By Kathy Ziprik
Whether you're interested in selling a homeowner on a remodel project or just want to create more curb appeal with one you're already working on, industry experts agree there are a number of easy, budget-conscious ways you can add value to the client's home, as well as make it the home they've always wanted.
"Home improvement projects always equate to increasing the value of a house," says Don Zeman, host of the home-improvement radio show, Homefront with Don Zeman www.homefront.com). "Whether a contractor replaces an old dishwasher with a newer, energy-efficient model or simply adds crown molding to a bedroom, every activity done to a house means the homeowners are investing in the future of their homes."
A contractor and builder for 25 years before starting his nationally syndicated radio show, Zeman knows the best ways to add value to a house. "Research shows that major remodeling projects, like adding a bathroom or renovating a basement, definitely pay off when it comes time to selling a home," says Zeman. "But contractors need to convey to homeowners that even smaller and medium-sized projects can also have huge benefits."
According to Zeman, there are 10 home-improvement projects that can make life in a current home more enjoyable in the short term and pay big dividends for the homeowners when the time comes to sell the home. Consider discussing them with your clients:
Project 1. Create a designated home-office space. Whether it's just part of a room partitioned off with an obscure acrylic-block wall to create a private nook or an entire room, home offices are essential parts of today's living. The multi-functional space can be used for studying, paying bills, writing or running a home business.
Project 2. Treat ceilings as the fifth wall of a room. Accent and embellish them with beaded plywood, paints or decorative finishes. Consider adding a lightweight urethane ceiling medallion around ceiling lights and fans. Two-piece medallions snap into place in less than five minutes to add more ambiance to a room. Check out what's available at www.fypon.com, which also offers videos about installation.
Project 3. Invest in the lawn. Nothing makes a better first impression than a well-manicured lawn and continuously maintained shrubs and flower beds. Buyers immediately form opinions of how well the interior of a home is cared for by the look of the exterior.
Project 4. Replace old, leaky windows with energy-efficient vinyl windows. Not only will new windows make the whole house look better, but Energy Star-compliant windows help save on heating and cooling bills all year long. For added safety and security, consider impact-resistant windows, such as Simonton StormBreaker Plus models. Much like a car windshield, these laminated windows won't shatter if they're broken, thus reducing damage inside the home from storms or break-in attempts. The clients may benefit from a discount in their insurance premiums, too.
Project 5. Expand living space by adding a deck or sunroom. Increasing the amount of usable space in a home always equates to adding more value. Whether it's placing an awning over a patio area, converting a screened-in porch to a sunroom or adding a deck, the creation of more living space makes life more enjoyable for homeowners now and adds an appealing selling feature for the future.
Project 6. Remove mildew from a home's exterior and prevent it from coming back. Start by killing any mildew by using a garden sprayer and a mildecide, such as EPA-registered JOMAX®, which kills mildew without harming your siding, shrubs or grass. Once the mildew is dead, prevent it from coming back by using a mold- and mildewproof paint. Perma-WHITE® Mold and Mildew-Proof Exterior Paint is one brand.
Project 7. Trim out exterior windows and doors. If there is old, rotting wood around windows (or no trim at all), suggest low-maintenance all-weather PVC millwork, which resists insects, rot and termites.
Project 8. Upgrade the master bathroom with a tub window. Durable acrylic-block windows provide privacy in the bathroom while allowing light into the room. A decorative bathroom window over the tub serves as a focal point in the room. Hy-Lite, for example(www.hy-lite.com), offers fixed and operable windows that can be opened to provide ventilation.
Project 9. Replace rotted columns and porch posts with fiberglass columns. Suggest to homeowners that when they start spending several weekends each year repairing and repainting exterior rail systems and columns, it's time to invest in low-maintenance fiberglass columns. Structural load-bearing columns, such as those from Dixie-Pacific (www.dixiepacific.com) are an affordable investment. Options include columns with lifetime finishes to eliminate painting and a variety of styles to complement any home design. Columns are also a great way to update an interior.
Project 10. Bump out to a bay or bow window. Along with adding extra living space, bay and bow windows add instant visual interior and exterior appeal to homes. People value the extended space that can add room for a window seat, highlight a Christmas tree or simply bring more light into the home.
Related: Porch Ideas
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