Boost Your Home's Value With 6 Easy DIY Projects - Part 1

Boost Your Home's Value With 6 Easy DIY Projects - Part 1

Cash Buyers List News
Your house is likely to be the biggest investment you make in your entire life. Whether you’re planning to sell it or you’re there for the long haul, it is important to take care of your investment.

As any real estate agent will tell you, the first thing people notice about your home is the exterior. You need strong curb appeal to make a good first impression.

With that in mind, here are six simple DIY projects to help boost your home’s value:

Invest in Your Landscaping
Landscaping is often regarded as one of the top three ways to add value to your home in terms of return on investment. HomeGain.com conducted a survey of 2,000 brokers in 2007. The results indicated you could possibly quadruple an investment of $400-$500 on well-planned landscaping.

That said, just throwing a couple hundred dollars at plants is not a good approach. Instead, focus on creating a healthy, vibrant lawn. Fill in dead or sparse areas, fertilize, and clean up edges along your sidewalk, pathways and gardens. Trim overgrown bushes and shrubberies and cut down tangled tree branches.

Plant flowers and plants to brighten up your landscape-just be sure to plant perennials that will come back year after year, not annuals that will die within a year and never return. Also, look for plants that are native to your region or are drought-tolerant. They need less water and maintenance, saving you money in the long run.

Upgrade Your Front Door
Your front door is the entryway to your home and it sets the tone for the rest of the house. Make a good impression by ensuring your homes entry point (including the area directly surrounding the door) is attractive and eye-catching.

The first thing to consider here is whether to replace your existing door or not. If the door you have is good quality and a style you like, you can save some money by just freshening it up a bit. Refinish the wood or paint it for a pop of color; clean and polish the hardware or replace it with something that will add more of an accent; and replace the hinges if they are worn.

If you decide to replace the door, look for a well-insulated, energy-efficient, secure door; this is not something you want to cut corners on by going with a cheap alternative.

Illuminate With Outdoor Lighting
Outdoor/exterior lighting adds value to your home in three important ways.

• First, it helps keep you and your family safe. It’s important to be able to see where you are going to avoid a fall.
• Second, it adds a layer of security. Keeping your property well-lit is a good way to deter a would-be thief from targeting your home.
• Third, it enhances the aesthetics of your property. Show off your beautiful home and well-maintained landscape.

Consider which of these aspects are important to you. If safety is your goal, focus on pathways, entryways and steps. If you are more concerned with security, perimeter lighting set on timers and motion-activated flood lights are your best bet. If you want to add curb appeal, light up your trees, unique landscape elements, and water features.

The second thing to consider is what type of lighting to go with. Solar is great because you don’t need wiring and don’t have to pay for power. LED lights produce a bright, crisp light and are energy-efficient. Halogen lighting, though affordable, is being phased out for the most part. Consider replacing existing halogen bulbs with LED replacements (also called LED retrofitting).

Stay tuned for Boost Your Home's Value With 6 Easy DIY Projects - Part 2 and we will bring you a few more DIY projects which will help boost your home's value.



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HOUSING VALUE AT RECORD-HIGH: WILL BUYERS BE ABLE TO KEEP UP?

Housing Value At Record-High

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Housings collective value grew to $29.6 trillion this year, a record-high reflecting 5.7 percent appreciation-an additional $1.6 trillion-in 2016, according to a recently released analysis by Zillow. The most housing value in the nation is in Los Angeles, Calif., New York, N.Y., and San Francisco, Calif., at 8.6 percent, 8 percent and 4.2 percent, in order.

The continuing growth in prices, however-now marking a full recovery since the crash-has the potential to push more prospective homebuyers to the sidelines, says Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Svenja Gudell.

"Housing is incredibly important to us personally and to the economy as a whole," says Gudell. "The U.S. housing stock is worth more than ever, which is a sign of the ongoing housing recovery. As buying a home gets more expensive, affordability remains a concern for many, and these numbers highlight just how much people are spending on housing. The total value of the housing stock grew nearly 6 percent this year, a pace that will likely mean some American families are priced out of homeownership."

Despite this year’s appreciation, approximately 60 percent of housing markets remain below values reached during the bubble years, according to the analysis.

Renters, to compare-with approximately 635,000 new renter households formed this year-paid $478.5 billion in 2016, up $17.7 billion from 2015. Apartment renters paid $50 billion more than single-family home renters, and the most rent was paid in New York and Northern New Jersey, at $55 billion.

For more information, please visit www.zillow.com.

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