Chrome and Brass Kitchen and Bathroom Fixtures?

[MrPrezident]

I got great deals on heavy good quality Baldwin Brass and Delta Faucets in 2005. Are these chrome and polished brass fixtures and hardware so out of date now that they should be replaced to increase resale value of the Red House?

Some people seem to profess a reflexive hatred for some polished brass because they are conformists. Some chrome has returned on cars. Do good quality but shiny fixtures need to be replaced to be in line with present dull finish trends?

 

[Butler1000]

I got great deals on heavy good quality Baldwin Brass and Delta Faucets in 2005. Are these chrome and polished brass fixtures and hardware so out of date now that they should be replaced to increase resale value of the Red House?

Some people seem to profess a reflexive hatred for some polished brass because they are conformists. Some chrome has returned on cars. Do good quality but shiny fixtures need to be replaced to be in line with present dull finish trends?

What ever you replace you won't get back in value when you sell the house. Most likely people will either keep what they find or replace what they want to exactly what they want.

The value isn't in the fixtures. It's in the land and the bones of the house. If you are selling better to spent money on staging the house.

 

[anon1]

What ever you replace you won't get back in value when you sell the house. Most likely people will either keep what they find or replace what they want to exactly what they want.

The value isn't in the fixtures. It's in the land and the bones of the house. If you are selling better to spent money on staging the house.

I'm glad you understood what he said cause I sure didn't.

 

[notthemama]

Friends of mine had owned the same home for about 25 years.
They installed the best of what they could afford. Although a little dated in areas it was pristine.
They tried to sell a few years ago when the market wasn't as hot. The Real Estate agent told them they had to update to get the best price.
They spent at least $70k, and got their asking price.
The first thing the new owners did was a complete demo inside and redesign.
All the money my friends spent was pissed away. If they had just lowered the asking price a little they would have been well ahead without all the work and aggravation doing a partial reno.
Keep it spotless clean, make any minor repairs needed so it appears well maintained.:thumb:
Chances are good that whatever you do the new woman will change it.

 

[Ceiling Cat]

These fixtures may be out of fashion with what the bathroom accessories industry are trying to sell you these days, but quality fittings are never out of style. You have to be careful will the new full antique finishes as they are sometimes coated with a clear coat to preserve the finish and can wear off if polished or cleaned.

 

[james t kirk]

With respect to bathroom fixtures, Delta, Moen, Pfister, et al are all the same lower to middle of the road bathroom fixture. They do the job and that's about it. A bathroom fixture by itself isn't going to add much value to a home for sale.

If you want a very good quality bathroom / kitchen fixture I would recommend you stick to Kohler. They are head and shoulders above the rest. The quality is excellent, and they will last for decades. You can go to Gingers on Castlefield if you want and buy some very high end European fixtures, but the quality won't beat Kohler and they won't last as long and they will cost you a fortune.

If you want a good Kohler Dealer I would suggest Penmar on Dundas and Runnymede in the Junction area. Their service is very good and their prices are very competitive.

As to finishes, polished brass is actually making a come back after being much maligned as being very "80's" looking. But the finish of choice of the moment is actually polished nickel.

For my money, nothing beats chrome. It's timeless and it's extremely durable. You can clean it with comet and you won't hurt it.

 

[james t kirk]

As to whether or not to renovate in order to sell, that's a discussion worthy of a phd thesis.

My line of thinking is always to buy the most run-down house on the best street. Preferably infested with cockroaches and rats even. You then gut it and built what you want.

The worst house to buy is the one that has been "half assed renovated". Some idiot who has been watching too many "flip this house" episodes figures that he will slap in some track lighting from home depot, some junkie but new bathroom, a floating laminate floor, cheap assed windows and yet it's still s a structural disaster with knob and tube wiring and galvanized plumbing with all the old drains, etc. etc. etc. And yet idiot boy figures the place is worth top dollar. (And there are stupid people who go for it.)

IMHO, if you're in the market for an older house in the inner city of Toronto you either buy one that has been completely gutted and renovated to tits, and is sexy as hell, or you buy the cockroach infested gut job. (My preference is the gut job.)

But I can assure you from my own brutal experience that high end proper renovations cost LARGE where no corners are cut. Even if you do a lot of the work yourself, it's still massively expensive.

 

[corrie fan]

A few years ago I was watching one of those home reno shows where they completely renovate a house in about a week. They sanded and refinished the floors and they looked great until the owner's foot went through the floor as he was walking around admiring the place. The floors were full of termites even though an inspector had found no problems.

 

[KBear]

Doubt brass kitchen and bathroom fixtures will hurt the sale, unless they are an eye sore, which does not seem to be the case. For kitchens and bathrooms cleanliness is a big issue. Beyond that, painting can pay off if needed, remove clutter, and add nice towels and knick knacks.

 

[Frankfooter]

Just discovered I've got a galvanized feed from the city here, that's on the list of repairs now.

 

[MrPrezident]

Thanks to everyone for the cross section of opinion on the fixtures. I really appreciate the input. Another trend in my area is contempt for wallpapers of any sort. I happen to like some of the English wallpapers, especially for entry foyers and bathrooms, sometimes combined with wainscoting. Too much wallpaper can be oppressive. But I grew up in a time when successful people had wallpaper and wainscoting and poor people had painted walls. This is a Georgian townhouse with a country club in the backyard. I think I will err on the side of keeping some wallpaper in a just a few areas of the house.

You may not realize how much more open minded TO people are compared to many conformist Americans in the upper Midwest. I value the opinions of TERB members.

 

[Lady fisher]

I got great deals on heavy good quality Baldwin Brass and Delta Faucets in 2005. Are these chrome and polished brass fixtures and hardware so out of date now that they should be replaced to increase resale value of the Red House?

Some people seem to profess a reflexive hatred for some polished brass because they are conformists. Some chrome has returned on cars. Do good quality but shiny fixtures need to be replaced to be in line with present dull finish trends?

If they don't leak don't bother to change them out

 

[Lady fisher]

I got great deals on heavy good quality Baldwin Brass and Delta Faucets in 2005. Are these chrome and polished brass fixtures and hardware so out of date now that they should be replaced to increase resale value of the Red House?

Some people seem to profess a reflexive hatred for some polished brass because they are conformists. Some chrome has returned on cars. Do good quality but shiny fixtures need to be replaced to be in line with present dull finish trends?

I just replaced my 51 year old Mueller tub shower valve ........the hot cold diverter in the middle anybody
Still remember those monsters
Replaced them with a Grohe hot and cold valve and a 3 way Kohler diverter valve with hand shower and tub filler
That was a project that took me and a plumber 2 days to configure and install

 

[Despo]

Personally I would swap them out with cheap cheap ones...they won't care but it will change the vibe...also find a good deal a modern door handsets like brush nickel and depending on how many taps you have you will be amazed at what it will do for 1st impressions. Clean the windows and frames perfectly and paint the front door with a new cool mat. 25 years selling houses and that is your best money spent. Clean your house then clean it again. Repair any water damage to never ever a okay thing even if the problem is fixed