It's So PINK

Contrast this place to the NYTimes article that claims fluffy towels can sell a place:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/nyregion/22appraisal.html?ref=realestate

BTW How the h@ll can you spend $700 on towels and a bath mat?

The worst offender is the garden gnome.

Actually, the paint-by-numbers art is pretty bad too...

No, the nonexistent second bedroom is the worst offender.

01/19/2006 ......Previously Listed by Corcoran at $840,000.
06/14/2006 .....Corcoran Listing sold.
10/08/2009 .....Previously Listed by Prudential Elliman at $875,000.
01/22/2010 .....Prudential Elliman Listing is no longer available.
09/09/2010 .....Listed by Prudential Elliman at $898,000.
01/04/2011 .....Price decreased by 3% to $875,000.

Here's the "before" pictures, before the owner went to the paint store. You can navigate the arrows behind the sold banner if you're careful:
http://www.corcoran.com/property/listing.aspx?Region=NYC&ListingID=849162

Try doing that in a rental.

Still a disaster. Both scenarios appear to be misguided attempts to mimic the 'cutting edge' decor seen in shelter mags, but using cheap, junky elements. It's like wearing a 'Chanel'-style suit from Dress Barn. Never a good idea.

there's something to be said for renting, i guess.

actually, our landlord will come in and paint any color we'd like (or if you're cheap like us you can do it yourself). expensive if you only stay a year or two, because you have to pay to have the walls repainted if you leave in less than three (or if you're cheap like us you can repaint), but who can put a price on non-white walls?

Personally, I prefer white walls, or at least a nice, warm off-white. When they're kept clean they make a room look bright and crisp.

As the happy owner of the apartment, I thought I'd just clear up a few things:

I like the color pink -- it's soothing and happy.

The garden gnomes are from Phillipe Starck; he's no slouch.

I'm not trying to "mimic" anything. I only like to surround myself with things that make me happy or mean something to me.

I like paint-by-number paintings -- they are a kind of mechanized folk art.

If you don't like the color pink, or Phillipe Starck's gnomes, or PBNs, that's fine. But it doesn't make the apartment a "disaster" -- or an "offender." It makes it mine. And I hope prospective buyers would be smart enough to imagine it in their own colors, with their own belongings, and concentrate on the apartment's wonderful big size and its incredible location -- and great elements like the high ceilings, big kitchen, 2 bathrooms, and and washer-dryer.

@dixielarue - Bravo! You go gurl!

What YOU think simply does not matter in the least. ALL that matters is what a prospective buyer MIGHT think. And that is ALL you should concern yourself with. IF you want to sell, and sell reasonably efficiently (aside from the price discussion that I won't go into now), then you'll wise up, repaint the entire apartment some less aggressive neutral color (white, off-white, light grey, etc.), and lose most or all of the art.

This is about selling the apartment, not making a personal style statement. When you decide, it's no longer about your, your ego, or your taste. It's about the buyer's.

Sorry - last short paragraph should read -

This is about selling the apartment, not making a personal style statement. When you decide to sell, it's no longer about you, your ego, or your taste. It's about the buyer's.

Dixie--sincerest apologies for my snarky comments. They were never intended to offend and had I known the owner of the apartment would be reading I never would have said such mean-spirited things. I'm not a gnome person. What can I say? :-)Either way, it's not for me to pass judgment on your home.

All this said, what MJ mentions above is important to consider. Often buyers have a hard time imagining 'their' imprint on a space when someone else's decor is so strong. Sometimes it is even advisable to repaint an unusually-hued room with a neutral color to best show the space. Same goes with super-funky decorations or an over-abundance of, as the French would say, 'objey'--these can be overwhelming and undermine the strengths of the apartment. It's just something to keep in mind when trying to put your apartment's best face forward to attract the most buyer interest.

On the other, errrrr, hand......

http://curbed.com/archives/2011/02/24/one-last-pink-paradise-before-february-comes-to-an-end.php#e-delaware-pl-1

I'm keeping my mount shut this time...

Mouth not mount. Geez, I really need glasses...

Love the apartment. Love the location. Just needs paint and a price reduction.

You don't break one of the cardinal rules of selling real estate and expect not to be derided a little here. As a potential buyer seeing this apartment the last thing on my mind would be the location, size, and layout. So take that for what it's worth.

this is the apartment of 'Pinky Tuscadero'

Dixie, the colors are lovely & just the thing for a photo shoot for a magazine piece. If you truly want to sell, it's time to paint in quiet, neutral tones. People are NOT able to see beyond the colors & the art & the tchotchkes.

Remember the joke that ends....

No thanks, I was thinking about painting my house brown with pink shutters but, I changed my mind.

Forget the paint Dixie and finish off your waking dream with a simple 3" white shag, or even better, fir. Why oh why did you stop at the floors? They're screaming like Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest.

