You want your home to be as comfortable as possible. Some homeowners will eventually sell their homes and want to sell at a profit. Whether you decide to sell your home or stay in it long enough to pass it down to your heirs, you should try to increase valuation so you have good equity or resale value. Here are some tips for doing so.
Maintain Your Septic
Don’t ever ignore septic tank issues. Your septic tank is where all your wastewater goes from your toilet, bath, sinks, etc. and your sewer line is the pipeline that carries that water from your drains into your tank. If this system has issues, it can create a major health hazard. One of the signs that you may have septic problems is gurgling noises in your pipes after you drain water out. You may notice toilets are flushing slower than ever or not at all. Be cautious of foul smells that resemble rotten eggs or sewage. The smell may be coming from your drains or outside over your drain field. Be aware of super green patches over your drainage field. That may be a sign of extra fertilization due to sewer leakage. And if you see pooling water over there, that also may be coming from a leaking septic tank.
According to Bob Vila, septic pumping is necessary about every three to five years. Stay on top of your septic pumping schedule to avoid your tank failing to take on any more waste. After all that waste will need to go somewhere, and it may go outside of the tank into the drainage field or even back up into your home. If your home becomes a source of septic leakage, it will cost you a great deal of money and decrease the value of your home. It would be a very expensive repair to make, and it may even result in fines if sewage contaminates your soil or municipal water supply. Increase valuation by staying on top of your septic tank and sewer line. If you suspect any issues, don’t hesitate to replace this part of your home. At the very least, maintain the system by having regular septic repairs, pumping, and inspections.
Refinish Your Flooring
Floors are a necessity in any home. Unless you plan on walking around on dirt, you need some type of solid material on your flooring throughout your space. An easy way to increase valuation of your property is by having new or refinished floors. Take, for example, hardwood. Hardwood can last up to a century with proper care. When wood gets worn down or has some scratches, you can always have it refinished to make it look new again. You can have wood stained, varnished, or have individual panels replaced if they become too damaged.
Maybe you now have a softer wood such as pine but then decide to replace it with more durable hardwood. Harder woods such as cherry wood and oak are some of the more popular choices for floors. Cherry is darker while oak is the lightest one and very easy to stain.
Don’t forget about the floors in your garage. Your garage likely has a concrete floor, as that is best for supporting heavy vehicles. Don’t forget that your concrete, while hard and durable, isn’t indestructible. Your concrete can suffer from cracks and stains, especially from car oils and dirt from the street. You can prevent your concrete flooring from looking unsightly by refinishing the surface and then adding concrete coatings to further protect it. Coatings may include epoxy coatings, which may be transparent or have added color and glass specs in order to make your garage floor transition flawlessly into the main home. A finished garage floor can turn your garage into a beautiful space to show off and use for other functions, such as work or hobbies. Upgrading your garage in a way that can have it serve other purposes is another way to increase evaluation.
Update Your Garage
When you include your garage as a way to increase valuation, you can go beyond the floors. Start thinking about getting a new garage door. Your garage door serves a valuable function, as it is often the main entryway for many homeowners. If your garage door is slowing down when it opens and closes, there may be something wrong with the mechanism. You don’t want a door that may crash down on someone at any time, as it is a safety issue. If the garage door doesn’t close completely on its track, somebody can come into your home by crawling underneath.
Noise may be a factor, especially when it begins to screech and other very loud noises when operating. When you leave early in the morning or late at night, you don’t want your garage door to become noise pollution that the neighbors complain about. If any of these mechanism problems are affecting your garage it may be time to replace it.
Don’t forget to choose a style that suits your home design. Garage doors are available in different materials and styles. You may want a garage door you can open manually like a barn door. Consider a door that opens from the side instead of a typical overhead mechanism. Have a custom metal, wood, or fiberglass garage door upgrade to make your home stand out.
Have Plumbers Inspect
Make sure local plumbers do a regular inspection. Having healthy pipes is the ultimate way to increase valuation. If you live in an older home, you should have them inspected if you haven’t done so already. According to Statista, as many as over half the American population lives in a home built before 1980. While it’s great living in an older home, you should understand if that home didn’t have thorough inspections and renovations, it may carry lead piping. Many reputable developers did switch out lead pipes, but there may still be some lingering in certain areas. You should be especially careful if you buy a home that hasn’t been lived in decades, as there may not have been a reason to upgrade it. Lead piping has been linked to neurological disorders, particularly in children. Don’t risk having your family drink and bathe in water contaminated with lead. If you aren’t sure about the status of your piping, have plumbers inspect them and make the necessary replacements. In addition to inspections for a lead, make sure you don’t have any cracks. A cracked pipe can create leaks which turn into water damage.
