By Anessa Cohen
The following are the last five items from our home-improvement list to maximize resale. I hope you have found them all helpful.
- Replacement Windows. Replacing old windows can be one of the most cost-effective updates for your home. Aside from the fact that new windows look good inside and out—and they are much easier to open and close—they can increase the energy efficiency of your home by huge amounts.
There are different grades of energy efficiency on each type of replacement window available for sale, but good-quality energy-efficient windows are available for every budget, and the savings realized just from the savings on your heating and air conditioning bills can pay for them and then some.
Insofar as value for reselling your home, buyers will pay substantially more for a home with good-quality replacement windows already installed than they will for a home not already equipped with them, so your investment can be recouped from the difference in your actual sales price as well as what you have already realized from the energy-efficiency savings.
- Den Addition. There are two types of den additions. One is a main-level addition (where property availability will allow), and the other is not really an addition, but an adaptation of existing interior space that is transformed into a den, such as unfinished basement space or unfinished attic space, etc.
A main-level den is a big advantage for resale. Buyers will always be willing to spend more money for the availability of a main-level den—especially buyers with young children—since they can monitor the children more easily on the same level as the kitchen. This feature is highly desirable.
When a main-level den is not possible, finishing a den in your basement or attic, while not having the same strategic value as a den on the main floor, is still a good deal better than not having a den at all, and will net a better price on resale than a home without a den.
- Electric Upgrades. I cannot emphasize enough how valuable electric upgrades are in resale values. By electric upgrades, I mean upgrading your existing electric-service box to a minimum of 150 amps, although 200 amps would be more desirable.
In today’s times, with the abundance of electronic devices in use in the average home—whether kitchen appliances, such as dishwashers, refrigerators with ice-makers, trash compactors, microwaves, toaster ovens, and convection ovens, or electronics such as TVs, home-entertainment centers, DVD players, stereos, computers, etc.—having enough electric power to feed all these devices necessitates upgraded electric service.
Although I stressed electronic devices, you will need this upgraded electric to service central air-conditioning, which has also become a high-demand item.
- Wood Floors. If you have wood floors that have seen better days, having them sanded and stained will show off your home to a greater advantage.
Sanding and staining your floors—or even polyurethane treatment—will make everything seem newer and larger, and will present your existing furniture at its best.
- Painting. It is amazing what a couple of coats of paint will do to a room. Sand and spackle any holes or cracks in the walls to make them look as fresh and new as possible before painting.
Aside from making the walls refreshed and new, you can try some new colors to brighten and give a new look to the interior of your home.
- Accessories. Take the time to add some accents to your existing décor that will enhance your living space, such as a few nice plants or a pretty vase or art piece.
Make sure to put out only a few things that will enhance your décor rather than too much, which will make it look cluttered. The idea is to make it pleasing to the eye when a possible buyer walks into the house for the first time.
The first glimpse of your home can make that “feel good” impression on potential buyers, which is important in creating positive feelings about your home as they consider your house for purchase.
Anessa Cohen lives in Cedarhurst and is a licensed real-estate broker (Anessa V Cohen Realty) and a licensed N.Y.S. loan officer (FM Home Loans) with over 20 years of experience offering full-service residential, commercial, and management real-estate services as well as mortgage services. She can be reached at 516-569-5007 or via her website, www.AVCrealty.com. Readers are encouraged to send questions or comments to anessa@AVCrealty.com.
