The pursuit of a higher home value is something that many people are involved in. Unfortunately, many fail to follow through on upgrades just because they think it takes too much work or money to complete them. The fact is that there are a lot of things you can do to give your home’s value a quick boost, and many of them are very easy to carry out. Here are five options for making those simple adjustments that will turn into real dollars on the bottom line of your appraisal.
Make Cosmetic Repairs
Never assume that there is no way to repair finish materials on your home. Most of us are handy enough to tighten loose shutters or repaint a peeling handrail, but other projects seem so specialized that you may not think they can be done. Giving up on problems like damaged siding or crumbling brick is a surrender to declining home value. It is easy to find brick repair in Fort Worth TX that can correct the most common deficiencies in masonry, such as crumbling mortar, water leaks behind the brick, and cracked bricks caused by shifting or settling. Having a professional contractor repair and stabilize your brickwork will work wonders for your home’s value.
Upgrade Landscaping
No home looks its best with nothing around it but grass. It’s always helpful to add some shrubs, flowers, and trees to give the home a softer look and provide enhanced beauty. This is another job that often gets skipped because people assume it’s too much work. The fact is that you can make your landscape as complex or as simple as you like and still increase its value. Look into options for low-maintenance landscape ideas so that you can get a “plant it and forget it” design.
Improve Hardscapes
The permanent features outside your home are called hardscapes. These include nonliving things like sidewalks and driveways. Over time, the slow decline in their appearance can escape your attention, but potential buyers will probably notice right away. Check into leveling settled sections of sidewalk. Power-wash all concrete to eliminate dingy grime. If your driveway is covered with asphalt, apply an appropriate sealant for a fresh, black appearance and improved water resistance. Remember that a buyer or appraiser will first drive to the house and then walk around it, making those hardscapes critically important in their first impressions.
Examine Water Runoff
Water is one of the biggest enemies of your home’s structural soundness. If it pools near the foundation or seeps inside, water can quickly do thousands of dollars worth of damage. An appraiser or interested buyer may not be there on a sunny day, which could reveal your slow-draining downspouts, marshy soils in the yard, or other water issues that will likely create concern about whether the home is solid. Step outside on a rainy day. Look for areas where water is pooling. Make sure gutters aren’t overflowing and that downspouts are not just emptying but emptying away from the house. If there is a culvert under your driveway, make sure that water flows freely into and out of it.
Treat for Termites
Property value is a snapshot of the home’s worth as of today, but time is a factor as well. Appraisers and buyers are looking at the long-term threats to the home’s condition, and the potential for termites tops the list. These destructive insects can do major structural and cosmetic damage before anyone even notices it, so it’s very important to prevent an infestation. Having a professional firm complete a termite inspection and treatment is a great way to address this. Simply keep the documentation and receipts on hand so that interested parties can have tangible proof that you’ve taken steps to prevent and treat an invasion. They’ll see the years of worry-free benefits this will provide, to the benefit of your appraised value or buyer’s offer.
Maximizing home value is a complex process, but there are always little things you can do to boost the bottom line. Whether you’re selling, refinancing, or just trying to make the most of your investment, these inexpensive techniques are proven performers when it comes to getting a property’s value as high as possible.
