Finding a summer rental easier near a college

Q. We have a home up north and a condo down south we use in winter. We're getting ready to sell our longtime home and just come back summers. I know this is not your specialty, but do you have any advice about how to find a rental for four summer months? I believe landlords insist on a one-year lease.

A. Landlords often require one-year leases from students who protest that they won't even be there during the summer. That should work in your favor.

A good place to start might be at the Housing Office of a local college, preferably one with grad students. Landlords there may well be looking for summer rentals.

Q. We have owned our home for a number of years now and it serves us well. Our kids are growing though, and we could use a bigger kitchen, maybe another bedroom or what they used to call a rumpus room. We are thinking of moving and we'd want to get it all settled before school starts in September. But we can't decide whether it is better to just add on to the house we have? Do you have any thoughts on this that would help us?

A. From a financial point of view - eventual resale - it's not wise to invest so much in your property that it would become the most expensive in the neighborhood. Buyers with that much to spend will be looking in more prestigious areas. People are just like that.

A given street, in other words, will support only a given price range. It is economically unwise to over-improve a house for the neighborhood. If, on the other hand, your present home is modest compared to its neighbors, additional investment may be warranted.

Other things matter, of course, besides resale value. For all the personal considerations - neighbors, friends, schools - I'm afraid I'll have to turn the decision back to your family.

Q. When you purchase a house, do you also receive the right of easy access to the backyard of that house? When I purchased this house last year I had easy access to my backyard. The back side of my yard edged a parking lot, but there were always a few car spots empty enough to get through.

Now, the owner of the lot has dropped down an entire line of railroad ties on the border. My brother used to visit and he could just drive into my backyard. Now, he drives to a grocery parking lot two blocks away.

It just seems to me that there may be other laws also being avoided here - like fire department access to front and backyards. Would grandfathering come into play? (Easy access existed until one month ago.)

A. I'm having trouble envisioning your situation. Do you have neither a driveway nor street parking? In any event, if you received a survey at closing, it would show whether you own any easements, or right of way. I'll bet it doesn't.

Your attorney can advise whether there's any use claiming an easement due to past usage. You can also discuss whether the seller or real estate agents involved said anything about access before you bought.

Frankly, my guess is that you - and your brother - will end up just learning to live with it.

Q. Our house has a new furnace, good roof and new paint. The carpet, though, is worn - not worn through, but it's not new. We are getting ready to put the house on the market next spring. My wife wants to replace the carpeting but I don't think it's necessary. Will it really make that much difference to buyers?

A. In general I'm not in favor of investing too much money in a house that's going on the market. Soap and water, and a determination to clear away stuff, are always the place to start.

But I haven't seen your carpeting, and I don't know buyer expectations in your particular neighborhood. Nor do I know what the floors underneath look like if the carpet is taken up. These days many buyers prefer wooden floors rather than wall-to-wall carpeting.

Call several neighborhood real estate brokers, be frank about not listing the house at this time, and ask for opinions. I'll bet they'll come over to look at your house and give you some free advice.

If you do end up replacing the carpet, take a tip from builders' show homes. Find something neutral that can go with almost anyone's decorating scheme. And don't go overboard on the costs.

• Edith Lank will respond to questions sent to her at 240 Hemingway Drive, Rochester, N.Y. 14620 (include a stamped return envelope), or readers may email her through askedith.com.

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