One aspect that largely remains in the back of most homeowner’s minds, surfacing when decisions are made here and there, is making sure that features of their home are attractive to buyers when it is time to sell. Resell remodeling may not be as fun as remodeling a home you intend to live in and enjoy for years to come, but it is still important for a variety of reasons—mainly to facilitate the sale of your home, because often times the quicker the better!
From a financial standpoint, there are some major things that sellers should be aware of when making the decision to invest in remodeling their home specifically to sell it:
–Sellers should take into consideration the return on investment (ROI) on the updates done to the home. Many homeowners and first time home renovators run into trouble spending too much money on the wrong updates to a point where they can’t recoup the cost of those updates when the property sells…and at times it prevents the sale completely. It is important to get in contact with an industry professional who understands what areas would be the best return on investment and are worth doing to the home for the buyer to appreciate, as well as being the most profitable to the seller when the sale is closed.
–Major concerns for most buyers are the big ticket items such as the roof, siding, windows, furnace/air, and foundation walls. If it looks like one of these big-ticket items could be a problem it is worth looking into what it would cost to get it fixed. This allows you to have that estimate ready for the potential buyers when they tour your home or to go ahead and have the repairs/updates done so it will be one less worry for the potential buyer. Either way it is one less hurdle to overcome when it comes to the whole house inspection and sale.
“The last thing a home buyer will want to do when purchasing a home that has been remodeled is have to worry about repairing or replacing what they would consider big ticket items after they have moved in,” says Troy Spady of Complete Comfort. “Most of these buyers are looking for a home that is ‘move-in ready’ in every facet besides adding a few personal touches to make their home their own. Having an updated heating and cooling system adds to the attractiveness of buying a remodeled home. It helps show that no stone was left unturned in the remodel and that the house is truly move-in ready. Not only is it peace of mind, but today’s heating and cooling systems are more efficient than those 20+ years ago.
When you are preparing your home to put it on the market, don’t forget to give the furnace and air conditioner a good long look. An old system will mean additional investment will be needed to get the home up to date and ready to sell. With the different options that are available to update heating and cooling systems, be sure to look at what a system will provide. Bryant’s Evolution furnaces offer features such as variable speed air delivery, Perfect Humidity, and Perfect Heat which all add to the overall comfort of a home. Depending on the home, looking at a WaterFurnace ground source heat pump may also be a great way to invest in the remodel. Sometimes the heating and cooling systems just need some TLC to get them ready to hit the market. Investing in the cleaning and inspection of the furnace and air conditioner is a great way to ensure equipment will pass a home inspection, is safe, and will minimize any issues for the new home buyer. It’s better to take care of any maintenance up front before your prospective home buyer walks through the door.”
When you are showing your home you should already be in the process, to some extent, of moving. The less busy or cluttered your home is, the more comfortable and inviting your home will be to visitors and prospective buyers. In such a transitional time, this is the perfect opportunity to utilize a storage facility. For a small investment, your belongings will be out of your current home, safely located in a place where they will not be damaged, and ready to move right into your new home. Thomas Friedman, owner of Strong Box Storage, says, “We offer a variety of sizes of storage for those who need to move things around while they are in transition. Our office, which is open six days a week, offers a dozen different sizes of moving boxes, packing peanuts, wrapping paper, tape, and many other items that help our customers during their transportation of their belongings. We are also an independent U-Haul dealer, and we can make reservations from wherever our customers are to wherever they are going. We are committed to meeting and exceeding the needs of our new and returning customers, and will do whatever we can to help during the process of selling your current house and moving into your new home.”
