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goufgators's avatar
goufgators
Explorer
Aug 14, 2018

A different but maybe interesting topic...

Wife and I are contemplating selling our house and was wondering: We have a metal carport type building on a concrete pad to house our 32' motorhome. Is that structure going to be more of a hindrance or benefit in our planned selling of the house? Certainly, someone with an RV or large boat would likely be interested in buying the house. BUT, a person without a need for the structure, I believe, could be turned off and not interested in buying the house because of the structure. Anyone with thoughts about this? Hindrance or Benefit??

38 Replies

  • Appearance is a lot...if it looks good and fits in with the rest of the lot, I would leave it...if it looks like cousin eddy built it or it's been there since before WWII...probably will be a hindrance.

    Maybe put a note in that owner is willing to do removal if buyer doesn't want it.
  • I would make sure it is "presentable", and leave it alone.
    If a buyer wants it gone, HE can have it removed, and deal with the concrete pad.
    There simply is no way you can make your house perfect for everybody. Don't even try!
  • I would not remove the carport.
    I've seen people buy houses with pools and immediately fill in the pool.

    It's easy to remove a metal carport. Let the buyer decide.
    Can the buyer make it part of the sales agreement that you remove the structure before settlement?
  • Absolutely the wrong place to ask this question. It is the equivalent of going on the NRA's website and asking if people should be able open carry firearms. The answers here are going to be extremely skewed towards it is an advantage. Local realtors will have a much better handle on whether or not it will help or hurt your resale.
    In truth, it will depend upon many variables. Is it aesthetically pleasing? Does it fit within the character of the neighborhood? Does it take up all the yard space of the home or is it built out of sight on the back forty of a huge property? To me, what you are describing is an albatross I wouldn't be interested in. It is only 32 feet long, which is too small for many Class A rigs. It is a carport, so it will not appeal to buyers seeking secure weather-tight structures to use as a shop, additional storage or to keep their toy(s) completely out of both view and the weather.
    Every odd thing about a property takes more buyers out of the market. Any large out building, if it is a big part of the property will eliminate many. the size and the fact it is a carport, not a barn or garage will eliminate a sizable chunk of those remaining. Be prepared for negative feedback from buyers. But you only need one buyer to make a sale and maybe that structure will be their tipping point.
    You can absolutely rely on one thing, a potential buyers make up their minds about a property in the first few minutes of viewing. If the carport is front and center it will be a huge factor in their decision. You need to make it as presentable as humanly possible.
  • As a contractor, it is a 2-3 day job to remove it, IF the new buyers don't want it.
    I'd leave it as is because I think you will find more buyers that could find a use for it than those that would want it removed.
  • benefit - it doesn't have to be used for just an rv or boat. Could also be used to park cars out of the hot Florida sun, maybe as a covered area out of the rain for recreation. A nice covered area could be used for so many other things. That is assuming it is in good condition and well built. Could even close in the side and make a storage area or workshop out of it.
  • I know realtors will tell you to remove it, but I can tell you from my own house shopping that my wife and I did not buy a number of houses because things we would have wanted had been removed to make the house more marketable.
  • I’d leave it for sure, especially in Florida, especially if it’s in good condition. I suspect more people would be interested in it for the reasons you outlined.

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