Weekend DIY Projects to Improve Your Gilbert AZ Home Value

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Weekend DIY Projects to Improve Your Gilbert AZ Home Value

Posted on December 29, 2014

The best home improvements are those that have a high return on the investment. Remodeling Magazine publishes an annual Cost vs. Value Report, analyzing the ROI of 35 separate remodeling projects. You can even look at the return based on your region.

The report is based on the assumption that you're using professional labor to perform the remodel. You'll get an even higher return on your dollar, when it's time to sell your home, if you do the job yourself.

We've compiled our own list of DIY projects that buyers like, you'll enjoy in the meantime, and you can accomplish in a weekend. To keep it simple, we focused on two areas of the home that are key when it comes time to sell: the entryway and kitchen.

Upgrade Your Entry
As potential buyers walk up to your home, they can't help but notice the door. Upgrading to a new entry door is the perfect weekend DIY project. Even better, it's one of the projects listed on the Cost vs. Value Report, year after year, as a remodel that returns most of the investment upon the sale of a home.

According to the 2014 Cost vs. Value Report, a replacement steel door recoups 96.6 percent of the investment, while a new fiberglass door will offer an ROI of 70.8 percent.

However, the report factors in labor to determine how much of the cost is recouped. When you install the door yourself, your return can only be higher.

Even if you've never done anything similar, hanging a door isn't beyond your capabilities. Expect to spend less than a day on this project.

Touch Up the Kitchen
Everyone seems to gravitate to the kitchen, and many buyers consider it the most important room in a home.

For the first time in a decade, a minor kitchen remodel increases home value by almost as much as the money spent to accomplish it, according to the "Minor Kitchen Remodel" analysis included in the Cost vs. Value Report. Keeping in mind that the figures include labor costs, the report claims an average ROI of 82.7 percent on the project.

Any single item on our list will make a noticeable difference in the feel and value of your kitchen.

Refinish your cabinetry. Modern veneer kits make resurfacing cabinet boxes fairly easy. Take off the doors and remove the drawers first. After installing the veneer, put new drawers in place. Add new knobs and pulls as well. The result: new-looking cabinets at a fraction of the cost.

Replace the countertops. Depending on the new counter surface selected, replacing a countertop is fairly simple and not likely to take more than a day or two.

Install new sink hardware. A mid-priced sink and new faucet freshen up the look of an older kitchen. Don't be afraid to try a different style or material.

Go shopping. New appliances can only increase your home value. Focus on ovens and cooktops that offer greater energy efficiency.

Focus on the flooring. As much traffic as the kitchen witnesses, the floor gets worn out easily. Consider installing new flooring to raise the value of your home.

When contemplating remodel projects, keep in mind that it's possible to over-improve a home, depending on the neighborhood and real estate market. Compare your home's features to those of nearby homes to get a better idea of what will prove valuable – or not – in your area.

View more Home Owner tips at www.SweeEastValleyHomes.com

Swee Ng, is a Gilbert resident specializing in win-win real estate transaction through great communication and fighting for his clients' best interest. After all, this is more than real estates, this is about your life and your dreams.

If you are looking to buy or sell your home in Gilbert AZ, we hope you will consider us.

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How to Cut Your Air Conditioning Bill

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When temperatures rise outside, it's natural to seek cool shelter indoors. For many people, that means flipping on the air conditioning unit and taking it easy. Keeping the air cool is more than a luxury for some families; elderly parents and young children cannot tolerate excessively high temperatures. However, the need for air conditioning puts many families at financial risk. A pricey combination of rising fuel costs and high electrical demand make summertime electric bills hard to manage.

According to Energy Star, the American family pays nearly $1,000 a year on heating and cooling their homes; that figure is above other electrical costs! You don't have to risk exposing your loved ones to brutal heat to save money. Take advantage of some money-saving tips and beat the summer heat.

• Help circulate cool air through the home by placing an oscillating fan in family rooms, like a living room or dining room.
• Keep the temperature at constant temperature and avoid dropping the thermostat too low. Lowering the temperature costs you money and won't cool the home any faster.
• Raise the thermostat 2 to 3 degrees before you leave for work if no one will be home. The energy experts at APS say that moving the temperature up 5 degrees for eight hours a day can save you $3 to $5 a month.
• Install a whole house fan system. Whole house fans pull the hot attic air out of the home and keeps the air circulating, giving your home a cooling effect. This move could chill your home by a few degrees.
•  Replace old air conditioning units. If your window unit is a decade old, it needs to be replaced with an energy efficient unit. If your home has central AC, have the thermostat calibrated and the system charged yearly. APS says homeowners should replace their older SEER units (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) to save energy bucks. Replacing a unit with a SEER rating of 10 with one that has an 18 SEER rating you could save up to 50% on your AC costs annually.
•  Change the air conditioning filters regularly; once a month is suitable. Good air flow across the filter will cut down on cooling costs and stop allergens from floating around your home. FPL Energy Services say that air filters cost between $10 and $25 a piece, but replacing them can save you 5 to 15 percent on your monthly bill.
• Hang insulated curtains in your windows. Sheer curtains look nice, but they don't provide any barrier between you and the outdoor heat. Keep windows covered during hot afternoons.

Also, do a walk through of your home while the air is on. Check for leaks around windows and doors. Sometimes your energy dollars simply float out the window!

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Great Kitchens Sell Homes

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The kitchen is the most important room to stage in your home. Potential home buyers will want to view it void of unnecessary countertop appliances and clutter. By showcasing your kitchen in the best possible light, you can potentially sell your home faster and increase the closing price.  Even in a slow real estate market, making your kitchen attractive to a buyer could make the difference.