It is also important to keep in mind that while you may not be selling your home in the next week or even the next year, all of the work that you do to improve your home for your own enjoyment while you are living in it is also considered an investment that may (or may not in some instances!) appeal to potential buyers in the future. A perfect example of this is a sunroom, which adds square feet and significant value to your home while being an extremely attractive feature to buyers when or if you choose to sell in the future. Headquartered in Gretna, NE, Malibu Sunrooms is the leading sunroom building company in Nebraska and Iowa. Malibu Sunrooms is an exclusive dealer for the largest manufacturer of sunrooms in the country, and has installed over 450 sunrooms in Lincoln. Terri Rediger, owner of Malibu Sunrooms, explains, “Aside from adding a classy look outside of your home, a sunroom adds class, sunshine and architectural appeal from the inside of your home as well as a space to enjoy year-round. If you have not been in a sunroom, I think it’s impossible to really understand what you are missing. People LOVE their sunroom. It’s everyone’s favorite room in the house. You ‘feel’ like you are outside, but can enjoy the comforts of being inside. And really, no matter what the weather is doing, the weather is always great in a Malibu Sunroom! This is perfect for Nebraskans as we are no strangers to inclement weather. As far as adding value to your home, there is no question that a sunroom fits the bill. On average, a new sunroom will be worth one and a half times what you paid for it when it is time to sell. But adding value to your LIFE and your lifestyle, well I don’t think there’s a price you can put on that. Our goal at Malibu Sunrooms is to provide the highest quality sunroom at the most affordable price. We will not compromise our building standards or our product quality for any reason. We want to ensure that your sunroom will not only give you years of relaxation, but also add maximum monetary value to your home.”
The exterior appearance of your home and its curb appeal are crucial to attracting buyers, and moreover, potential buyers will definitely take the condition and upkeep of these major aspects into consideration. Michelle Christensen, owner of Papillion Windows & Siding, advises, “When considering putting your home on the market, take a look at the overall condition of your windows, siding, and roofing. If there is evidence of rotting of your windows or around the frames it is important to address the issue BEFORE a potential buyer looks at your home. An inspection will likely uncover this and raise a red flag to the buyer so at a minimum the rotten trim should be replaced and painted, and if the windows are rotting they should be replaced. If there is evidence of leaks in your roof, such as ceilings or walls with water stains have a professional do an inspection and complete the recommended repairs. A leaking roof will surely either push away a prospective buyer or lead them to demand larger price concessions. Not to mention the other problems associated with roof leaks, such as drywall damage, mold, and eventually structural issues. Correcting the problem will save a lot of money in the long run, as repairs can generally be made at a reasonable rate. Upgrading your roofing, siding, and windows are all a good way to increase the resale value of your home and increase the attractiveness of purchasing your home versus others on the market. Some of the most durable materials for our part of the country include high grade laminate composite shingles, pure vinyl windows, and vinyl or cement board siding. There are many varieties of quality and styles but just as important is that they are properly installed by a qualified, certified installer. Also, keep in mind your neighborhood market, and try not to over-improve/over-spend in comparison to the market.”
The attic and roof have always been a foreign area of the home to most homeowners. Ultimately nobody ever looks up in their attic, or even knows what to look for. “Our most common call from sellers is when the buyer’s inspector has found mold, minimal insulation, plugged ventilation, no baffels, or shower fans blowing into the attic as it is now code to exhaust shower fans to the outside atmosphere,” says Derek Leibert, owner of Attic Solutions. “On the roof there are flashing details that get flagged, mixed roof ventilation and sometimes leaks. This leads to unexpected seller demands, lower selling price and lost time when trying to close in a timely manner. Over the years, Real Estate Agents have learned that it is wise to call Attic Solutions first; to button up shower fans, add insulation, inspect for mold (caused by inadequate attic ventilation), and to inspect the roof and other water-shed details. Typically the small investment to cover these details is THE ounce of prevention that is worth the pounds of cure when closing the deal, often firming the selling price. When a buyer sees there is, or may be issues in the attic or roof, the negotiations start getting hot, price drops, or they move on to the next house that interests them.”
Leibert continues, “Attic Solutions offers all services for the exterior of the home: Roofing, Insulation, Attic Ventilation, Siding, Gutters and much more! One of the more interesting projects we did was building a “Secret Room,” a door in the 2nd floor master closet that led to the Man Cave. We added this to a home that had a steep roof and substantial unused area that was discovered during one of our routine inspections. It was completed with Solar Tube natural lighting, recessed entertainment system and added ventilation for the occasional Cigar Poker Party. The client sold his house for significantly more than expected, as well as recouping more the initial investment cost of the room!
