Are you taking care of your home or is it taking care of you? You build, buy new, or used you are excited to make your home yours. You paint the walls; fill your rooms with treasures to make it your own. The years go by, your home falls into the background … are you taking care of the home or is the home taking care of you where family memories are made?
Hmm… what, that makes no sense!? Like in any relationship it is a two-way street. Many times when I go on a consult I can see the homeowners were energetic when they moved into the house to make it their own, and then forgot it. Now… the decision comes to sell; repairs need to be made, and the question now I need to invest the money now? A fresh coat of paint is needed on walls, if the tiles are lose they need to be replaced, the worn carpets are no longer desirable, the chimney needs cleaning, septic now needs to be pumped and maybe an appliance or furnace needs replacement.
As a homeowner, we have obligations to our home. Some repairs are major like a new roof, windows, siding, some cosmetic like paint, updating light fixtures, replacing stained worn flooring. It is important to maintain both while you are a homeowner because it maintains the value of the home, and your home is one of your largest investments.
When I go on a consult the concentration is on the priorities where a seller needs to invest the money to obtain the best return on that investment. Yes, sometimes it is a new roof, but many times it is smaller and simpler. If you love your home and are thinking hmm, in 2, 3, 5 years I might sell… here are some suggestions.
Things to consider:
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Look at the “workings” of the house.
Have you cleaned the furnace, pumped your septic in the last 3 years, and cleaned your chimney, made sure your appliances are working.
These affect the value of your home
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Look around the outside of your house.
Are bushes trimmed, lawn maintained, landscaping colorful, pool maintenance updated taken care of, patios/ outside architectural elements power washed, clean- desirable
These can increase the value of your home
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Look around your rooms and the interior.
Imagine who will buy your home. Remember when you fell in love with your house and wanted to create family memories here… now is time to think of “today’s” family. Many times people wonder if they need to update, things to consider are:
- Flooring: if it looks worn replace or refinish.
- Kitchens and master baths influence buyers choice of house heavily so make sure these are up to date.
- Look at colors and lighting are they desirable with the trends.
These can affect the time your house sells in
Caring for your home now will at least keep you in consideration with the competition when you do sell. If you are not sure where the best investments would be to make in your home if you are selling within the next couple of years contact us and we will help you create spaces within a budget that works.
