GAF Sponsored Event – Make sure to mark your calendars.
We are approaching peak home-buying season in April. These four months account for over 40 percent of all annual housing transactions. The reasons are obvious: The weather is nicer, holidays are long gone, and families who have children want to move before the start of the school year.
You can save your money and learn which upgrades make your house more valuable to potential buyers.
Don’t forget to remember the first rule of upgrading. Remodeling magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report 2019 says so. “Think like a real-estate broker.”You will see why. “curb appeal”And “first impressions.”
* Worth it: a new garage door.This project ranked first in the magazine’s list, with a 97.5 per cent return on investment due to its low cost. And for anyone who ever doubted that everything is pricier in New York City, that same high-tensile-strength steel door with windows costs $426 more there than the national average of $3,611.
* Not worth it: upscale bathroom remodeling. You want to save $60,000 on your next home project? You don’t need to spend $60,000 on heated towel bars and stone countertops.
Why? They are. your dreams. As Remodeling magazine points out, “Because of the vast differences in aesthetic tastes, one person’s elegant new bath will be viewed by a range of other prospective buyers as “The site is outdated and tacky and urgently in need of a reorganization.”
* Worth it: a bigger rug. Going bigger is actually a trick some real estate moguls have been known to use. Since the living room is likely the first interior part of the house buyers will see – and, remember, first impressions matter – bet on them extrapolating from it to guesstimate the entire size of the house.
Ergo, since the goal is to make the room seem more spacious …
At least some buyers will judge the size of a room based on the size of the rug.
A nice Oriental one perhaps?
* Not worth it: a midrange backyard patio. It’s in the backyard, right? – emphasis on “Back” Which explains why it only garnered a 55.2 percent return on investment.
* Worth it: a new roof. “For one that is already in place, buyers pay a premium.” Credit.com has observed.
No kidding. In fact, given that it’s such a prominent part of the house, you might call the roof the ultimate curb enhancer: If buyers like what they see, you’re halfway home; if they don’t, they may look for even more things to hate and certainly won’t be quick to open their wallets.
Or, as Remodeling magazine says about curb appeal: “This impression is crucial to setting the tone for what a buyer is willing and able to pay for a home.
Check out these top-selling roofs. TimberlineGAF roofing shingle line (gaf.com), North America’s largest roofing manufacturer. The shingles have the look of luxury at a very affordable price.
And remember: Don’t be afraid to use a new roof as the “negotiating tool” with buyers that Credit.com says it is.
* Not worth it: a major upscale kitchen remodel. Another of those “differences in aesthetic tastes” issues. Better off to stick to repainting the walls or resurfacing cabinets, if need be.