Clean up the kitchen
Studies have shown that one of the dirtiest places in the home is the kitchen. Before you list, pull out those rubber gloves and give everything a good scrub so that the kitchen sparkles. Replace unsightly floor tiles, or in a worst-case scenario, consider a complete floor makeover. Pay special attention to the cabinetry; in older homes, it is common to see cracks in the beaded caulking between the ceiling and the trim above the cupboards. For less than $10, you can buy a pre-mixed tube of crack filler and make it look like new. Also, to give the kitchen an inexpensive facelift, consider replacing the fixturing – an affordable way to give doors and drawers a second wind.

Clutter is a kitchen killer
Kitchens are the focal point of almost every home. A great rule of thumb for the staging of a kitchen is to leave no more than two appliances on your counter. After you have uncluttered the kitchen counter, brighten and soften the space by adding some fresh fruit, new dishtowels, a cookbook, and plants or flowers.

Modernizing today will help you sell tomorrow
Modernizing your kitchen can help you sell your home for years to come. Renovating your kitchen now will let you enjoy new appliances while boosting the value of your home for the future. While you may want to take specific appliances with you, stainless steel can make almost any kitchen sing. Another way to add value to your kitchen is to install concealed appliances – hiding the dishwasher and fridge, for example, can really spice up your kitchen for buyers. Also popular are dual microwave/convection oven (prices can vary between $200 - $900 for higher-end stainless built-ins) – another appliance quickly becoming a staple in most modern kitchens.

If you can’t replace appliances, be sure to have them repaired and cleaned. It’s also a good idea to clean your fridge and stove, as buyers will almost always open oven and fridge doors.

Lighting
Take the time to make sure all the existing light fixtures have working light bulbs. Make sure the blinds are open on all the windows and, if required, add a small table lamp or two to accent a dark corner.

… And the kitchen sink
Another kitchen remodeling idea is to upgrade your “sinkware.” New faucets, soap dispensers and sinks (whether you are reglazing or replacing altogether) are affordable ways to give the kitchen an immediate facelift. Don’t forget, buyers love to turn on the kitchen faucet when touring a home.

The kitchen is the most important room and biggest selling feature in your house. Staging it properly can make every potential buyer say, “this could be my kitchen.

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Top 10 Home Improvement Myths

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Not all home improvements are created equal. Even in a seller’s market, it’s important that homeowners make the right investments that will yield higher returns.

Top 10 Home Improvement Myths
1. Any remodeling project will add value to your home.
While many remodeling projects will add value to a home, some can be seen as a negative by future buyers. For instance, combining two smaller bedrooms to create one larger bedroom may better fit one homeowner’s lifestyle today, but it may cause the home to lose value in the eyes of a future buyer who needs the two separate rooms.

2. Buying the highest-quality materials attracts more buyers.
Installing high-end materials may seem like a wise decision, but it can backfire. For instance, using the most expensive tile in a bathroom may create an impressive appearance, but value-conscious buyers may opt for a more affordable home if the seller has over-improved compared to others in the neighborhood.

3. Adding square footage always adds value.
A better way to think about this statement is to insert the word useable into the sentence. Finished attics and basements – even if considered liveable by local standards – may not be attractive to a buyer if they are not finished to the same standards as the rest of the home.

4. Colors and textures – safe and simple is better.
Keeping a home “vanilla” so buyers can choose their own style and décor might be a safe bet, but it ignores the fact that most buyers just don’t have the ability to visualize the home differently. Without splashes of color and mixtures of texture, sellers can lose value to others that have taken the time to consult with an interior designer.

5. Inside improvements are better than outside improvements.
Not necessarily. If a home’s exterior has been neglected or doesn't offer a good curb appeal, a buyer might stop there – and then the seller’s efforts on on the inside may not net them any more dollars. To get the biggest bang for their remodeling buck, sellers should start from the outside and work their way in.

6. Adding a bedroom is better than adding a bathroom.
It depends on the starting point. If a seller only has one or two bedrooms to start with, adding a bedroom before adding a second bath is probably a wise choice since most buyers are more attracted to three-bedroom homes. On the other hand, if the home already has three bedrooms and only one bath, the sellers’s next investment should probably be in a new bathroom.

7. Paint hides a multitude of sins.
Dry rot? Fungus damage? Mold problems? Carpenter ants? Termite issues? Nothing a can of paint can’t fix, right? Wrong! Not only does this practice violate disclosure laws in most states, it can set sellers up for liability after the sale, as most buyers will want the sellers to foot the bill for these hidden issues.

8. Converting a garage to living space is a great trade-off.
Nope. A garage conversion is almost always viewed negatively by future home buyers unless the sellers replace the lost garage with another parking and storage space of equal size.

9. Sellers can save money by doing improvements themselves.
For some homeowners, wiring a new lighting fixture or plumbing a new dishwasher is a no-brainer, but for others it may end up costing more later if they have to have the work redone by a professional. Another consideration is local and state laws regarding remodeling work: In many states if a buyer has purchased a home to remodel and resell, they must either hold a contractor’s license or hire a contractor to do the work for them.

10. Pools add value to your home.
This is only true in areas where pools are must-have amenities. In most areas of the country, pools have more limited appeal – and the idea of maintaining a pool for ten months out of the year when it can’t be enjoyed won’t appeal to most buyers.

Knowing these top home-improvement myths will allow you to help your seller clients choose the right remodeling projects. But don’t stop there. To keep your pulse on the amenities that are coveted most in your market, talk to local remodeling professionals, contractors, and home-improvement specialists on a regular basis.

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