# Selling Home! What to do with the railroad?



## Terry Jackson (Jan 4, 2008)

We have our home up for sale and what few people have looked at in the past 6 months haven't mentioned whether they like the Garden Railroad. I was wondering if anyone has any experience selling the home and what they ended up doing with the layout? 

Did you sell it with the home?
Did you take it apart totally and level the ground? By the way mine is raised. 
Or did you just take up the track and buildings and leave the landscape which includes 3 waterfalls and a pond.

I am trying to decide if I should leave it and see what happens if it effects the sale or go ahead and clear the land with a front loader and put in grass.

Looking for averages here. Do I or Don't I. What's the chances of another person falling in love with the railroad.

Terry Jackson
Grove, Ok.


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Most likey they didn't share your interest in the trains or they would have said so. 

I think the best bet is to remove the layout and level the yard. 

Leave it to the new owners to landscape the yard as they see fit.


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## Fred Mills (Nov 24, 2008)

By all means rip up the layout, and take the track, buildings and rolling stock with you. Build a new pike at your new place, avoiding any mistakes you made on the first pike. Stay in the hobby and have fun. If your new place is too small; try finding someone in your new area, that has a pike, and donate the track to them, and pool your equipment for operating on their layout....Model Railroading is a lifetime hobby....it grows with you, if you allow it to. If you build a layout, never plan to "Finish" it....let it grow.....work more operations into it, so you can avoid boredom.....DON"T build a layout for your grandchildren....build it for yourself, and share it with them, IF they have an interest. A GREAT HOBBY, like Model Railroading, can keep you healthy, mentally, and physicly.....you can also meet new friends through it too. 

Most people that might purchase your old home, will prefer that the back yard is leveled and grass covered, except for maybe a simple multi-use pattio......ask your rellator...they will tell you this. 
Terry...drop into the other place for a chat, and bounce the question there....your friends miss you there.


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

I would think your realtor would be the source of good advice. I'd imagine that one kind of house would appeal to certain types of people while a different one would not. In my part of the world, fifty percent of buyers will consider a house with a pool while fifty percent won't get out of their car if they see a pool. 

JackM


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

I would think that it would depend on whether the railroad added to, detracted from, or was neutral to the aesthetics of the house. If I were to sell, I would offer the railroad as an option becaue I think it adds value, at least aesthetically. If they didn't want that option, I could just remove the track and foundations and leave the garden and waterfeatures, or knock it all out in a couple days with a sledge. But who would want to give up a beautiful miniture garden in their front yard even if the railroad were removed?

Whoever would buy my house would probably buy it for the "toys" anyway (e.g., 15 car driveway, 6 car garage with hydraulic lift set and up for 110/220 vac high amperage, living room set up for home theater use, pool, etc.), so I don't see my railroad as a detraction.



In this area the offer of a garden railroad will draw a lot of looky-loos, and most people do take them out before they sell.


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## Henson (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Fr.Fred on 10 Jan 2013 02:36 PM 
By all means rip up the layout, and take the track, buildings and rolling stock with you. Build a new pike at your new place, avoiding any mistakes you made on the first pike. Stay in the hobby and have fun. If your new place is too small; try finding someone in your new area, that has a pike, and donate the track to them, and pool your equipment for operating on their layout....Model Railroading is a lifetime hobby....it grows with you, if you allow it to. If you build a layout, never plan to "Finish" it....let it grow.....work more operations into it, so you can avoid boredom.....DON"T build a layout for your grandchildren....build it for yourself, and share it with them, IF they have an interest. A GREAT HOBBY, like Model Railroading, can keep you healthy, mentally, and physicly.....you can also meet new friends through it too. 

Most people that might purchase your old home, will prefer that the back yard is leveled and grass covered, except for maybe a simple multi-use pattio......ask your rellator...they will tell you this. 


Terry, what Fred said sounds good to me. You will be just between our NWA club and the Ozark club. Something to do on the 2nd and 3rd Sat. each month or you could just come down and run with me. (hour and a half away)


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## Terry Jackson (Jan 4, 2008)

My Realtor and I discussed what to do with the railroad and couldn't decide which way to go. We thought about leaving it alone as is or pulling up the track and buildings and just leave the landscape thinking someone might like it for the pond and plants. It's like the pool that was mentioned 50% yes %0% no. We just want to get it sold and move on.


