail Mayhugh, owner of GMJ Interiors, is a professional interior designer and author of a book on the subject. Questions may be sent by e-mail to: gail@gmjinteriors.com. Or, mail to: 7380 S. Eastern Ave., No. 124-272, Las Vegas, NV 89123. Her Web address is: www.GMJinteriors.com.