Avoid Water Damage
Does your home show signs of existing water damage? Early intervention by way of a water restoration service can help increase valuation. Otherwise, more damage will creep in, which will decrease the value. When your home has any untreated water damage, it creates a haven for mold and mildew to thrive. According to CNET, it only takes mold 24 to 72 hours to begin sprouting on a wet surface. When mold is allowed to grow in your home, it won’t stop growing on its own. You would need a water restoration service as your first line of defense to protect your family and property.
If you allow mold to sprout, it can affect your family’s respiratory system. It can cause asthma, lung infections, and other allergic reactions. Mold also weakens your drywall and can cost you a lot of money to repair, as you would have to replace part of your foundation or drywall that’s damaged. No one wants to live in a moldy home, so if it gets out of control, it would be an easy way to destroy home value.
Look Over Your Roof
One of the best ways to increase valuation is by ensuring you have the best roof possible. According to Bob Vila, a roofing company should inspect at least once a year. However, you may need more frequent inspections in an area prone to storms. If your existing roof is at the end of its lifecycle, now is the ideal time to get a better material that’s more durable. Some of the best materials to consider include metal or slate. Asphalt shingles are still the most popular roofing in the United States, due to their versatility in style and color. However, metal roofing has a longer lifespan lasting from 40 to 70 years, according to Bob Vila. Metal also has high fire and wind resistance, is beautiful aesthetically, and helps to improve your energy efficiency.
Invest in Heating
While summer is coming up, the colder months will soon follow. Therefore, now is a perfect time to invest in better heating in your home. Making sure your home is comfortable temperature-wise is always a way to increase valuation. You can invest in or upgrade your existing furnace. Heating oils such as propane are very popular with Americans. Propane is a clean burning oil, and 90% of the one used in the United States is produced domestically.
When it comes to your heating and cooling, make sure your HVAC system is thoroughly inspected. You’ll likely use it more over the summer and over the winter if you have central air. Staying on top of regular HVAC maintenance and repairs can ensure your home is always comfortable, and you don’t ever have a lull in heating or cooling.
Inspect Your Pipes
Make sure your pipes are thoroughly inspected. While you should have an annual inspection, you may need plumbers to check them out more frequently when they get clogged. Professional pipe cleaning can prevent you from being tempted to use harsh over-the-counter chemicals. Because over-the-counter chemicals can do more harm than good, they damage your drains and pipes and can eventually seep out of your septic tank system. Those chemicals don’t solve the clogs long-term. When you have a professional do pipe cleaning, they have tools such as plumbing snakes and diagnostic tools to get to the root of what is causing a consistent clog. Plumbers can ensure the clog isn’t a bigger problem, such as a pipe punctured by a tree or a backed-up sewer system. When you have frequent clogs you can’t handle on your own with hot water flushes, have your plumber make a trip to your home.
Clean Up the Space
An easy way to increase valuation is by ensuring you have a clean, suitable home. Keeping your home clean is essential for your overall health and sanitation. After all, it’s too easy to spread disease or have bacteria linger when you are not cleaning things regularly. When you have certain surfaces that are porous, bacteria and stains can get down into those pores. Plus, an unsightly-looking property will not impress appraisers or a potential home buyer. Therefore, if you have a great deal of clutter, start by hiring a portable dumpster service so you can begin your home cleanout. Once you get rid of excessive items you don’t need you can organize the ones you do need. From there, you may want to invest in custom closet design so you can have better organization and find everything you need quickly.
Purchase New Furniture
The type of furniture you have in your home can also help increase valuation. After all, appraisers take into account your overall design and decor. It can leave a good impression if you have beautiful furniture that’s well-made, particularly wooden pieces. It may be time to go to your local bed shop or get a few custom pieces from Amish wood-making professionals to highlight the existing beauty of your home.
As you can see, there are many steps you can take to increase valuation of your property. Your home is where you live, but it’s also an investment. If you decide to sell it today or leave it for your heirs to deal with upon your death, having a better valuation is good for you and your loved ones. From a better resale value to more equity, a higher home value is worth it. Hopefully, this guide can help you in doing so.