I think the whole "buyers can't see past whatever's there" thing is highly overstated ... as long as everything is in good repair and not so cluttered as to make it impossible to gauge the size of the rooms they might chortle, they'll certainly make plans to repaint ... but then who wouldn't make plans to repaint when buying an apartment? "landlord white" and "fear beige" are nobody's dream colors.

I do, however, think the partition is an impediment, and certainly won't count as a bedroom when potential buyers view it.

Alan--agreed. I would definitely NOT market this as a 'convertible two'. A 7-ft wide enclosure does not a bedroom make. It's a spacious 1. Nothing more, nothing less.

Actually, legally speaking, a bedroom in NYC MUST be a minimum of EIGHT feet on each side and have a window directly facing outside.

@DIXIE: "But it doesn't make the apartment a "disaster" -- or an "offender." It makes it mine. "

I believe it you have just made my point; it does make it yours.

And no one else's.

Agree with Alan here.

That's not a bedroom; it's an EXTREMELY generous closet with windows.

I disagree with Alan a bit, because I've definitely been influenced by the decor when I walked into apartments -- I do have trouble seeing past it, particularly when it's a strong color or has really bold choices of furniture. That probably means I'm unimaginative (I'd be willing to admit that), but it is what it is.

And if I can't imagine myself in the place, then I'm obviously out of the buyer pool. If others share the same problem, then that makes a real difference in selling the place. It's just a matter of making it as easy as possible for someone to buy your place -- and asking people to be imaginative puts an obstacle in their way.

(Of course I could also be a wild outlier -- I only have myself to go on -- so it may not make a real difference to lose me if I'm in the great minority. So Alan may be right. But I'd be surprised if there weren't at least a few others like me out there.)

@HK306- This article points out that you are in the majority.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/nyregion/22appraisal.html?ref=realestate

Buyers cannot see past this stuff. Period.

MJ--exactly. Which is why it is ludicrous to try to market this as a convertible two. Generally, 'convertible' means there is something in the existing layout (a dining room, an alcove, etc.) that lends itself easily to the creation of a new bedroom. It does not mean simply erecting a wall down the length of a standard-sized living room to tease out a (very undesirable) separate room.

No one looking for a two will look twice at this place.

In an ideal world, "convertible" would only be used in buildings that had the convertibility option built in by the architect, so that there's an easy and completely appropriate way to wall up or not, depending on how you want to use the space, and also so that it meets all building/fire codes (or requires only minor tweaks to do so).

But no.

needsadvice, that article merely suggests that the brokerage industry desperately needs to create the impression that they add value, and that the NYT desperately needs fluff so it can sell classified & display ads and drive people to its online ads.

@alan: I agree most of the article is garbage (I'm still stuck on the $700 towels) but the premise of staging a property for buyers is a sound one. Staging is basically making the place look move in ready.

This pink palace is only move-in ready for drag queens with a strong sense of irony.

lmao - at the liberal use of the word sprawling....

dixie larue - do you also go by "lash"?

I have seen this place pop up around here before and, dammit, I like it. It has stayed in my mind since first I saw it, back before I was even a twinkle in jim-hones' eye.

Sorry - I meant Cage.

Still for sale.

i'm surprised.

Gee - only 200 days on the market....

06/14/2006 Previous Sale recorded for $840,000.
10/08/2009 Previously Listed by Prudential Elliman at $875,000.
01/22/2010 Prudential Elliman Listing is no longer available.
09/09/2010 Listed by Prudential Elliman at $898,000.
01/04/2011 Price decreased by 3% to $875,000.
03/09/2011 Listing is no longer available.
03/18/2011 Re-listed by Prudential Elliman.

That's a NY story: up, down, de-list, re-list.

And still available which is a dirt word.

A dirty word. Yes, I don't even know what a "dirt word" is. Probably means put on your glasses.

If they really want to sell this thing they will clean up that horrible, gag-inducing mish-maash of color and kitch. It's jarring and in the worst possible taste. Also, agreed about the so-called bedroom. Best to just call a spade a spade. You're not kidding anyone--this is NOT a bedroom.

Market the place correctly, price it correctly and it will sell. Otherwise it will just continue to languish.

By the way, the old delist, relist ploy never works these days. Smart buyers know about tools like Streeteasy and will easily be able to see the listing history. Instead of making the listing look fresh and new, which is the goal, delisting and then relisting just makes it seem even more tired and stale.

http://streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/552051-coop-340-west-55th-street-clinton-new-york

Here's the latest!

http://streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/610086-coop-340-west-55th-street-clinton-new-york

It's baaaaaaack. This time sans furniture. Seriously, if someone could envision past the paint job, this could be a nice place.

