In our years of experience selling real estate, we have easily walked through more than a thousand homes for sale in the Charleston, SC area. Some homes are very well staged for showings, and you can tell that the home owners have really taken care of the home and have made good improvements to it. And, the money that the owners spent to update or improve the home should be paid back in full (and maybe with some profit) when they sell it.
Although we’ve seen some really good home improvements that pay off in the end, we’ve also seen some really bad home improvements. In fact, some of the worst features we’ve seen in homes for sale have actually been made by the sellers from “do-it-yourself” projects.
Sellers assume if they spend $10,000 in home improvements that their home is worth $10,000 more. This assumption is often true – indeed, it is the goal of the project. But, you need to make sure that you invest in the right areas so that you don’t waste your money.
So, which home improvements pay off? We’ve included below the five home improvements we’ve found to be the most effective during our experience in real estate.
1) Covering the basic necessities – the first improvements you need to make are the ones that really matter. If there are any problems with your home’s structure or systems, you need to fix these first. Potential buyers care more about problems that affect a home’s function (like a leaky roof) than problems that are cosmetic (like an outdated kitchen). And, when potential buyers find out that the home needs major repairs (replacing the roof, updating an electrical system, or removing mold), they will move on to the next home for sale on their list. So, use your money wisely – especially if you have a limited budget. Focus on areas that make your home more livable.
2) Kitchens – if your home poses no major problems, you can start your renovations in the kitchen. When you’re making home improvements, the kitchen is a good place to start because it can greatly affect the value of your home. Buyers want clean, updated kitchens. Be sure to use good quality materials and classic designs (but don’t go too modern). In order for your home improvements to pay off, you need them to appeal to a wide range of home buyers. Some of the easier improvements to make include painting the kitchen (using a neutral color, of course) and replacing cabinet hardware if the current hardware is too basic or outdated. Replacing outdated appliances almost always pays back more than full. Also, make sure that your kitchen has sufficient lighting.
3) Baths – if your kitchen is up to par, I would recommend working on the bathrooms. If you can only fix up one bathroom, I would focus on the master bath. Some of the easiest and least expensive improvements to make are repainting the walls and cabinets, recaulking the sink and shower, and replacing outdated light fixtures and faucets.
4) Creating Functional Space – if your home has a “catch-all” room, try to give that room a purpose. For example, if you have a finished room over your garage that is used simply for storage or for a recreation room, you can sell this room as an additional bedroom. Often these rooms don’t have closet space. So, adding a closet to this room would be a good investment because having an extra bedroom can greatly increase the value of your home. But, if the room over your garage is not finished, I would not recommend converting it. It would cost a lot of money to finish the room and run heating and air conditioning to it, and you would probably not get a full return on your money. The same would be true for finishing an attic.
5) Landscaping – lightly landscaping your yards can be a good investment. Small yard projects, like replacing dead bushes and reseeding (or resodding) bare lawn areas, can actually give you a small profit. But, we’ve seen some homeowners invest literally tens of thousands of dollars into their yards with fountains, gazebos, and goldfish ponds. These homeowners will only get a fraction of that money back when they sell their homes.
Making home improvements can drastically affect your home’s value. And, you can earn back more money than the amount you invested in the improvements. Just make sure that you invest in the right home improvements in order to get a full return on your investment. If you are not sure which areas to focus on, be sure to talk with your real estate agent in order to maximize your profit.
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The Home Depot is featured in a Wii game called “Our House: Party!”. This game allows you to design your home, build the house, make home improvements and even decorate. The release date for this game is 9/22. For more information visit: www.gamestop.com
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Why can't I buy calcium chloride-based ice melter any more?I live in northwestern CT where winters can be rough. Ice melt is useful but not everything is great for a wooden porch. Most rock-salts (sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride) are extremely abrasive, you may as well tape sandpaper to the bottoms of your shoes while you walk on the porch.
We used to be able to get calcium-chloride based ice melt, which is not as abrasive (it actually is in tiny little white beads which just turn into powder if stepped on).
