I’ve noticed a couple of little things that seem to be having a greater affect on selling my houses than they should.
First, I was having some problems with canned lights with glass lenses over showers tripping the heat sensors, so I started replacing those bulbs with the fluorescent twist bulbs to keep the heat down. Since then I have started replacing any non dimming and non visible bulb with the twist fluoresent bulbs, and people really seem to like them. I even mention it now on the brouchures that I make and place in the homes.
Another thing that people seem to like much more than I would have expected is those plunger switches that turn on a light when a door opens. They aren’t in use much in my market, and I’ve been putting them on every hinged closet or pantry door on every house I build now. Each time someone comes through a house and they open a closet door, their reaction is always “neat” or “wow, did you see this honey?”.
Another is the new Blum glide that stops the drawer at about two inches out then it sucks the drawer in to close. If you haven’t seen them (though I would guess most of you have by now) it’s kind of like a Cadillac trunk that slams above normal close and then mechanically pulls the lid down to full close. They always gets some sort of response too.
A couple of things that aren’t having as much affect as I thought they might have are ceiling fans and extra outlets and circuits in the garage. I figured if men were like me, they’d appreciate the convenience, but it seems most of my buyers don’t do any work in the garage. Oh well, you can’t win em all.
Bill
Replies
You're right. You can put $20,000 worth of real value stuff into a house and nobody cares. ("good windows vs vinyl, 2x6 vs 2x4, etc.) But the kitchen sink faucett that doubles as a pull-out sprayer will sell the house. It's almost infuriating.
I have a friend with a very upscale house, and she has the automatic lioght switches on the closet doors, and the walk-in pantry. She hates them. Thought they were neat when they built 10 yres ago, they got old after 6 mos. If she goes into the pantry and closes the door to get something from behind the door, the light goes out. And she can't leave the door propped open slightly cuz the light stays on.
I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
That's why I use sensors, and we love them and visitors give the same, "Oh wow" reaction that bill described.
Where would one find those sensors or plunger switches and what brands are good ones?
My husband and I are doing the wiring of our house right now and I've been thinking about an automatic light for the pantry. It's not a walk-in pantry though so I guess the plunger kind would work too. Just normal bi-fold doors and it's in a location where we would always keep the doors closed when not in use.
Thanks!
-Kacy
The plunger's a better fit for you. You don't wanna have to wave your hand around to hit the sensor, or have it go on unwanted. Sensor's good for walk-in. I got any old brand. They take a little to adjust for the proper field of vision and off time, but once set, they're great.
Ordinary motion detectors will work.You can get them that screw into the light, then the bulb screws into the detector. Or lights with the detector built in.
A person with no sense of humor about themselves, has no sense at all.
Those kind of sensors are better suited for outdoor use, like tryting to keep the vagrants from stealing logging chains out of your back yard. Those that are meant to be inside an office or bedroom would be more appropriate for her.
I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
Blumotion is the product name, from Blum. As far as I can tell, it is only an option with their highest-priced line of slides, the Tandem series. I think that Hafele has something like it, too, but I only use Blum stuff.
But in kitchen cab gear, it is reeeeeaaaaaaaly cool.
It used to be that you could get a Tandem slide and then buy the Blumotion damper (it is like a little tiny shock absorber) as a clip-on part, for less than $10 per drawer. The kitchen cab showroom salesman will want to tell you it is an option at between $25 and $40 extra per drawer, depending on who you are talking to.Gene Davis, Davis Housewrights, Inc., Lake Placid, NY
Yep, Blum Tandembox with the Blum-motion option, cool.
For a little more you can get it in brush stainless steel which a lot of prospective buyers will die for.
a real electric supply house ...
ie ... not home depot or lowes.
ask the counter guy what's good ... there are different price ranges.
tell them the application ... not like ya need commercial grade.
Helps to know what kinda light fixture it's too control first though.
on a side note ... make sure it'll work with a bifold. Hinged doors sit tighter to the jamb than most bifolds ... gotta make sure the plunger will be held in by the bifolds.
motion may be the better deal for your application. Can have the simple motion detectors Luka talked about ... or a build in motion switch. There are tons of cool options out there for residential wiring. Might "pay" to pay a high end electrician to take a walk thru and give some ideas/pointers.
I say "highend" ... as my electrician knows of products that other electricians never knew existed. But ... he's primarily in the high end remodeling field. He gets customers that want all the fancy stuff .... so he's got to keep up with it all.
Or ... find a helpful guy at the supply house. Ask what cool stuff they'd recommend.
Jeff
Thanks Jeff and the rest of you who responded! I will definitely be looking into that. I will also ask our electrical "coach" to see what he recommends too. But that would be a really great feature!
-Kacy!
just verify before U buy that all the fancy stuff is compatable.
Jeff
The jamb switches are simple little things all electricians know about and can get. Be sure to coordinate with your trim carpenter who will install the doors and frames, because the hinge jamb and the jack stud behind it, wherever a jamb plunger is to be installed, will need a little router and chisel work.
Pantries and linen closets are ideal places for a door-jamb switch. For a powder room, you might want to consider a motion-activated switch with a timer. This keeps guests from having to find the switch location when they are unfamiliar with the house.
Speaking of timers and switching, I prefer a powder room vent fan (if the room has no shower or tub) to go on with the light, and time out with a timer.
And for "full" baths, I prefer a vent fan with moisture detection for switch-on and switch-off, or if not that, one with an auto timer to switch off after some set time.
You didn't ask, but when reviewing under-cabinet lighting, be sure to look at Juno Trac-12 and Kichler's under-cab modules, both of which use xenon lamps. Don't use halogens . . . they get hotter than xenons, and lamps burn out more frequently.Gene Davis, Davis Housewrights, Inc., Lake Placid, NY
I've been putting them on every hinged closet or pantry door on every house I build now.
Yeah, very cool--but, it's a good idea to treat them like a water filter, and have a "standard" switch inside--if that closet bulb burns out, them may never know the door switch works at all (switch on wall, what's it do, look up, oh, light; nuthin', replace bulb). Don't ask me how I know . . .
Another is the new Blum glide that stops the drawer at about two inches out then it sucks the drawer in to close.
Accuride, K&V, and Hettich have had that feature on all of their good side mount guides, and for years now. Still a good feature, though. Only one better is the concealed undermounts.
I think we are talking about the newer "closing dampers" here, rather than a self-close feature.Gene Davis, Davis Housewrights, Inc., Lake Placid, NY