Aside from the Secret Room bonus, we offer Peace of Mind and Confidence when selling, as well as added value and sharper selling points. For homeowners who need to re-roof before selling, simple inexpensive upgrades like a Class-4 Impact Resistant shingle will give the next homeowner an insurance premium discount. At the same time, we would ventilate the attic properly to ensure the home is operating efficiently (no more hot upstairs) as well as earning the Full-Term Manufacturer’s Warranty. All work done by Attic Solutions carries a fully transferable Lifetime Workmanship Warranty, meaning if we touch it, we ‘own’ our work, and buyers like to see additional coverage when not expecting it!”
Landscaping is the other facet of the exterior that will attract attention, and scrutiny, from prospective buyers. Carrie Harbin of Liberty Grounds explains, “Curb appeal is very important to people. Grass should be green, which may require seeding and fertilizer application, and plant beds should look maintained – i.e. bushes trimmed properly, any plants growing lush, clean mulch, no weeds, and clean edges. When a person buys a new home, they will also take into consideration how much maintenance will need to go into the home, both inside and out. By keeping things simple, you can control your costs as the seller, and the buyer will see a clean looking landscape that requires little maintenance, and also a landscape that they have room to play with should they choose to do any outdoor renovations in the future.
When redoing your landscaping to stage your home, less is usually better. Keep things simple and clean. Rock beds are a great addition because there is little upkeep. Perennials are a great addition because they do not need to be replaced annually. Stella de Oro Daylillies, Coral Bells and Creeping Phlox are just a few examples of plants that grow very pretty, and are fairly easy to maintain. Always use a weed-barrier fabric when creating rock beds or landscape beds to prevent weeds from growing through rocks and plants, and insuring minimal maintenance on those beds. Be sure to spread plants apart properly in your landscape beds, allowing ample room for full growth and avoiding a crowded, overgrown look.
My best advice is to consult the appropriate professionals when staging your home. As the current homeowner, it may be hard to view the home objectively and make the necessary changes. Potential buyers will want a home that is move-in ready, with little to no work needing to be done after purchase. People should be immediately impressed upon seeing your property, or they will most likely have moved on to the next prospective home in their mind before they’ve even made it to view the inside of the home. Always remember – first impressions count and keep things simple.
Liberty Grounds is a full service grounds maintenance company. We maintain turf, and install landscaping, water features, patios and retaining walls. We can also help with the clean-up and renovation of your existing landscape beds. All you have to do is call Carrie at the office at (402) 330-7080 to set up a meeting with a Landscape Designer. The initial meeting is at no charge to the potential customer, and can help give you an idea of what is needed to stage your home for selling.”
Randy Wheeler, Sales & Design Manager at Carson Stone & Supply, adds, “Outdoor living and entertaining spaces add significant value to a home and this has become an increasingly popular feature among home buyers. Whether staging or remodeling, these spaces should look inviting and not showcase excessive maintenance needs or headaches that will need to be addressed in the future. When putting your home on the market, it is important to stage the outdoor spaces so people can picture themselves recreating there. A few easy improvements to consider are constructing a natural stone grill enclosure or incorporating a water feature for white noise and ambiance. Boulder bubblers are a fairly inexpensive way to create interest in an outdoor living space and are very easy to install. Additionally, hanging baskets or edging the flower beds and filling them out with mulch are nice accents. Color catches the eye and in addition to flowers, natural stone comes in a variety of shades and pavers can also create interest in the landscape. The goal is to present the space as tidy, free from damage or issues, easy to maintain—simplicity truly is key. However, in your efforts, try to make it look cohesive as one of the ‘rooms’ in your home as opposed to just a couple of chairs and a grill. If people can envision themselves relaxing there, they are much more likely to be attracted to the idea of making it their home.”
Getting your home ready to sell can be nerve racking and a lot of work, but it is well worth it to get the best price for the home you have already made a significant investment in. With a few improvements in moderation, and repairs as needed, you’d be surprised how much more attractive your home will be to potential buyers. For those projects that you can’t (or in some cases, really shouldn’t…) do yourself, make sure to consult one of our local industry professionals who would be happy to assist you in your endeavors!