Increase Your Home’s Value with these Exterior Repairs

Homeowners do renovations for a few reasons. A repair may be necessary to ensure safety, or desired for aesthetics or functionality. Sometimes, renovations are done in the pursuit of home equity. Improving your house should make it worth more to potential buyers – but that’s not always the case. Certain exterior repairs are good investments that add curb appeal and dollars to potential offers.

Curb appeal is crucial in real estate sales because without it, buyers are put off by a home’s appearance. When a house is attractive on the outside, people want to see what is inside. Curb appeal drives potential buyers to viewings and open houses and can help a house stand out from the crowd.

Exterior renovations that make a house look great include:

• Stone veneer. Even a small amount of stone on a home’s facade adds a lot of curb appeal. Be cautious, however, if no one else in your neighborhood has this feature, as you run the risk of over-improving.
• New garage doors. There are many options beyond plain white. Doors today come with windows, hardware embellishments and more. Just make sure that you choose a style that fits your home’s architecture.
• Painted entrance door. A coat of paint is an inexpensive way to renew an exterior. Match the general color scheme of your exterior, but unlike most painting jobs, this is one place where you can be daring with color. Some experts have found that a blue front door is most attractive to buyers.
• Exterior lighting. Dramatically-lit front paths add evening curb appeal, and allow homeowners to focus light on plantings and the front door. These are easy to install, and also come in inexpensive solar styles.
• Landscape improvements. Homeowners can get the most bang for their buck with landscape work. Trees, plantings and lawns all make up your home’s “face” to its neighborhood. Keep these areas well-maintained to draw in buyers. Several yards of mulch is a dirt-cheap way to make a home’s exterior fresh and new looking.

Another overlooked but vital exterior component is the roof. Roof repairs are consistently listed by real estate professionals as being in the top 10 for return on investment. This makes sense, as buyers are looking for structural stability and protection from the elements. A new roof provides curb appeal and comes with transferable warranties, too.

Since roof repairs are common improvements, there are several unscrupulous operators who seek to take advantage of homeowners. Roofing scams are common for several reasons. Potential damage to a roof is visible from the outside, which encourages uninvited solicitations. After a storm, for example, roof scammers can go door-to-door and point out how they can fortify the roofs. Scammers then often get an upfront payment only to never return to do the work.

There are a few ways to avoid being scammed. First, be wary of door-to-door repairmen. Politely reject estimates from these repair companies, and reach out to a reputable company in your area. Contact your insurance company first. They will send an adjuster who will give you a professional assessment of damage. Lastly, follow the advice of many businesses and non-profit organizations, and impose a three-minimum bid rule for any work contemplated at your home. This will allow you to get a sense of the best price of and your comfort level with each contractor.

Ensuring that your home’s exterior is well maintained will increase its lifespan and draw in buyers when it’s time to sell. These potential buyers will appreciate the structural integrity and visual appeal of your home, and reward you with bigger offers.

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