The calcium-chloride ice melt was always more expensive than others, but until this year, we could always get it. This year, it is available nowhere. I've tried discount stores, home-improvement stores, hardware stores, no one upon no one has a speck of it.
Last year we got it in a huge bag, branded as "Prestone Driveway Heat." Prestone's Web site doesn't mention it, however.
What's more, no one will explain what happened. At a hardware store I used to get it, the guy insisted that what they had was exactly the same stuff, but I know it wasn't. Other places where I'd seen the calcium-based stuff last year, also denied ever having sold it.
Something happened to it. I'd like to know what. Was it banned or something? If not, where can I get it?
About Author
Lee Keadle is a full-time real estate agent in Charleston, SC. He works with a team of three agents to give buyers and sellers the best services possible. You can search for homes and vacant land on our website at http://www.SearchForCharlestonRealEstate.com
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I belive the upcoming issue has a complete article on home-made plasters. It's a good source to bookmark for lots of info…
I have used toothpaste to fill small holes, or spackle, which you can even get at most grocery stores.
My husband and I registered at Lowe's. There were positives and negatives to it. First let me say, if you like Lowe's, then you should definitely go for it. When we registered, they didn't have the electronic system like most wedding registries have. It took forever to register because we had to hand write the qty, item description, item # and price of each individual item we wanted. Then, when people went to purchase something, if they didn't go to THE store that we registered at, they didn't have a list of our registry. We had the store fax it to other cities where people may purchase items. Then when we began receiving gifts, we got maybe 10 things off of the registry list. However, in the end, we did receive almost $1,000 in Lowe's gift cards! We were pretty pumped about that! We've been able to go and buy things along the way that we have decided we needed. I wasn't please with the registry at Lowe's, but it turned out well because I would rather have a gift card than a present any day! So, even though the registry isn't as updated as it should be, if people see that name, Lowe's, under your registry list, they will know you like that store and will at least purchase a gift card. Then you can buy whatever you want! Good Luck!
Glue down laminate is obsolete now. They are all what they call ''floating'' floors now. Any major brand will suffice. You may just want to look and see how easy the planks go together before deciding. Some brands have a foam backing with a moisture barrier already glued to the back of them and some require that you buy the foam in a roll that has to be laid down first. Obviously the real cheap stuff is going to feel like walking on cardboard and the pricier stuff will feel like real wood. No laminate is intended for a full bathroom where water/moisture from a tub or shower is present.
It's totally going to depend on if this table really has to have the specialty screws, and exactly how "specialty" they are. You can often substitute regular nuts and bolts for specialty ones depending on how the item is constructed. (You're partly correct, by the way, nuts are the things that get screwed into, but screws have pointy ends and don't require nuts. You're thinking of bolts).
On the other hand, if it's some sort of real specialty item, used only for this type of table and nothing else can be substituted, you may be out of luck at any hardware store. I'd one of the ones that you still have (hopefully!) to the store with you to ask them about replacements or alternatives.
hmmm, Home Depot doesn't sell those? Their slogan is "you can do it and we can help" LOL
carpet: remove old = $ 1.50 per sq yd.
lay new w/pad and u supply all material= $ 4.50 per sq yd
peel and stick tile= $1.25 per sq ft
hanging doors= $ 125.00 per door
hardware for other doors= knobs $ 25.00 peeps= $ 15.00
pedistal sinks= $125.00 per
water closets= $ 65.00 ea
caulk and paint trim ( guessing u mean interior trim? ) $ 1.25 per sq ft of heated house.
lic. gen. contractor
I like YOUR avatar and ID too! Very intriguing.
I think they are the same basic trees. Lowes, however, has much more to offer than just trees and can afford to sell the trees for less with their buying power.
Joe Bob's doesn't have the luxury of thousands of other items to fall back on for profits. Now, the quality (i.e. freshness) of the trees may be better in some cases because that's all they do. It might be worth it then, to pay Joe Bob for a better looking tree.
All of the stores (hardware, discount, department, etc.) are furnishing cheap plastic bags. It's getting so pathetic that before long, looking like a bag lady will be fashionable because people will start using their own bags.
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