In hot areas like Carmel Valley, home buyers are smart to consider expanding their target zone by looking at homes that need work – and if you buy one, you can remodel to your taste.
Chances are good that any house you buy will need something fixed or remodeled anyway, so getting comfortable with repairs/improvements is inevitable. Check this before-and-after montage:
Jim Klinge
Klinge Realty Group
Are you looking for an experienced agent to help you buy or sell a home?
Contact Jim the Realtor!
CA DRE #01527365, CA DRE #00873197
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We sold a home with Jim and Donna and from beginning to end they were consummate professionals. Their initial walk through the property resulted in a list of items to be repaired or updated. They supplied a list of vendors and job quotes to do the repairs and updates. We originally wanted to sell ‘as is’ and just get it over with. They gave us a selling price for ‘as is’ and options for doing a few updates/repairs to doing it all with the selling price for each option. We agreed to do all they suggested and we sold for the exact price they predicted. For every dollar spent we got back more than $2 back in the selling price. And they got that price in a rising interest rate environment! Donna and Jim are extremely detailed and guide you through ever aspect of the sale. There were no surprises thanks to their guidance. We couldn’t be more pleased with their representation. Thank you Donna and Jim, Jerry and MaryTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We have known Jim & Donna Klinge for over a dozen years, having met them in Carlsbad where our children went to the same school. As long time North County residents, it was a no- brainer for us to have the Klinges be our eyes and ears for San Diego real estate in general and North County in particular. As my military career caused our family to move all over the country and overseas to Asia, Europe and the Pacific, we trusted Jim and Donna to help keep our house in Carlsbad rented with reliable and respectful tenants for over 10 years. Naturally, when the time came to sell our beloved Carlsbad home to pursue a rural lifestyle in retirement out of California, we could think of no better team to represent us than Jim and Donna. They immediately went to work to update our house built in 2004 to current-day standards and trends — in 2 short months they transformed it into a literal modern-day masterpiece. We trusted their judgement implicitly and followed 100% of their recommended changes. When our house finally came on the market, there was a blizzard of serious interest, we had multiple offers by the third day and it sold in just 5 days after a frenzied bidding war for 20% above our asking price! The investment we made in upgrades recommended by Jim and Donna yielded a 4-fold return, in the process setting a new high water mark for a house sold in our community. In our view, there are no better real estate professionals in all of San Diego than Jim and Donna Klinge. Buying or selling, you must run and beg Jim and Donna Klinge to represent you! Our family will never forget Jim, Donna, and their whole team at Compass — we are forever grateful to them.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. WeI had the pleasure of working with Klinge Realty Group to sell our home in Carmel Valley, and I cannot recommend them highly enough! Jim and Donna demonstrated exceptional professionalism, offering expert guidance on market conditions and pricing strategy, which resulted in a quick and successful sale. Communication was prompt and we were well-informed throughout the entire process. For anyone looking for a dedicated and knowledgeable real estate team, look no further! ---Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Donna and Jim Klinge of Klinge Realty Group have our highest possible recommendation. From Donna and Jim’s first visit to our house through closing their advice and counsel was candid and honest in all dealings. They kept us fully informed throughout the process. The house sold less than three days after listing with a two-week closing. My wife and I have sold several houses during our lives. This was by far the best experience. Klinge Reality is a premium service realtor. You can’t make a better choice for someone to sell your home fast and for top dollar.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Donna and Jim provided exceptional support and professionalism throughout the entire process. We couldn't have been happier with their efforts. They made our house shine, and thanks to their expertise, it sold above the listing price in the very first weekend! Truly a fantastic experience from start to finish.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. This year has been difficult on our family, mainly due to having to sell our home. Thankfully we knew God had a plan for us and working with the Klinge team was a key part of it. It was an obvious decision to work with them again after such an amazing experience when purchasing the same home we needed to sell. The challenge was, how will we do this in so little time with so much going on? Jim and Donna held our hand every step of the way. Whenever an unexpected issue arose they found and provided a solution. Never once did we feel pressured to make a decision and the Klinges were always reassuring after providing the information that the decision was ours to make. Despite the curve balls, they never panicked and exemplified the “can do” attitude, making us feel optimistic and taken care of. Their expertise and professionalism was superb. But of all the reasons to work with the Klinges, the most impactful and valuable is their compassion and genuine care for their clients. We pray that we can one day purchase our forever home and you better believe that Jim and Donna will be representing us - as long as they will have us of course. Thank you again Klinge team! Your execution, experience, and care are unmatched.