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## Madman (Jan 5, 2008)

*Buyers can be a funny lot. What you think is an asset to the house others wouldn't give it a second look. like your experience so far with your garden railway. Some buyers looking at your yard might be turned off and not want to have to deal with the work of ripping it out or for that matter maintaining it. If you can't bring yourself to tear it out now, give each person that looks at your house an option. Tell them that the railway will be removed when the house is sold. It may spark some interest. Then you could sell the railway as a separate item and use that money to finance your new pike.*


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## jcopanos (May 29, 2010)

I've done exactly that, sold a house with a garden railroad but the buyer wasn't interested so we tore it up and took it with us. No problem to the buyers. As a matter of fact, I have the old turnouts listed in the Classifieds now. My vote would be to leave it there and if they aren't interested in paying extra for it, which is 99% certain on the average, take it with you. My house sold in 30 days and the house next door without the RR sold in 1 year. You just never know. Mine was cheaper which was the difference in my opinion.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Take up the RR and leave the rest alone and move on. I'm sure there will be lots of options the buyer can do with the space. Later RJD


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## Michael W (Oct 10, 2012)

You dont happen to live near canberra ausyralia terry? 
If by pure chance you do, let me know i might be intrested in buying the house... 
Kind regards michael 

P.s great layout!


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

My Realtor and I discussed what to do with the railroad and couldn't decide which way to go 
Terry, 
I work with realtors (taking photos, etc.,) and I see the dilemma. I have occasionally had to photograph a house with a model railroad in it, so this situation isn't that uncommon. 

It is very unlikely that someone will come along and buy your house just because it has a garden railroad. Even if the guy likes it, the wfe will be more practical. And even if the guy likes it, he will figure out how much work it will take to adjust it to be the kind of railroad he likes - which may be easier if he starts again from scratch. So I concur - removing it will be more help in selling than leaving it where it is. (Your realtor knows this - he/she is just too polite and doesn't want to hurt your feelings.) 

If you leave it where it is, the trick is to show prospective buyers that the yard could look great without the railroad, and that either leaving it or taking it out is an option. Photos of how the yard looked before the railroad was installed, and a firm statement that you will be taking the railroad with you if they don't want it, should help.


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Michael W on 10 Jan 2013 11:34 PM 
You dont happen to live near canberra ausyralia terry? 
If by pure chance you do, let me know i might be intrested in buying the house... 
Kind regards michael 

P.s great layout! Michael, 

Not quite near Australia...........looks like Grove, Oklahome (according to his signature). South-central US of A. Maybe a "summer home"?


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## Bob Pero (Jan 13, 2008)

I removed all my structures and bridges, also pulled up all my track. Left the elevated base for the new home owner to deal with.


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

One of the guys here had an incredibly compact but complex layout up a large bank beside his house. 
Very Swiss looking. 
When he sold the house, the buyers insisted on having the railway too, with the buildings and enough stock to run on it. 
He has apparently only been called once to help them sort out why they blew all the fuses when they got the controllers wrong, or something. 
I would tend to leave it in place and say that it 'could' be included IF the buyers want to pay the extra. 
I doubt that it will really take as much time to pull it up, than it did to put it down. 
In our old hose I had a simple 200 feet of ground level track that took me a whole summer to get right, and 30 minutes to pull it all up. 
Good luck with the house sale. 
All the best, 
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## snowshoe (Jan 2, 2008)

I would just leave it and let anyone that looks at the house know that the RR will be torn up. That way you can still run the RR while waiting for house to sell. Unless you dont run it, then just tear it up and level the area. 
The key to selling a house besides price is making the area look empty (inside the house get rid of the clutter, same holds for outside, keep everything simple. It makes the yard and house appear bigger. 
When I bought my house it is on 9 acrea, has a pool, multiple sheds, trees shrubs planted everywhere. At the time I thought I can tear things up and replant to get the yard to look the way I want it to. Well 9 years later Im still working on it. My next house is going to be very plain, that way I can do what I want..... Ill leave it at that lol


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## Hoot24 (Sep 23, 2012)

Posted By Madman on 10 Jan 2013 07:40 PM 
*Buyers can be a funny lot. What you think is an asset to the house others wouldn't give it a second look. like your experience so far with your garden railway. Some buyers looking at your yard might be turned off and not want to have to deal with the work of ripping it out or for that matter maintaining it. If you can't bring yourself to tear it out now, give each person that looks at your house an option. Tell them that the railway will be removed when the house is sold. It may spark some interest. Then you could sell the railway as a separate item and use that money to finance your new pike.*

I have to agree with the madman here..... Make it clear that the RR will be removed once sold. Several benefits to this.... one that has not been discussed here yet is that if you tear everything up now, it will be a mess and prospective buyers may be turned off by this. The second benefit will be that you can still run your trains until you sell the house


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## FlagstaffLGB (Jul 15, 2012)

If you haven't decided on keeping your train layout (track, structures, etc.), then list it as an optional item....sometimes that will get the "buyers" talking...which is what you want if you are trying to sell. It has a visual impact on the exterior landscape, so you don't want it to be a sticking point during the final walk-through. Consider it part of the seller disclosure statement that is normally part of any transaction.


