Selling your house with large tank

[Harleyguy]

I am in the process if designing and ordering my system (~740g) and my wife asked me a question that I couldn't answer. She asked "what do we do with the system when we sell the house" Our tank will be "permanently"installed in our basement, so what do you do with you large system when moving?

 

[ndrwater]

Simple answer.. Don't move.

 

[FishM8]

I think that depends on the new house. if you want the same size tank in your new house you take the tank with you, otherwise you build a new tank in your new house and move all fish, corel etc to it so you can leave or sell the old tank.

 

[dave.m]

Handcuff yourself to the tank and tell her she'll just have to move without you.

This doesn't always work.

Dave.M

 

[RJT]

Tanks can always be removed. I bought some items from someone that had a HUGE acrylic tank in his basement. The tank was put in while the house was being built since it wouldn't fit through a window or the stairs. The tank had been emptied and dried. He had a group of guys coming over to help him dismantle the tank, break it into pieces and take it away. After that he planned to redo the wall, since it was an in-wall tank. He said it didn't matter if it was glass or acrylic it just changed how it would get dismantled, broken up and removed.

He didn't sell his house he just got out of the hobby.

 

[ca1ore]

I don't know what 'permanently installed' means, short of having a custom tank built in situ that cannot fit back out through any of the doors or windows. But even that can be removed if you are willing to do what's necessary. Your range of options seems self evident. Either do what's necessary to move it when the time comes, never move, or leave it for the next buyer. Like a swimming pool, only worse, in the latter option you are essentially going to give it away though.

I built a large plywood tank many years ago, and when I moved I took all the livestock and equipment and demolished the tank.

 

[Spaced Cowboy]

My build (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2454671) is perhaps the poster child for this. The tank cannot be removed from the house (due its shape) without taking down the wall that is going to be built around it.

So, we designed for that. I've just put in new/restored flooring because the old plumbing leaked and caused water damage to it, and we put the new hardwood floor throughout - even where the tank is going to be. That means that if we ever did move, the new occupants will have their floor back. Then we will use a pond liner to waterproof the area where the tank is (to protect the wood), and build an internal, non-load-bearing wall around the tank display.

Apart from the nails that secure the new wall to the new floor (which could be filled with wood putty), everything is still removable. Sure there'd be a bit of cosmetic redecoration (painting, really) but it can be removed because it's supposed to be able to be removed.

You just have to engineer it beforehand, and put the thought in to make it a reasonable job to remove it.

Simon.

 

[nuxx]

I'm not looking forward to the day we move and have to get the tank out of the house.

It barely fit... maybe had .5" clearance.

We'll sell it, but I'll be nervous of the new owner taking it out.

Want to go bigger and starphire next time

(Think our 150G starphire frag tank looks a lot clearer than the displays acrylic)

 

[jmm]

I had a large tank (8'x3'x34") that just barely fit in my door coming in. While I lived there, the stucco on the outside of the house deteriorated and I replaced it with brick. I also had a brick fence built around the back yard with steel warehouse doors for gates. When I sold the tank to a fish store it wouldn't fit through the front door because of the change from stucco to brick. The back patio door also didn't open wide enough. The moving company hired by the fish store took out the patio door in the back and got the tank into the back yard. The next trick was getting it through the 36" warehouse doors in the fence. They turned the tank on its side on dollies, got the tank part way through the door and wedged it because the ground wasn't level enough for the dollies.

Of course they broke one panel of glass by trying to force it. However, they bought a new piece of glass, repaired it and delivered it to the fish store. He never had any trouble with it.

 

[Sk8r]

OTOH, sometimes a real usual feature of a house is how one buyer decides it's his dream home. If you have an "I can only sell vanilla" agent, nothing gets sold, because the agent either doesn't show the house or sells it with a snide remark like 'this is the horror house"---I have seen agents do this, which is kind of stupid. But for a buyer with the gumption to stand up and say "I like this"---it's a sale. Ask me about the window I plastered over to install mirror and a mural of an endless streamside---realtors called it weird and a defect. Couple that bought the house---that was what sold it to them.
I say build on, and come the day, get an aggressive agent who won't try to make everything vanilla.

 

[daveM100]

Handcuff yourself to the tank and tell her she'll just have to move without you.

This doesn't always work.

Dave.M

I like Dave's answer!