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Jim and Donna were fantastic! Jim understanding my needs, recommending potential places, pointing out the pros and cons of each property was invaluable. Then when the offer was accepted Donna’s organized guidance through the inspections, paperwork etc made the whole process seem effortless. So grateful that I had them on my side!Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We first found Jim through his blog at bubbleinfo.com, which really showcased his knowledge of SoCal real estate. Since then we've done three transactions with Jim and Donna, and they are an incredible full service agency, with Jim's deep market insight and Donna's deft contract and project management. We trust them implicitly in their analysis and strategy, which is based on years of experience. They're always available and on top of things, and we strongly recommend them to anyone.Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The Good The Klinge Realty Group operates like a finely tuned machine, with a very personal touch. We contacted them on a Sunday and they were talking to us about our family and our needs on our living room couch the following day. They carefully listened to us and worked with us to identify the best and quickest path to listing within 2 weeks to take advantage of the low inventory conditions in our South Carlsbad neighborhood. They knew our tract specifically and had many previous sales there over the years - they came prepared with a thorough analysis of comparative sales and recommended a pricing strategy that they felt confident would yield offers the first weekend on the market. The Great Over the next two weeks Donna coordinated a range of vendors who she knew from experience could get the preparation to list work we needed done on time and with high quality. Our light tune-up involved excellent experiences with their stagers, landscapers, contractors, electricians, and plumbers. Throughout this period Donna's daily communication was clear, concise, and responsive. Any time we had questions Donna picked up the phone or texted immediately - but almost always, she answered our questions before we even knew we had them. The Outstanding We had a tricky situation with a shared fence that could have delayed our escrow. Donna used superb mediation skills to negotiate the terms of replacement and was personally on site with the fence contractor to make sure everything went smoothly. The fence looks great and escrow closed on time. The Truly Exceptional Our house came on the market on a Wednesday and between then and Monday morning Jim was personally at all three open houses. He was in constant communication explaining potential buyer reaction and strength. As he predicted offers began to come in on Saturday and each one was incrementally higher than the last. At the end we had 5 offers, 4 of which were over list, and the final accepted offer was $100,000 over list. In addition to being over list it included rent back terms that met our needs. The Recommendation For all of these reasons we would strongly recommend The Klinge Team to anyone wanting to sell in North County Coastal San Diego. I had been reading Jim's bubbleinfo.com blog for 15 years and knew when the time came to sell that he would be our first call. Jim Klinge is not your standard realtor. He is keenly aware of market conditions and sales strategies. And, works his tail off - though not as hard as Donna . At this point he's gone from realtor to friend and I plan to have him over to grill and chill at our new place to talk real estate, but also just about life and raising kids in San Diego. He's more interested in relationships than his sales numbers - and that's why his sales numbers are so high. We have already recommended the Klinge's to some close friends and another successful sale is on deck right around the corner...Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We recently had the pleasure of working with Jim and Donna from Klinge Realty Group to sell our house, and we couldn't be more satisfied with the experience. From the initial meeting, they listened attentively to our needs and provided invaluable guidance on specific improvements to get our home market ready. Their responsiveness throughout the entire process was truly impressive. Anytime we had questions or concerns, they were quick to address them, ensuring we felt comfortable and informed every step of the way. What stood out the most was their team and extensive network of tradespeople, which made addressing any necessary repairs or updates seamless and stress-free. Thanks to their expertise and dedication, our house sold quickly and at a great price. We highly recommend Jim and Donna to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. They are a fantastic team who truly care about their clients and deliver exceptional results.Load more
Nice remodeling job.
How does that pencil out financially? Am I right in thinking that the $60k raised the value of the home by a roughly comparable amount?
And just from my adventures in home remodeling (kitchen, 2 bathrooms, and flooring) $60k seems like a good deal. Is that because it was a do-it-yourself, wholesale price?
It wasn’t do-it-yourself, the work was completed by our Bubbleinfo-preferred general contractor.
I think you can say it raised the value substantially, and certainly the house would sell faster now. But the owners plan to stay a while, so we won’t know for sure.
Just got the call – a final invoice just came in.
Total cost was $71,000.
A new video will be uploaded to reflect change.
