I thought I was selling my house, but apparently I’m selling my home brewery…

[Brewsit]

I put my house on the market last Thursday, and apparently no one can get past the fact that I built a home brewery in the basement. So instead of trying to find “normal” people to buy a house that happens to have a home brewery… anyone want to buy a home brewery that happens to have a house attached to it?

https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/co/fort-collins/5603-coppervein-st/pid_44422467/

 

[PCABrewing]

I think you might actually find a buyer who's looking for that.
That space could easily be re-purposed if not.
I would be interested but I'm sticking by the Great Lakes.

 

[Noob_Brewer]

Just took the virtual tour. I think the ball was dropped when I saw the Exclusions that had the wood barrels and kegs listed. No deal without the barrels and kegs! lol. Seriously though, looks like an awesome house. Hope you can put something like that into your new home wherever you may land.

 

[Brewsit]

Lol I mean… if the barrels and kegs seal the deal… everyone has a price. I don’t know that I’m going to go all-in again like this one, things changed and what was supposed to be my forever home turned into my not forever home…

 

[Knightshade]

Damn..I can see why you’d want that to be a forever home. Move the brewery stuff, restage the photos as a second kitchen with a wet bar / entertainment space.

 

[Brewsit]

Damn..I can see why you’d want that to be a forever home. Move the brewery stuff, restage the photos as a second kitchen with a wet bar / entertainment space.

Yea the only thing that can’t change without work is the built in kegerator… but it’s easily repurposed with half an imagination. It seems when people look at houses they get distracted by things that they can easily change or don’t matter, like the seller’s furniture…

 

[Knightshade]

Totally agree. I did real estate photography for a short while to fill in some gaps with wedding/sports stuff and it was pretty amazing what some of those professional stagers would do. Just need to appeal to the general masses with a visual aesthetic. Beautiful house tho dude, good luck with the sale.

 

[madscientist451]

Sorry this is , but according to Zillow, the property above has gone up approximately 75% in six years. ($100/sqft to $173/sqft) Are incomes rising that much?
Nope, in 2014 household income in Colorado was about $61K, in 2020 its $82,600. Which indicates a 35% increase.
I've seen this before, a dramatic rise in prices, then a crash. Is it going to happen again? Why or why not?
I'm bringing this up because I'm looking at retiring in the next few years, but concerns about inflation and a housing market crash/possible recession is making me think I should just keep on working.

 

[jbschuyler]

I like your setup! Sorry that it's become an "issue" for potential buyers. Here in Boise there is a house on the market in a similar situation - it has a fully licensed commercial brewery in the garage. I went to look at it - pretty cool. https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/nation-world/national/article255171977.html

 

[Knightshade]

I like your setup! Sorry that it's become an "issue" for potential buyers. Here in Boise there is a house on the market in a similar situation - it has a fully licensed commercial brewery in the garage. I went to look at it - pretty cool. https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/nation-world/national/article255171977.html

“I’ve seen Breaking Bad,” one person expressed. “I know what those are.”

Oi Vey..

 

[JAReeves]

Beautiful house, good luck with the sale!

 

[hotbeer]

Hoping to find the one beer brewer wanting to buy a house in that area might leave you with no one even coming to look.

I'd move all the beer brewing stuff out of the house to a storage unit and make that area look like something useful for everyone. Most buyers can't look beyond what you have it staged as.

So if you have other unique looking features in your house that have limited appeal to the masses, then take care of that too. Your real-estate agent knows that. They may be too nice to tell you in a way you understand.

Sadly it's unlikely many of the people that have already seen it will return for another look after you solve that issue. So you've missed out on a lot of potential offers.

 

[Sammy86]

My real estate agent had me clear out everything brew related when we sold our home....including the chest freezer/ferm chamber...i agree with the above perception is everything and unfortunately Homebrew isn't as main stream as many believe it is...its still a relatively small number of the population who know and understand what we do.

 

[MaxStout]

Remove the brew gear and you have a nice bar. Or new owners add a range and it's a kitchenette. That sounds like a feature, not a bug.

 

[madscientist451]

I'd put the brew kettles and controller in storage and put some kind of wine rack in its place with a case of wine. Call the area a "party room".
Its only been a week though. If a home brewer comes along, they'll see the space for what it is and likely ask about it.

 

[Brewsit]

Yea you guys are right really. It’s too distracting to any potential buyers. I can’t really do anything about the taps, but I can pull the control panel and kettles. It makes for a very odd kitchen, but could work as a kitchenette with I don’t know… a dog washing station? Maybe an armadillo breeder will fall in love with it. Patience…

 

[Oleson M.D.]

You have a lovely home. And your taxes are so cheap! In Texas (where we live), that home would have property taxes of $16,000+ annually. Plus your insurance would run at least $4,500 per year.

 

[matt_m]

Yea you guys are right really. It’s too distracting to any potential buyers. I can’t really do anything about the taps, but I can pull the control panel and kettles. It makes for a very odd kitchen, but could work as a kitchenette with I don’t know… a dog washing station? Maybe an armadillo breeder will fall in love with it. Patience…

My first thought was a dog washing station actually. Or cleaning up from craft projects or whatever. You've got the dishwasher, fridge, and regular sink. Taps may still turn of some buyers but staging it as a kitchen/bar will go a long way. We set up my brewery in a similar fashion behind the bar (but much less elegant) and plan that some day when we go to sell the house it'll be a weekend project to remove my control panels, the 30A outlet, and re-skin the wall. We figure we'll put a stainless table there and stage it with a microwave and a popcorn machine or something like that and it'll just be a kitchenette behind the bar.

