More Home Improvement Projects That (Almost) Pay For Themselves
We have been reviewing Remodeling Magazine's annual survey list of home improvement projects. These are the next group of projects in order of Return On Investment and a few additional comments from the experts at HGTV. It's hard to decide which project to undertake first, isn't it?
Average return at resale: 83 percent
•The average family room addition costs $54,464 and adds $45,458 at resale, a recoup rate of 83 percent.
•A sunroom counts in the home's square footage only when the room is heated and cooled for year-round use.
•A sunroom adds value only in upscale neighborhoods. It won't bring in higher bids in lower-end neighborhoods.
•An addition shouldn't be obvious. Make sure it has an open transition. A wider interior doorway and more substantial steps (if on a different level) visually connect the addition to the rest of the house
#12 Bonus Room Updates
Average return at resale: 72.8 percent
• Finishing a 12x12 bonus room costs on average $13,143 and brings in $9,569 at closing.
◦If you're selling, know your target market and decorate to please them. Families use bonus rooms differently than empty-nesters and singles. Bonus rooms can be used as additional bedrooms, home offices, media rooms, and family rooms. (NOTE: if you want the room to "count" as a bedroom, it needs to have a closet.)
#13 Living Room Updates - Decor
Average return at resale: 66 percent
• Spending about $1,350 on staging and updating living room decor will get you new light switches, outlet covers, floor registers, crown molding, chair rails and drapes, plus fresh, live flowers and accessories.•Details add dollars. Crown molding gives a room a crisp, clean finish that buyers love. Make sure you choose molding that complements window trim and floor boards. Prices start at around $1.40 per linear foot.
•Add square footage with a simple trick. Shift furniture away from the walls to make living rooms feel larger and more contemporary. Create a seating area around a feature you want buyers to notice - like a dramatic fireplace. •If you're staging your home to sell, don't move excess furniture and clutter into the garage. Rent a storage unit for about $1 per square foot per month.
•New window treatments are a cost-conscious way to add a punch of designer color. For low ceilings, suggest the illusion of height by positioning drapes and valances higher on the wall.
#14 Bedroom Updates
Average return at resale: 52 percent
• Cost for new lighting will vary from $100 - $500.•For a romantic design touch, swap the old light fixture for a small chandelier. The formula for sizing a chandelier: Room width + Room length in feet = chandelier diameter in inches.•Scale your window treatments to your room size.
•New bedding and window treatments: $300.
•Hardwood floors are hotter than ever. If you live in an older (pre 1970s) home, you may have hardwood floors under the carpet. If so you can pull up the worn carpeting and refinish the old floors to let the wood shine. Sanding hardwoods is physically demanding and if you do it wrong, you ruin the floor. Hire a pro!
Average return at resale: 40 percent
• For only $25, freshen the living room walls with a coat of paint in a light, neutral color. And don't overlook the trim - brighten it with a high-gloss white paint and caulk any open seams between the molding and ceiling and baseboard and wall.•On average, quality hardwood flooring ranges from $6--$8 per square foot installed. For a 200 square foot area, expect to spend about $1,600 for new hardwood floors.
• If you have carpet in the living room, either have it professionally
•Always test popcorn ceilings for asbestos before you start (find an accredited lab at http://ts.nist.gov). Asbestos was used in textured paints manufactured before 1977.
•Buy a new wood or stone mantel for as little as $500
Did You Know?
Reviews are important. Many of our clients tell us that they "checked us out online" before deciding to call us or come in. The BrightLocal 2013 Local Consumer Review Survey found that 85% of consumers say that they read online reviews for local businesses (up from 76% in 2012.) Only 12% of consumers said they take no notice of online reviews (down from 17% in 2012.)We are very proud to have great clients that have taken the time to write a review about their experience with Enhance Floors & More.
There are many places that consumer reviews are published: Kudzu.com, Yelp, Google, and Angie's List, to name a few. One of the best known in Atlanta is Kudzu.com. Did you know that each month Kudzu.com has a random drawing of everyone that has written a review on their website that month, and that lucky person wins $500? We encourage you to write a review, about Enhance Floors & More, or your vet, or the electrician you just used, whatever business you want to review. This not only helps other consumers determine if they can trust and should use that business, but it can also win you $500 Good luck!
Only Whisper Around The Kids
It is almost back to school time. If you are wondering when the first day of school is:
Cherokee County Monday August 5
Cobb County Wednesday August 7
Fulton County Monday August 12
No comments:
Post a Comment