 

[Harleyguy]

OTOH, sometimes a real usual feature of a house is how one buyer decides it's his dream home. If you have an "I can only sell vanilla" agent, nothing gets sold, because the agent either doesn't show the house or sells it with a snide remark like 'this is the horror house"---I have seen agents do this, which is kind of stupid. But for a buyer with the gumption to stand up and say "I like this"---it's a sale. Ask me about the window I plastered over to install mirror and a mural of an endless streamside---realtors called it weird and a defect. Couple that bought the house---that was what sold it to them.
I say build on, and come the day, get an aggressive agent who won't try to make everything vanilla.

So you're saying you would leave the tank in place (up and running) when the agent shows the house? If this is the case; what do you do with the selling price of the house? Is this a case where you have one price with the tank removed and another with the tank in place? My wife thinks that if we had the tank up and running it would make the house far less appealing. She says that it's like a pool, not everyone is looking for a pool and some buyers would consider the pool a big negative for the house due to upkeep and expenses. Which makes since, not everyone wants a pool, but if this is the case a large reef system is even more work and more labor intensive, especially for someone that knows nothing about the hobby.

What do you think the chances are that that one guy REALLY loves the house and is already into the hobby and willing to pay the premium for it? It's kind of like the guy that paints all the doors and trim inside black (Michael Vicks old house), how many buyers can't see past that even when it's a really easy fix?

 

[sfsuphysics]

IMO, in the basement is the best place it could be because basements typically are not make or break for potential buyers if they are unfinished. If you were to sell the house down the line you would have the option of removing the tank (with a sledge hammer or something) and leaving the basement unfinished, or finish up whatever gap was in it's place. Then when that is done you could show off the house to others for resale, she's absolutely right though in that having a big fish tank in the place would turn away most sellers, the chances of someone loving the tank as is are probably extremely low, in fact a pool would have a higher appeasement level than a fish tank.


But again, as calor1e said, anything can be removed, it might not be usable afterwards but it can be removed. Tell your wife this and build your mega tank

 

[jjk_reef00]

I would assume if you are planning on building a large system you plan on staying in that house 5+ years. If that is true build your systems and take the hit on destroying and repairing the areas related to the tank if you sell the house.

If you are not planning on staying in that house for a long time then get a 200-400 gallon you can remove and take with you.

 

[anbosu]

So you're saying you would leave the tank in place (up and running) when the agent shows the house? If this is the case; what do you do with the selling price of the house? Is this a case where you have one price with the tank removed and another with the tank in place? My wife thinks that if we had the tank up and running it would make the house far less appealing. She says that it's like a pool, not everyone is looking for a pool and some buyers would consider the pool a big negative for the house due to upkeep and expenses. Which makes since, not everyone wants a pool, but if this is the case a large reef system is even more work and more labor intensive, especially for someone that knows nothing about the hobby.

What do you think the chances are that that one guy REALLY loves the house and is already into the hobby and willing to pay the premium for it? It's kind of like the guy that paints all the doors and trim inside black (Michael Vicks old house), how many buyers can't see past that even when it's a really easy fix?

I probably wouldn't leave it up and running if I had a choice. Before we sell our home I'm planning on breaking down my 360 gallon reef.

 

[Raoul5Duke]

Just include it with the price of the house and don't tell the new owner the hours of maintenance that go into having a beautiful tank... :lolspin:

 

[saf1]

When we put our house on the. Market back in 2001 the realtor asked if I wanted to include the tank as is. I was like ok, great. Just added a couple thousand if they wanted it or I take it. No issue either way.

 

[pmrogers]

It can be worse than just a zero-return investment. We found it impossible to sell our previous house with the 750 in place. It was nicely integrated with beautiful custom alder cabinetry, but it was just too scary for too many potential buyers.

After 4 months on the market, at a time when homes in our neighborhood were selling in 14 days or faster, we made the decision to tear out the tank and cabinetry, after which the house sold quickly.

 

[sde1500]

I'd guess that you would probably have to remove the tank to more easily sell the house, or at least inform the potential buyers that the tank can stay or go, their choice.

 

[anbosu]

It can be worse than just a zero-return investment. We found it impossible to sell our previous house with the 750 in place. It was nicely integrated with beautiful custom alder cabinetry, but it was just too scary for too many potential buyers.

After 4 months on the market, at a time when homes in our neighborhood were selling in 14 days or faster, we made the decision to tear out the tank and cabinetry, after which the house sold quickly.

While disappointing, that is what I would expect to have happen in most cases.