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## digger (Jan 2, 2008)

I sold a house with a sizeable garden railway built into an well-tended rock garden. Our realtor advised us to leave it in place, but be prepared to abandon the right-of-way. The buyer, who was the type that has "diamonds in the soles of her shoes", had no interest in the railway, even though her live-in boyfriend was fascinated by it. As agreed, I removed all of the tracks and structures and left the rest of the garden intact. Shortly after we moved away, she kicked out the boyfriend and had a Bobcat come in to tear out the garden. The last time I drove by the place, it was hardly recognizeable. No tears shed... it was hers to do with as she pleased. At least I came out of the deal with more than enough hardware to build a new layout at our next place, a project which kept me busy for the first few years of my retirement. Now, when the time comes that I need to leave this place, I'll approach it the same way, but probably will just sell off the useable hardware and keep a few things to run on other people's layouts. I'm getting past the age where I enjoy hauling wheelbarrows full of dirt and rock.


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## astrayelmgod (Jan 2, 2008)

" But who would want to give up a beautiful miniture garden in their front yard even if the railroad were removed?" 

People who don't like gardening, which, from the look of my neighborhood, is about 90% of people, or at least people near me.


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## snowshoe (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By astrayelmgod on 12 Jan 2013 09:30 AM 
" But who would want to give up a beautiful miniture garden in their front yard even if the railroad were removed?" 

People who don't like gardening, which, from the look of my neighborhood, is about 90% of people, or at least people near me. 

Most people today, especially the younger generation, have very little intrest in the outdoors. They are to busy to fuss with gardens etc.....


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Leave the RR with the listing stating it is not included in the sale and will be removed. Not until its under contract would I do anything.


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

Good advice given here so far. Being a real estate agent on Cape Cod this hasn't come up very often but can you imagine that there are not alot of folks out there that share our train passion? With the hundreds- thousands of houses I have visited it is rare to find one with a train layout. There will be very few buyers that will have any interest in your RR. Sad? YES. 
Since it can take months to sell a house make plans to but don't take up anything just yet. I would suggest putting a price tag on your RR as part of the sale just in case someone is interested in it. If not be sure to have your agent write in the listing and on contracts that the RR is not included in the sale. Be sure to spell out what is included and what is not or you could get in trouble. The last thing you want is during the walk through the buyer says "what happened to the RR?" 
Once your property is under contract and the contingencies have been met then remove your RR if the buyers don't want it. 
Good luck.


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## Terry Jackson (Jan 4, 2008)

Thanks for all your opinions. I'm hoping Henson will post a picture of the layout which I should have done earlier, but just found the picture I wanted to use. After seeing the picture if anyone has amymore ideas please post them, But for right now I am just gonna leave it alone for now and see what happens.


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## NavyTech (Aug 2, 2008)

When I sold my house I took everything up and took it with me. I left the garden there and just cleaned it up a bit. I left the Ballast and it looked like a nice walking area to get around the Garden. To tell you the truth I never got any offers on the house until I took the trains out of the yard. The left over Garden turned out to be one of the big selling points of the home.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

I have moved the RR 3 times, first time took it all. 
2nd time the buyers wanted the water fall and pond, plants 
3rd time took it all. 
this next time I will be dead.


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## stevedenver (Jan 6, 2008)

as noted 
1 statistically most wont want a railroad (and as sagely opbserved above-if they do, it wont be yours in all probablility) -if they want it, they might not pay what you feel is fair-so why add a sticking point to the deal
2 your realtor wont tell you what to do, because , whatever happens , he/she will be blamed-it is my experience that they simply wait and let the seller come to the right decision-"is it priced too high?"-you will never get a yes, theyll let months pass and let you decide , when they know all too well
3 critically, most people wont be able to see past it if they dont want it-most cant see past the wrong color paint. Imagine this, if it is anything other than a plus, ie neutral or negative, its going to hurt your moving the house-its one more thing for them to deal with as a factor 
4 since youve asked, my opinion would be to remove it entriely, not a trace, and make the garden as lovely as you can-provided you are absolutely going to sell-if not, if theres a possibility of staying, then i would be reluctant to throw out that much work if you might stay and the above risks change


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## iowafarmboy1960 (Jan 6, 2008)

I sold my house of 8 years last year. I had a 8' x 22' garden layout that I pulled all the track and bridges from before I sold the house. Not one person that looked at my house said anything about the layout, that's why I pulled everything, but left the pond and waterfall.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Well, it's been 4 months since Terry started this thread. 

