A homeowner will often schedule home remodeling projects to improve the appearance of the home. If the home is going to be placed on the real estate market for sale, it would be in the homeowner's best interest to make the home look luxurious and spacious and the homeowner should make sure it is equipped with the latest home appliances. People are willing to pay good money for quality built homes and little remodeling touches can persuade homebuyers to make an offer.
Many homebuyers search for homes with plenty of storage space. A homeowner could turn the unused space in the garage into a stylized storage facility for items that are used in yard and inside the home at Christmas time. A carpenter can create storage closets with odd sized space to accommodate large items such as vacuum, brooms and especially a weed eater. The woods used on this type of home remodeling project do not have to be solid woods and with some creative staining and hardware, the additional storage space could increase the value of the home tremendously.
The value of the home might go up some more if the homeowner is willing to invest in some new lighting fixtures that are more modern. With some recessed lighting fixtures in the den, the family can boast that the home is more energy efficient. With ceiling fans placed throughout the home, the homebuyers will see that the home is comfortable to live in without the air conditioner running and will remember these additions when it comes time to make an offer.
The appearance of the home can be changed significantly by the addition of sliding windows and a new entry door. Some homeowners will consider some home remodeling tasks such as pressure cleaning the bricks on the outside of the home at the urging of a qualified realtor who knows that a clean appearance can have a profound effect on the home's curb appeal. The windows can be accented with shutters at a minimal cost, and the homeowner can install these and save a lot of money.
Some homeowners will consider landscaping the front and back of the house to add to the curb appeal of the home. A landscaper can plant a few shade trees that keep the house cool in the summer time. This type of remodeling project can enhance the value of the home by keeping cooling costs down and making the home beckon to buyers on the street who are mesmerized by the colorful scenery before them. Little additions like new mail boxes and a coat of fresh paint on a fence can make the value of a home soar with very little remodeling efforts involved.
A professional painting contractor can turn the interior of the home into a showcase in one or two days. With the right stains on columns and banisters, a home can seem like a palatial estate that would be priced much higher. With a fresh coat of paint on walls that is neutral yet pleasing to the eye, the prospective home buyers are likely to remember this home's address above others on the list that are placed on the market with touch ups just good enough to get by.
It's no news that the housing market is in trouble. What is good news, and it's not something you hear about from the media, is that Southern California home prices have pretty much stabilized. They didn't crash, the bottom didn't fall out of the market as some doomsayers predicted, and although prices are a few percent below their 2005 peak, things are nowhere near as grim as the news would have you believe.
Most homeowners are doing the sensible thing and staying put. Why put your home on the market when mortgages are temporarily more difficult to get, it will probably take a long time to sell, and you might not get the price you want? You can accumulate equity while you enjoy the security of owning your own home, and you can plan ahead to when the market (as it always does) moves back into its long uptrend. But there are plenty of things you can do right now to increase the asset value of your home so that when the time comes, you get top dollar for your home.
Making an Investment
A good investment is when you put money into something that gives back more value than you put in. Interest from the bank is one way to do that, but it's a slow process and the return isn't great. The stock market is a risk, even if you're an expert. Real estate has been and still is the only long term "sure thing," so it just makes sense to invest in your home.
What makes a good investment in a home? It's the same thing that makes a good investment anywhere: add more dollar value to your home than the cost of the upgrade.
A roof or windows that aren't in sound condition can be fixed or replaced and will usually at least break even as an investment. The hidden things that can lead to problems or damage, such as the plumbing, air conditioning or electrical systems, are obvious targets for home improvement, but the best investments, as any real estate professional will tell you, are the things that add "curb appeal" to the home.
Curb appeal is a combination of factors, like the front yard, fence, driveway and exterior paint. If any of these are in bad shape, they reduce the perceived value of your home; and perceived value is everything in selling a home. Two of the most important "curb appeal killers" are cracked or deteriorated driveways and an overgrown front yard.
Concrete and asphalt deteriorate quite rapidly once installed. Concrete cracks (concrete contractors often joke that the only thing you can guarantee about concrete is that it will crack), asphalt cracks and degrades through the action of heat and sunlight. Both stain easily and are hard to clean. Any repairs are visible forever unless the entire surface is replaced. Stamped and colored concrete can look exceptional when first installed, but suffer from the same problems as any other kind of concrete.
Paving stones, by contrast, are guaranteed for life against cracking and are individually replaceable, so severe stains, paint spills or other problems (such as when junior discovers that Dad's tools can be used to carve names into the driveway) are easily and invisibly remedied. Add to that the fact that a well designed paving stone driveway, walkway or deck is drop-dead beautiful and will last longer than the house, and you have superb "curb appeal" and one of the strongest investments you can make in your home.
The Pacific Pavingstone division of Pacific Outdoor Living is famous for the quality of our work, attention to detail, and thousands of delighted customers. What's not talked about much is the increase in home value that comes from replacing an old, worn-out driveway, patio, or walkway with the beauty and lasting value of paving stones.
And the one thing that is never mentioned (except when real estate people get together) is the fact that when your neighbors do the same thing, the value of the whole neighborhood goes up. Every additional piece of "curb appeal" on a street increases the value of ALL the homes: a beautiful neighborhood is more desirable than one that doesn't look like it's being cared for.
So don't underestimate the value of getting your friend down the street to replace that cracked concrete driveway with new paving stone. It could make a big difference to your home's value, when it comes time to sell.
Both James Brown & Terry Morrill are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Terry Morrill has sinced written about articles on various topics from Marketing, Family and Landscaping. Terry Morrill is President of Pacific Pavingstone (), a company that installs paving stone driveways, patios and pool decks in Sou. Terry Morrill's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.