values on Riverside: Upscale Bohemian

[ellenkushner]

Well, it was time to get the apartment evaluated, to find out from a realtor whether it's worth remotely what we paid for it 5 yrs ago when we bought it at prohibitive expense, and then fixed it up and put in lots of lovely trinkets & wallpaper.

So we called our old realtor - who sold Delia's dad's apt when he died, helped us buy our temporary place, sell it, and then find this one - to give his opinion. We figured he could see past the squalor of half-packed Passover boxes, galley proofs of The Man With the Knives all over the floor, review copies of friends' ms., etc. etc., so we left it all pretty much as is.

The good news is, it's gone up slightly in value. The even better news: I don't have to clean up my room! I quote:

"This is really nice! I love what you've done with it . . . . It's got a real emotional pull . . . Yes . . . The fact that you work here is part of the feel . . . It's got an Upscale Bohemian feel to it. Don't pick up a single piece of paper! It feels like people in the arts live and work here. That will really appeal to the right person. Yes; you bought something really different and big, and you applied your own taste."

Don't get excited: we have no intention of selling or moving any time soon. But I can stop waking up in the middle of the night in a flop sweat now!

Comments

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

Don't pick up a single piece of paper!

I fantasize that, when we finally try to sell our big ol' Victorian, a realtor will say this to us. And also, "Don't box up and store any of your books!"

I fear, though, that central Massachusetts is not as into Bohemian as NYC.

[ellen-kushner.livejournal.com]

When we sold in Boston, we had to choose between 2 realtors, one of whom said not to touch a thing, the other of whom said "Put all your tchatchkes in storage to declutter!"

Guess which one we chose?

Guess how long it took to sell......?

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

Wonder if that realtor works central MA... :)

Of course, first ANY realtor would tell us to finish painting the darn walls and refinishing the floors...

[calimac.livejournal.com]

Having been a visitor, I second his evaluative description. It looks like a delightful place to live.

[anghara.livejournal.com]

I agree with the realtor - don't change a thing! I don't know what it was like before, of course, but it's perfectly LOVELY right now.

[orbitalmechanic.livejournal.com]

I love your realtor. I love the combination of "I love what you've done with it" and "I can totally sell this for a lot of money."

[julianyap.livejournal.com]

I have to say, I'm not surprised. Your apartment is the best apartment in Manhattan I've ever been in.