If you have lived in your home long enough to watch the seedling
your son brought home from a 1st grade field trip turn into a towering
pine, then you probably feel as though your home is more than just
a house. It is an extension of you as a member of the family. And
the neighborhood surrounding you is as comfortably familiar as a
favorite old sweater.
However, have you ever considered whether or not you are currently
getting as much value out of your home as you would like? As families
grow and change, their needs change. Is your home out of sync with
your present lifestyle?
Now that your kids are older, they may want to use your kitchen
more often as they entertain their own friends. Do you have space
for more than one cook to work at a time, or does it frustrate you
that your kitchen feels so crowded? Readjusting the space so that
you can add an island with a second sink could give you just the
elbowroom you desire.
If you are an empty nester, you may not need all those extra bedrooms.
Think how much better that space could be utilized if you were to
bring it up to date by remodeling it into a media room, a home office
or even an exercise room.
Another thought to consider is whether or not your home has good
market value, should you decide to sell it later on. Despite how
important your home is to you right now, realtors report that every
3 to 5 years, on the average, Americans move and sell their homes.
With statistics like that, it also makes sense to maintain your
home with possible resale in mind.
Attention to a few pointers from the realtors will make it so that
you can sell your house for more when the time comes and in the
meantime, enjoy it more!
When people choose to buy an older home instead of a new one, they
usually select this option because of the convenience, value, and
charm of an older home. However, they may shy away because of concerns
about functional room layout and potential maintenance costs. Your
home can be especially attractive when it offers the best of both
worlds: an older home with its charm, plus well planned and remodeled
living areas, a well maintained exterior, and reliable mechanical
systems. Future buyers will pay well for the peace of mind and meanwhile
you'll have it for yourself.
The two areas in the home that impress buyers most, either positively
or negatively are the kitchen and bathrooms. If your kitchen is
dark or bathrooms dingy, the real problem may have to do with the
layout of the rooms or their lighting plan. As you look at your
bathroom, is it cluttered because storage space is inadequate or
inconvenient? Or maybe your kitchen countertops stay dirty because
the surface material is of vintage quality. With forethought you
can make planned changes now that will eliminate the necessity of
last minute patch ups at the time of sale. Not only that, the remodeling
expenses may actually pay for themselves when you sell the house.
So even though you plan to stay in your home well into your Golden
Years, keep in mind that we do live in a transient society. For
your own sake now, and for the sake of selling your home later,
take a good look around. Make sure it is the home both you and a
future buyer would like it to be.
|
