The Three Best  Home Improvements That Pay-Off Long-Term?

When it comes to doing a home improvement you have to look at it two ways.  The first way is “How long do I plan on living in this home?  How long am I going to use or enjoy the improvement I am potentially going to make to my home?  What is the value of the improvement to you that you put into the house?”  For instance if you’re going to put in a pool, are you going to get one seasonal year of use out of it or are you gong to be able to enjoy it for a long time?

The second thing is to ask, “How soon am I going to be selling my home?  Am I going to get the value out of it when I sell the home?”  So many people make the wrong improvements that end up costing them thousands and thousands of dollars.  There are different improvements to make based on those two questions and the answers you give.

The bottom line is that improvements to the kitchen pay off every time.  No “ifs”, “ands”, or “buts” about it.  This is where life happens for most families.  This is where you talk with your family, where you enjoy dinners together, where you help your kids with their homework, and where most people tend to gather with friends and family.  You’ve got to really consider, are you going to get a lot of use and enjoyment out of remodeling your kitchen?  The answer is, undoubtedly, yes.  It’s also pretty affordable to do with today’s pre-fab units, etc.  You can generally get a kitchen remodeled for between $2,000-$5,000.  Remember most good memories are made in the kitchen.  This means that even if you’re not  staying in the house, the improvement will pay off when you sell it because kitchens are a huge selling point.

Fix any of those glaring repair issues.  These are the little things that stare at you each day of your life; a cracked window, a wobbly doorknob, a shower door that won’t close unless you lift it a certain way.  Buyers see these small things all together and will walk away saying “I’m not going to buy this home because that repair is going to cost me money.”  The truth is, small repairs are inexpensive to fix; however, buyers over exaggerate the expensive of fixing these small repairs.  Whether you stay in the house or sell it, these small, glaring fixes that you keep putting off will have to be done either way if you are selling or not.  The smallest of repairs can make a huge difference, so fix that screen on the front door, patch that hole in the wall where the door knob hit & put a door stopper in to keep it from happening again.  These small, “nickel and dime” repairs stand out to those viewing your home and they will overprice what it’s going to cost them to fix them.  They think in terms of “this house isn’t exactly in move-in condition,” even if it truly is and the fixes are literally small projects that can take only a few minutes.  In the end these small fixes can lead to a sale.

Next, you want to spruce up your home so it looks good at first glance.  As we said before, little things make a big difference.  Cosmetic things such as new carpeting, a fresh coat of paint, and putting fresh bark in the landscaping make a huge difference.  Note; if you have any pets you will want to wait until 2-3 weeks before you put your home on the market to replace the carpet.  There’s a saying that goes, “Big doors hang on little hinges.”  You’re going to get a 90% return on investment with these types of investments.  Spend $10 and get $100 back in value when you sell your home.