Home Improvements That Pay Off

With the state of today’s housing market lots of homeowners are staying in their homes rather than trying to sell.  Changes, additions, and upgrades are what people are choosing to do instead.  Which of these improvements are really going to pay off?  Increasing the functional space in your home is going to have the largest effects on the value of your home, much more so than changes that are simply cosmetic.  If you, for example, finish a basement to create a family living room which gives you additional living space will recoup you around 75 percent on what you spend on the project.

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Out Side Improvements

The exterior of your house offers many options for smart renovations.  This work should be done by a professional for the best results.  A St. Paul roofing contractor can help make certain this work is done with quality workmanship so you can get a good return on your investment.

Decks:  An addition to your home can set be a very expensive cost to you. A deck adds square footage to your house in cost effective way that would never be possible with an addition.  Outside of painting the exterior of your home a deck may be the most unfailing return on investment you can make to the exterior of your home. You can expect about an 85 percent return from a deck.  It has a very strong return!

Energy Efficient Windows:  Energy efficient improvements have benefits to you long before you ever consider resale. Prepare to see a shrinking utility bill!  Heating and cooling bills will be lower with efficient windows.  You could even receive a tax break from the government, 10 percent, up to $200.  Look for Energy Star logo on your windows.  Windows that follow the energy star ratings will have this logo.  If your house has this upgrade you will recoup around 75 percent at resale. Something important to keep in mind when you install new windows custom windows so windows will cost you more, but won’t necessarily make you house worth more.  For example bay and bow windows they made add aesthetic appeal but they won’t add extra to the bottom line return.

Siding:  Siding can also add energy efficiency to your home saving you money while your still in it.  Siding today can also come with options like never having to repaint, which is very appealing to home buyers.  When you choose a siding it will have an R-Value will tell you how efficient the siding is. Typically this value ranges from one to three, but it can sometimes be higher.  Efficient siding may be a larger investment, but you are going to about an 80 percent return on it.  A St. Paul roofing contractor can get you more information about the large selection of siding options to choose from.

Landscaping:   Gardens equal extra work and money to potential buyers.  If you enjoy gardening wonderful!  Just don’t expect to earn back the money you have spent adding in garden beds to your landscaping.  While they may add beauty and cosmetic appeal to your space, they won’t add money to your sale price.

Pools:  This is a risky improvement.  It may actually get in the way the sale of your home.  Pools are time consuming and expensive to keep looking good and running well.  Potential buyers may also consider the risk of an accident on their property.  A pool accident may leave them liable for an injury and dealing with a negligence lawsuit.  To avoid all these headaches some people will spend big money filling in existing pools instead of using them after they buy a 

Home buyers are looking to buy quality homes!  Remember improvements to functional spaces in your home are best if you are looking for a return on your investment.A St. Paul roofing contractor can help you take the first steps on your exterior projects.  Get started so you can enjoy the benefits of your upgrades while you own your home in addition to when it comes time to sell!