I think that looks great! I love the open room….but my favorite thing is the wood floors.
It is such a huge improvement from those ‘before photos.’ I think a lot of people complain that all tract homes look the same inside and out. But if you’re willing to put in some extra money, you can make it unique and more attractive.
Two questions:
What kind of wood floors?
Is this a client’s home?
Jim,
Have remodeling prices decreased from the peak bubble years? Here in the suburbs of metro Phoenix, there are a lot of 2,000-2,500 sq ft. tract houses built in the late 1990’s that will need essentially a complete $100,000 whole house remodel on a house that’s only worth $300,000, which makes for a difficult decision if you want to stay in the house because you like the neighborhood. If you’re committed to staying in the house and are doing the remodel for yourself to enjoy, what’s your rule of thumb on the most you should spend on a remodel relative to the value of the house?
College Joe, My wife and I are the new owners of the house in this video. Jim did indeed help us purchase this house (Klinge Realty is amazing).
The wood floors are Carribean Walnut with a very thick veneer. Installing the wood floors were actually $20,000 of the cost of the remodel. The contractor tried to save us some money by giving us some viable options for wood flooring. But, we decided to stick with the more expensive flooring that the previous owners had started.
Changes are gorgeous. Modern but classic at same time. Thank you for allowing your home to be shown and sharing the cost data. Really helps to see what it costs and what you get for the money. Nicely done!
Thanks for sharing. Lots of dated inventory in my zipcode, some remodeled some not. So this definitely helps me think about assessing fair value. From my experience, the buyers of non-remodeled homes in my area don’t seem to price in deferred maintenance, which means buying the fixer doesn’t make as much financial sense as I used to assume. Maybe carmel valley is different.
Forgot to say job well done on the remodel. Looks great, and much cheaper than I would have thought. I imagine the cost would be well into the six figures just a few years ago.
Happs,
They spent less than 10% of what they paid for the house, so I like that rule-of-thumb.
Maybe 20% max of the house’s value for improvements?
The other rule of thumb is that you get $1 in value for every $2 spent, and there isn’t going to be many neighborhoods that could withstand more than a 10% swing in value between the fixers and cream puffs.
All very worthwhile improvements. Nice work.
Maybe when our build in Olivenhain is done, I’ll extend the offer to run a video of it. It is costing about 30% more to build than to buy, so I can be the poster child for bad decisions!
Thanks to Dwip, College Joe, Kathy, duncbdunc, and Aztec for all the kind comments. I guess you always have buyer’s remorse with any major spending decision. We love the work that was done, but it sure makes me feel better to know that knowledgeable folks see some value in it as well.
I’m fairly certain that the improvements would not increase the value of the house by the amount we spent on remodeling. Jim’s $1 increase in value for every $2 spent rule of thumb is probably more accurate in our case. But, as Jim said, we plan on living in the house for a long time. Our decision to remodel was for our own selfish enjoyment.
Thanks again to all, and thanks to Jim for providing a forum for sharing this kind of information.
…And just in case you’re wondering: yes, it is the Quirky Wife who chose the blue for the laundry room (Goodbye Blue Monday!) and the MBR, which I want to be a relaxing refuge. If it doesn’t work, paint is the easiest thing to change.
If only the move was as smooth as the remodel!
Thanks again, Jim!
For people undertaking remodels – here is a story and a reason to be careful….
Standard advice:
1) always get three bids
2) always check your contractor license number at the CA state licensing board website
3) always check the internet for prior client comments
I did all three of these when I hired the contractor to replace my garage roof last fall.
However, I did something I normally don’t do – which was to allow the contractor to purchase the materials for the job. Normally, I take care of the purchase and delivery of materials so that I know there are no corners being cut.
As it so happened, my contractor failed to pay his supplier and the supplier started the legal process to place a lien against my house, which is his right.
Now, when I hired this roofing contractor I did my due diligence and found nothing out there. However, by the time I got the lien notice from the supplier, I did a second internet search and suddenly tales from other homeowners started to appear. In the space of time from the time I hired the contract to the time of notice of the lien, 4 other homeowners had posted on the internet about liens being threatened.
In order to avoid the lien, we worked directly with the supplier and gave him a check for the materials to hold, with an agreement that if the roofing contractor paid before the lien file date the check would be destroyed.
Then I went to the state license board and filed a complaint against the contractor.
