Large Scale Central

Selling? Leave the RR as a perk? Liability?

General Discussion
#1

Recent posts support the presumption that selling a home with a garden RR means to sell it after removing the track, etc. However, is this presumption always accurate? Our home, with 450’ of track featured in a succulent garden sans any model buildings or other model train features, has been assessed by friend realtors as neither a liability or an advantage. Granted, we have a cul-de-sac yard on a 1/3 acre. So it is only in a small area and may not be seen as a major feature.

Your experience- asset or liability or neutral?

#2

I’ve been advised to leave the RR in place, with the codicil that it will be removed upon purchase, if desired. I’ve done that twice, and no purchaser was even the slightest bit interested in the railroad.

I left each purchaser a nice “rock garden.”

#3

Steve-
No interest? Not even an inquiry as to why the train was installed in the first place? I am not surprised from our family experience of dinner guests asking no questions, no inquiry at all. The result is the same no matter if the train is running or shut down. However, garden RR enthusiasts will comment at an open house “let me know if you sell” which is a thoughtful compliment any of us RRs may have used. Outside of that, if the RR is appealing to a prospective home buyer, I am very curious how they show it and how frequent is this event.

#4

I removed a railroad for a (deceased) friend last year. HUGE 0 scale in purpose built outbuilding.
While doing inventory, I was all over the daughter to let us take it out, as we had people on site to do it.
“No. The Realtor says it’s an asset, we sell it with the house.”.
Rarely works that way…I won’t say “never” as there have been several massive H0 layouts sold…house included…but folks knew what they wanted.
Three or four minths later, I get a call…“We sold the house…for more than we expected!”
“Good!”
“Only requirement is the railroad has to be gone!”

We had a week…and we got it. Fortunately, after the illness from the inventory, we opened all the windows and turned on the fans.

TOC

#5

A friend sold his home with a somewhat small layout along the back of the lot (60’ dog-bone) mounted on Trex at ground level. The buyer said they wanted it. He found out later they simply buried it under rock and dirt…Track and all!

#6

We are a niche in a niche and some of us are nichier than others.

General Rule: Never assume anyone around you has the least bit of interests in your interests, that goes for fellow model RRs. No one at my LHS has ever shown the LEAST amount of interest in my particular niche in this niche of large scale, if it was a H-orribly O-rdinary or N-o interest scale layout they would be all over it.

If you know for sure your going to get a sale; pull it up, pack it and like Steve says, give them a nice rock garden.

#7

Whether you sell the railroad as a railroad, or as a rock garden (Railroad removed), basically, is a personal choice to me… If you plan on building a new railroad, it would more condusive to me, to take the railroad out so you can reuse all the track, etc… (Cheaper that way, with the price of track nowadays).

When we moved, a larger railroad was to be built, all the track has been used in the new layout… Some ties had to be replaced due to the UV rays…

Of Course, I’ve seen model railroads advertised for sale as ""Model Railroad for sale, comes with a house on 1/3rd of an acre… “”

:slight_smile:

#8

There was a fellow, somewhere, who had his RR in GR even, and he even advertized his RR with attached house for sale in GR, but I don’t think that it ever sold, at least as an RR with attached house.

#9

Similarly, I have a log home on a lake in the Adirondack Mts. I have over 2000 ft. of track in rock garden. Advertize every year that track could be used. Web page has pictures. NEVER had an inquiry about trains but have rented every year for beach front and tourist area. trains=niche market!!

#10

My realtor told me to keep the garden layout up until its sold then take it out. She said it will add to the house when someone looks at it even if they have no interest. We had someone come today to look and I overheard him say that the train was really cool and amazed. He has no interest in trains.

I would thin 99 percent of the people who look at houses don’t considered a garden layout a perk. Thats just more maintenance to most people. I think the type of house, taxes and price are the most important. Even someone like me. I would not choose a house based off of a garden railroad. That would be one of the last thing on my list when buying a house. I would rather buy based on land that would be most suitable for building a layout instead.

Same holds for pools you either hate them or like them no in between. Me I hate pools.

#11

Really Thomas? Where exactly? (not exact address, just the locality) My parents used to take me and my brother and stay for a week in the Adirondacks. Often with another family we were friends with. I don’t remember much in the way of details, but I do remember I enjoyed it.

#12

Central Adirondacks- Inlet NY near Old Forge. My place is on 5th Lake. Great fishing, boating and swimming. Adirondack Scenic Rail Road in Old Forge. Or great fun is the North Creek Saratoga RR. This was the summer homes for the great RR Barons. Webb, Durant, Huntington Vanderbuilt. Darling etc.
Great area for train buffs.

#13

When I sold my place in western NY, I left the track in place as an option, but it was not included in the cost of the house. The buyer had two small boys, so they bought the track. I gave them various resources including contacts in the local club should they either join or decide to tear the thing up. To my knowledge, they never did anything with it, and it was later replaced by a swingset. (Ironic, since I pulled out a swingset to build the railroad.)

Next time, I’m pulling the track; too expensive to replace.

Later,

K

#14

My guess is a big obstacle is the unanticipated concern for maintenance. After all, didn’t everybody’s mom remind us that toys left outside RUST!
I have found a pause after my statement to guests at our house “Interesting, the track stays outside just like the real railroads. It has been outside for 12 years!” The response betrays the first reaction was to seeing our layout; “Oh, really, hmmm, I thought it deteriorates.”

#15

My wife and I own our own real estate company and in 7 years of seeing bundreds if not thousands of houses I have only seen 3 with trains. One had a large HO setup in the basement and all that remained by the time it hit the market was the benchwork. Another had Lionel and large scale on display and another actually had a small garden layout. The other agents walked right by it and a few said “cute” .
When it comes to trains it would be rare that a property buyer would be interested in them. Some may see it as a perk but most as something else to worry about.

If we took a listing that had a garden RR I would suggest taking it up and restoring the yard to be as neutral and tidy as possible.