Terry, if you are out there, what has happened? 

did you sell your house? with or without the layout? did you get any feedback from prospective buyers? 

Greg


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

The general consensus based on past threads on the same subject was something like this: 

Pull up all the track bridges and buildings 

Leave the ballast as is, I remember someone replaced their track with stepping stones every couple feet, thereby converting the ROW into a garden path, might increase the garden parts appeal, especially with the green thumb types. 

Let the garden intact as is. 

Let the next owner decide what to do with it all 

If at your next place you do not have room for another same size layout, then sell off whatever is left over 

If you cannot build anything, or will be delayed a couple years before you can restart, sell off the extraneous stuff, like bulky hard to store things like buildings or bridges, but hold onto your basic core roster engines and at least few cars and if possible KEEP ALL OF YOUR TRACK. 

Track is perhaps THE most expensive thing keeping most folks from starting or expanding so having a stock on hand will save you major dollars down the line. 

Good luck with the move.


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## FlagstaffLGB (Jul 15, 2012)

Well, after posting a response in January to this thread, my wife and I have decided that our new home needs to be closer to our kids and we are moving to Florida next year. So, since I still want to continue G-scale modeling, I have been busy taking out the garden railroad and boxing it all up. Amazing how much stuff you collect and how many boxes it takes to put it in something for safe keeping. Bridges have been abandoned, but all the other stuff is carefully put in bubble wrap and consolidated for shipping. What an adventure.


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## bottino (Feb 7, 2008)

I did the reverse of you at the end of 2011. Packed my railroad up in Delaware, and moved it to Utah. Here are a couple of tips that helped me. I got some shrink wrap in rolls, and wrapped piles of track. Stack the straight pieces face to face, about maybe 10 pieces and put wrap around them to hold them together. This really worked well with my 600 ft of track. They stayed together, and can be handled very easily. I don't save boxes, except for engines. All the rolling stock, I wrapped in bubble wrap, and packed them in boxes. No matter how big the box was, it is not heavy. 

I had a mover do the house, but I rented an Penske truck, and packed it with all my railroad stuff, my guns, coins, and ATV. I pulled a trailer with the Penske truck with my Nissan pickup on the trailer. It worked well. 
Good luck. 
Paul


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By FlagstaffLGB on 27 May 2013 08:20 AM 
Well, after posting a response in January to this thread, my wife and I have decided that our new home needs to be closer to our kids and we are moving to Florida next year. So, since I still want to continue G-scale modeling, I have been busy taking out the garden railroad and boxing it all up. Amazing how much stuff you collect and how many boxes it takes to put it in something for safe keeping. Bridges have been abandoned, but all the other stuff is carefully put in bubble wrap and consolidated for shipping. What an adventure. 
Boy, talk about being unsettled in what you are doing... 

Ed... You just got started and now yer leavin' the cool and dry for the hot and hummmmmid... 

There's a bunch of good ol' G gauge guys in FLA... Maybe I should have said_ old _[/b] and good. Whatever....









Where ya' headed??????


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## eheading (Jan 5, 2008)

Don't get smart now, Stan!!!







I know of an old geezer who lives in Lakeland who would love to hear from you though when you finally make the move.

Ed


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## livesteam53 (Jan 4, 2008)

Stan, 
That is "The pot calling the kettle black"


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## FlagstaffLGB (Jul 15, 2012)

For Stan, it won't be until next year....just getting started early on the packing. We want to be closer to the kids (all live in Birmingham, AL), but not too close...Ha. Looking at places near Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Santa Rosa Beach and Niceville, Florida. I'm sure I will have to learn all over again about humid and wet conditions for trains....maybe this all goes inside...Ha. I'm working with Tom P. in purchasing some of the switches that you sold the Club in Flagstaff. I think I have enough track for now....might need more Aristo 10' or 12' diameter curved stuff. But again, we are going down to Sun City this fall and should be at the train swap meet in both the fall and spring. Ed


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By livesteam53 on 27 May 2013 03:27 PM 
Stan, 
That is "The pot calling the kettle black" 
Moi??? Moi????????? Certainly not...


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By eheading on 27 May 2013 01:21 PM 
Don't get smart now, Stan!!!







I know of an old geezer who lives in Lakeland who would love to hear from you though when you finally make the move.

Ed

Yeah, I know that ol' Geezer... He's one of the good guys!!!!!


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## Blk69 (Dec 6, 2009)

I agree, you remove the layout and level the ground, plant grass. Should be more attractive to general home buyer then with garden layout. It is a shame, but you have to make a lot of sacrifices to sell a home these days.


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