As of last Friday, the roofing contractor had finally paid the supplier and the supplier is holding my check until the other check clears.
So, crisis averted and resolved. (so far anyway.)
The CA state licensing board was 100% on the case and I’ve had 3 conversations with them over the matter. They called as soon as I filed my claim through their website and they’ve stayed on top of the process as the roofing contractor finally settled the matter.
The roofing contractor never once returned my phone calls or made any attempt to contact me until yesterday, when I received a letter telling me that the supplier had been paid and the lien process stopped.
For the contractors out there:
This contractor will likely be out of business in a year. Homeowners have been posting on the internet about what happened, this will greatly slow down new business coming in their door.
Not communicating with your customers during a time of crisis was an enormous mistake. Everyone knows times are tough right now. If this roofing contractor had returned calls and been upfront with his customers, they would likely not have freaked out and started posting on the web to warn future customers to stay away.
Because of the poor response from this contractor, they are done. They might have paid their supplier and stopped the liens at the last moment, but the internet is forever. Those negative reviews are never going away and future customers looking for a contractor are going to find them.
The floors are beautiful! Did the contractor install the floors with your choice of material? Or, did you have a flooring company (like Oceanside Abbey) install the floors after the work was done?
Fantastic re-do! Can I ask how long it took to complete?
Travis, thanks for the comments. We told the General contractor that we’d like to finish the wood floors that the the previous owners had put in a few of the rooms. They found out that flooring was pretty expensive so they offered us some cheaper alternatives. We ended up sticking with the original. They purchased the materials for us (I hope they paid for them after reading ArtEclectic’s comment) and hired a flooring specialist who installed them.
Deb, thanks for your comment too. It’s taken about two months to completion (which is today … Yay!) We thought it would be less at first, but we kept coming up with things we wanted to add. We were renting when we bought the house, so it was pretty easy to extend a month at a time.
Love this. You get a huge advantage over competing buyers with the cash and gonads to do a remodel right after purchase. The competing hoards are trying to find the perfect house, you just need something with bones & location and the rest you can fix.
Jakob, I wish I could say that what you’re describing was our strategy all along. For a few months, we were among the hoards trying to find the perfect house in Carmel Valley. Poor Jim took us out to look at houses in vain weekend after weekend.
Then this place popped up. It was actually there all along, we were just looking at bigger houses when we decided that we didn’t really need the room. (This one is 2400 sq. ft.) We had some cash set aside for a larger downpayment, and some more set aside for the inevitable repairs we thought we would have to make.
This place was only slightly smaller than the low end of our range. The location was perfect for us (location cannot be fixed as you point out). The previous owners had done a pretty good job maintaining and improving it, but there were some things we really didn’t like about it.
So we asked ourselves, “What if we settle for a bit smaller place, and use the money we’ll save on the downpayment combined with what we won’t have to spend repairing it to change the things we don’t like.” It all made sense and we can’t wait to move in.
But thanks for giving us credit for being that smart, anyway.
Just needs a big white and yellow charger bolt to go with the blue. But it definitely was a nice remodel, especially the downstairs.
livinincali, about the giant white and yellow bolt across the blue walls … she wouldn’t let me. Thanks for the comment. The general contractors are gonna get big heads if they read all these compliments on their work. We do think they did a great job.
Congratulations, New CV Owner!!!
Blowing out that wall was THE difference — incredible. Enjoy!
Thanks, tj & the bear. We agree. The rest of the changes were nice, and some of them were pretty important to us. But, if we didn’t think we could get rid of that wall, we would not have bought the house. We hated what it did to the space downstairs.
Most of that debris looked like the former wall. I was surprised they actually built such an awkward partition. It really screwed up the space, and the little windows didn’t help either.
The great thing about the blue in the laundry room is that it’ll make your white shirts look whiter! That’s why laundry detergent makers add blue dye in their products. 😉
Enjoy the new place!
Ah, yes! The bluing that they add to laundry to make whites look brighter. I think you’ve just given my wife a new rationalization for the blue laundry room. Actually, the blue rooms are starting to grow on me.
My theory on the windows in the superflous wall is that the developer knew they had a problem, so they threw in a few windows to try to create some kind of flow between the two tiny rooms. Instead, I think the windows just drew attention to what a design flaw it was.
Thanks for the well wishes, Francois.