The Real Estate Browser Volume 10, Issue 6 | Page 41

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Volume 10 Number 6 – Say you saw it in The Real Estate Browser of Lynchburg — 41
items if you are concerned with resale value—
we’re talking elements like a meditation nook,
bocce ball court, or koi pond.
“Most people are not willing to invest the
time, energy, or finances to maintain those
areas, so keep your additions relatively main-
stream and user-friendly,” Shiroff says.
2. Update the garage door
home retain value and can keep a small prob-
lem from becoming exponentially bigger.”
5 years out
This is a good time to start thinking about
big-ticket items that will affect your resale and
that you won’t want to pay for all at once. Here
are some to consider.
1. Replace major systems
Believe it or not, updating your garage door
is the top upgrade you can make in terms of
return on investment.
We’re talking HVAC systems, plumbing …
anything whose average life expectancy is rela-
tively long, and where you want your listing to
showcase that these key systems are less than
“Curb appeal is key when you’re getting
ready to sell your home, and garage doors can five years old. Replacing them now allows you
to enjoy the improved operation and potential
dramatically improve the look of your home,”
energy savings, while avoiding a concession in
says Matt Edstrom of GoodLife Home Loans
the sale price when the time comes, Willson
in Laguna Hills, CA. Since garage doors can
last for up to 40 years, this is an update you can says.
enjoy right now, without worrying about tak-
2. Check on anything with a warranty
ing a depreciation hit.
This is also a good time to do a check on
3. Replace your roof
any items that have a current warranty—such
as windows and appliances—while they are still
If your roof is more than 20 years old and
covered, suggests Frances Dawson, with Re/
you plan on selling, you may want to replace
Max Executive at the Lake in Cornelius, NC.
it, suggests Taylor Willson, owner of Willson
Home Inspection Inc. in Tampa, FL. For one
thing, you may receive immediate savings from
your insurance company, he says, and beyond
that, “A newer roof is a great selling point.”
Choose a hardy material, like concrete tiles or
asphalt shingles, that have a long useful life.
4. Keep up on repairs
Repairs should have a permanent spot on
your “to do” list. If it’s broke, then, yes, please
fix it.
3. Switch out your front door
Another important element of “curb appeal,”
your front door can really make your house
pop, says Edstrom, as well as potentially
increase your energy efficiency. Front doors
can last for decades, but they are also exposed
to the elements, so this is a good time frame
to allow you to enjoy the aesthetics and energy
savings, without running the risk that it will
look too weathered come sales time.
2 years out
“Don’t put off repairs while you wait for the
optimum time,” says Cristina Miguélez, remod-
Two years is nothing in a home’s history, so
eling specialist at Fixr.com. “They help your
it’s time to really start getting serious. Here’s