They'd do so much better just repainting it a neutral white and losing the tchotchkes. It's not a bad starter apartment.

the listing should read "if you're into doing a gut reno with a 1980s kitchen and original bath, god awful colors on the walls and absolutely no views, this place is for you. the current owner overpaid in 2006 and wants you to chip in so that she won't lose her shirt and pants. she's only willing to lose the shirt. so bring your sledge hammer, ax and paint brush and make this beauty your own. the owner is already gone, so you can start the demolishion during your first viewing."

Also, why does the floor plan not include measurements? That's just sloppy.

so that we can't say that the floorplan really shows 800 sq ft instead of inflated 1100+

Oh, it gets worse. Did you read ALL the words in the listing? It laughable!

"The space was featured in Apartment Therapy, House Tours , and has been enthusiastically decorated. If bold colors do not soothe, the painters will come after a star turn for an HGTV show this Summer. "

Seriously, HGTV is coming to film a half empty apartment? I don't think so . . .

WHY drop the price $50K, when a $2K paint job would have sufficed?!!

And the Corcoran listing says central air. Then what's with the window unit?

The realtor for 2F took nice pics of the building and amenities that make you actually want to buy it.

needsadvice; The A/C is as such, one in the window and in the other room it looks like it is under the window in the wall. When HGTV comes to paint, I want them to start off the segment with their most aserbic realator to tell us all what a disaster the colors are. I agree that 2F has a much better look, but what about that parquet flooring there as well? That is not the flooring from 1925.Both units have it and both are on the second floor. Water damage of yesteryear? That would be something that I would check out first. And most importantly, who is the poor soul that has to get up on a ladder and dust off that doll collection?

How did I miss this 3 months ago? Must have been on a streeteasy hiatus.

The extreme paint colors don't help this get sold one iota. But the real problem here, from the beginning, was/is the price. The apartment looked clean and tidy, despite all the knick-knacks, even in the original photos. I've seen far more offensive units--this was was just eccentric. Not how I would market a place in a sour real estate market (or any time, frankly), but to each his own.

Factors driving down value:
-The kitchen is clearly outdated (e.g., range looks like a 1980 Caloric--cheap even then) and looks to have been spruced up a bit but really in need of a complete re-do.
-I imagine same for bathroom.
-Obviously serious repainting is needed, and to cover the pink and lime paint you will likely need a serious primer and an extra coat of the new color.
-So kitchen, bath, paint, and misc other stuff that surely is needed will come to about $75,000 for a budget reno.
-Low floor means no views and possibly dark/noisy.
-Maintenance is HIGH for a unit this size; you could convince me otherwise by overwhelming me with info about awesome amenities and included utilities, but for a starter apartment in this area the maintenance is awfully high and of course will only go up from here over time.

So where does this leave us? Look at building comp: for $935,000, a buyer recently got a TENTH floor TWO BDRM, 2.5 BATH unit. How on earth does a 2nd floor, one bed/one bath unit get listed for just $85 less?

The asking price, given comps and condition and location in building of this unit, is a non-starter. The market has spoken for months on end about this being the wrong asking price. Now, the seller is in a fix, driven to move on by life's necessities apparently, and there the apartment sits, sucking up maintenance/taxes/utilities from the seller's wallet month after month. Sometimes you gotta just cut bait and fish. Here, that means seriously reduce the price and get it sold. Sunk costs are not a reason to continue dumping money into an investment--Econ 101.

I'm sure we'll be discussing this property again--interesting one to follow!

Golly, I am finding some fun old threads to revivify today!
Seeing this thread's name, I wondered if it referred to an old aparment crush o' mine and sure enough.
Hadn't realised I'd ever weighed in before.

I still dig it, the way it had been decorated AND the paint job ( fun/kitschy/ironic-but also not,on purpose,)though I'd have to make some changes thee as my stuff wouldn't work so well, but still.

Guess I'll keep my eye on it again.

http://streeteasy.com/nyc/rental/690800-coop-340-west-55th-street-clinton-new-york

Love it! Now it's been sent to rental hell. It's sitting. I know that we were a bit unkind, but geez, nobody got our message. It's still so pink and this will have to end up in a real est handbook someday in the chapter titled: "Don't let this happen to you".

This from ab_11218 deserves another look. I just laughed so hard I spilled my coffee!

the listing should read "if you're into doing a gut reno with a 1980s kitchen and original bath, god awful colors on the walls and absolutely no views, this place is for you. the current owner overpaid in 2006 and wants you to chip in so that she won't lose her shirt and pants. she's only willing to lose the shirt. so bring your sledge hammer, ax and paint brush and make this beauty your own. the owner is already gone, so you can start the demolishion during your first viewing."

I'm still laughing.

Not sure if you folks have seen the episode of Millionaire Matchmaker in which this "large" millionairess lives in NYC. She apparently has an apartment in the city and claims she has an all pink apartment with Hello Kitty. She was painful to watch while she got used by this young guy, but I digress. I'm curious to know if it's her.... I know there are a lot of people in NYC but how many paint their place all pink???