 

[Brewsit]

You have a lovely home. And your taxes are so cheap! In Texas (where we live), that home would have property taxes of $16,000+ annually. Plus your insurance would run at least $4,500 per year.

Thank you. I lived in Texas for a long time and I know exactly what you are talking about… insane!

 

[Brewsit]

Removed all the equipment, ready for an open house on Saturday… so if you’re in the area… come on by

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

Some how this thread made me glad I likely will never make enough money to own a house and brewery like that...
And can someone explain this whole buying houses with the furniture thing? Over here your furniture is yours to take along, you showcase the house decorated but then it is up the new owner to get their stuff hauled over.

 

[grampamark]

Some how this thread made me glad I likely will never make enough money to own a house and brewery like that...
And can someone explain this whole buying houses with the furniture thing? Over here your furniture is yours to take along, you showcase the house decorated but then it is up the new owner to get their stuff hauled over.

Houses here aren’t generally sold furnished, but everything is negotiable.

I think your question relates to what is considered “furniture” in different parts of the world. Here, cabinetry is part of the house, fastened in place permanently (well, nothing is permanent if one has the right tools for removal) where in some other countries cabinets are hung on cleats and easily removed when moving. Built in appliances, like wall ovens or cooktops built in to countertops stay with the house; free standing appliances may not be included. But, as noted, everything is negotiable.

 

[Brewsit]

I’m planning to consign all the big bulky furniture and start over after moving. So yes, everything is negotiable. Normally furniture doesn’t stay. Refrigerators sometimes stay. For the right price you can keep my clothes, too.

 

[Erik the Anglophile]

The same as here then. Cabinets and wall mounted stuff is considered part of the house, as is kitchen fridge/freezer. Other than that is moved with the owner.

 

[hotbeer]

Is the agent or one of their reps going to be at the open house to try and query people on their impressions so some idea of why you do or don't get any offers as a result of the open house?

If you don't get any offers then you need to insist your agent be brutal with you and share why they don't think your home is getting offers. Fix those issues and you'll get offers.

 

[Oleson M.D.]

Let the buyer fix it to their own satisfaction. It is a minor issue. A kitchen in the basement is a huge plus!

 

[Dancy]

It seems a lot of buyers today want to buy a “model home” and do not care to have to make changes after moving in.

 

[Oleson M.D.]

It seems a lot of buyers today want to buy a “model home” and do not care to have to make changes after moving in.

Those that want a model home go to a builder, and either have one built, or buy one of the models on display.
That's what I see here in North Texas.

 

[Dancy]

Those that want a model home go to a builder, and either have one built, or buy one of the models on display.
That's what I see here in North Texas.

Sorry, I did not mean that literally. I’m 62 and my perception of today vs. 35 years ago is that many buyers shop for existing homes but expect them to look like new construction, or a model home or something from one of the cable home rehab programs. Just an impression.

 

[Knightshade]

Removed all the equipment, ready for an open house on Saturday… so if you’re in the area… come on by

Ask your realtor to update your pics on the listing too. And I'd put some pressure on them to give you some detail on what buyers are looking for, how to increase the number of offers you're getting. I mean..I know the market is hot and all...but make them earn that damn 2.5-3% or whatever it is you negotiated.

 

[grampamark]

Ask your realtor to update your pics on the listing too. And I'd put some pressure on them to give you some detail on what buyers are looking for, how to increase the number of offers you're getting. I mean..I know the market is hot and all...but make them earn that damn 2.5-3% or whatever it is you negotiated.

About 2 years ago, my daughter and SIL listed their townhouse with the realtor they had worked with when they bought the house. She turned out to be a better buyer’s agent than a sellers agent. Six months on the market without so much as one offer. When the agreement with that realtor expired, they re-listed with a realtor who was part of a husband/wife team. She sold houses, he staged them. They had a small warehouse filled with enough furnishings and décor to make Joanna Gaines jealous. They sold the house, at asking price, in 8 days.

Just before they listed the house, the first time, I had just completed finishing the basement. It was a pretty nice basement, with a second master suite, separate shower and 6 foot jetted tub, dual vanities, etc, a second, non egress room for an office, craft room, whatever, a second laundry hookup, and a large family/entertaining room with a small wet bar and built-in kegerator.

The buyer was an evangelical pastor and his family.

edit-add photo

 

[ITV]

Let the buyer fix it to their own satisfaction. It is a minor issue. A kitchen in the basement is a huge plus!

I am part Italian and have a full kitchen in my basement that I brew in. I just slide out the stove and hook up my kettle/burner that my plumber son connected a natural gas hook-up for.

The 100% Italian families that I know also have full kitchen's in their basement, however the main kitchen upstairs is for show only.

Hopefully your basement kitchen will attract someone who can appreciate a full basement kitchen.

 

[Brewsit]

Is the agent or one of their reps going to be at the open house to try and query people on their impressions so some idea of why you do or don't get any offers as a result of the open house?

If you don't get any offers then you need to insist your agent be brutal with you and share why they don't think your home is getting offers. Fix those issues and you'll get offers.

A rep will be there. We aren’t expecting much from the open house as it usually just attracts random activity… being in this price bracket I should have known will eliminate 90% of buyers, I think it’s just going to be waiting for that one. We are staging the basement kitchen as such, so it may help.
My agent has already been honest with me… I’m bullheaded and thought a brewery could be a selling point in one of the top beer cities…

 

[Oleson M.D.]

A brewery would be a big selling point…right up until the wife sees it.