When Eduardo Gonzalez bought a town home this fall, the deal was so good he didn’t mind that the owners wouldn’t agree to a contingency that would allow him to sell his condominium first. He signed on the dotted line anyway.
Now he spends nights and weekends shuttling between the Fox Lake town home and the Waukegan condo, which he plans to put on the market as soon as possible.
Gonzalez had some ideas for spruce-ups to appeal to prospective buyers and asked Selling Points for confirmation. We arranged for him to meet with John Paulson of Realty Executives Mission-Paulson in Waukegan, who toured the unit and made several suggestions.
“This is the first time I’m trying to sell something of major consequence,” Gonzalez told him. “The quicker I sell, the less time I need to make two mortgages.”
The two-story brick building is about 30 years old. Originally an apartment building, it was converted into four condominium units in the early 1980s. Gonzalez’s unit, which he purchased 10 years ago, features three bedrooms, one bath, living and dining rooms, a kitchen, and front and rear entrances.
The window treatments consist of custom-made valances over vertical blinds and will stay with the unit. The stove, refrigerator and ceiling fans will also stay. Most of the floors are gleaming hardwood, a discovery Gonzalez made while ripping out old carpeting. Additional amenities include off-street parking, laundry facilities, storage and a new roof.
At the time of Paulson’s visit, Gonzalez was in the midst of painting and tearing down wallpaper. He is glad he waited until after he moved to start the work, he said. “Otherwise, I’d just be moving everything from room to room.”
Over the past decade, Gonzalez has gradually made many improvements. He replaced the exterior storm door, hung ceiling fans and put in a new furnace.
His biggest project now is the kitchen, where he has removed the wallpaper. He will patch the walls and paint them. He also plans to redo the kitchen floor but hadn’t decided whether to replace the existing carpeting or install tile.
“I wouldn’t carpet,” said Paulson, who believes vinyl tile is a better choice for a kitchen. “Tile is not something hard to put down.”
Gonzalez also plans to replace the countertop, which is stained in two small areas.
Noting that the stains are barely apparent, Paulson said he wouldn’t go to the expense of making a change.
The stains bother Gonzalez, and his father is in the countertop business, so the job won’t cost him anything, he explained.
Two of the bedrooms sport orange walls and the third is papered in a vivid turquoise print.
“I know about the colors,” Gonzalez said with a smile as he led Paulson into the bedrooms. He selected the orange to match some of his bed linen, but he understands that buyers probably will not care for the deep hues. He will paint the walls off-white.
Paulson agreed the work should be done.
In the bathroom, Gonzalez has installed a contemporary mirrored medicine cabinet and replaced the vanity top. The bathroom floor is covered with blue carpeting, which Paulson suggested he remove. The tile beneath is in excellent condition.
“Tile looks richer,” the broker said. “It would be better to take it up and let people make their own decision (on whether they want carpeting or not).”
Other projects Gonzalez has in mind are staining a new fire door leading to the front interior staircase to match the other doors and replacing an overhead light fixture. He had removed a door to a hallway closet so he could use the alcove for his stereo equipment. Gonzalez said he will replace the door if Paulson believes he should. The broker said the space should be restored as a closet.
Overall, Gonzalez’s to-do list is in good order, said Paulson, who made few changes to it.
“These (condos) are spacious,” he said. “All you have to do is redecorate and get it cleaned up and it will look sharp.”
Gonzalez’s condo will be vacant when he puts it on the market, and homes generally show better with furniture than without, Paulson said.”But this will be attractive because someone can have immediate occupancy.”
