Three Things That Will Increase Your Home’s Curb Appeal

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Curb appeal. It’s all the rage. Ha! It’s always been important. Why? Because first impressions matter. It sets the stage for how you’ll feel when you enter the home. This is why haunted homes during Halloween are decorated with dark colors, have boarded-up windows, dead lawns, and missing floorboards in the stairs and porch. 

“According to a study done by Michigan State University, a home with landscaping and effort put into curb appeal can increase perceived home value by 5 to 11%. Curb appeal can also sell a home faster.” Landmark Home Warranty

Why Should I Increase My Home’s Curb Appeal?

When you decide to sell your home, increasing your curb appeal becomes about selling faster, receiving offers above the listing price, and the return on your investment. If you don’t plan to sell in the immediate future, then the purpose of increasing your home’s curb appeal provides hospitality and homeowner pride.

Your home is your solace from the world, your safe place, and your kingdom in many respects. You can’t control the decor at restaurants or your workplace, but when you come home and see a beautifully landscaped yard, a friendly porch, and a clean roof, it’s hard to not feel proud of your investment — and yourself. 

Tip 1 – Remodel Your Porch 

If your home’s façade doesn’t have a porch, let’s design-build one for you. This is a simple way to create a welcoming area. Include a walkway to the front door, a new door with sidelights, upgraded sconces, and landscaping at the walkway and you’ll fall in love with your home all over again. 

Photo: Better Homes & Gardens

Increasing the lighting along the path and on the porch also allows guests to walk up to your home without walking around the vehicles in your driveway as well as help with security. Okay, guests could mean the Amazon delivery person, unless you opt for Key by Amazon.

“Replacing your exterior lighting fixtures is a great way to update your home’s look and make your house look more welcoming. After updating the exterior’s lighting fixtures, make sure to leave the entryway lights on at night to illuminate your yard and keep your home aglow.” ROCKET Mortgage 

Tip 2 – Update Your Roof

The average home costs about $7,000 for a new roof and, oftentimes, that cost can be financed as low as 0% interest. Well, you could put it on your Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card and gain some travel points, but we’re not your accountant. 

With that said, according to Landmark Home Warranty, updating your roof gains 105% ROI. It seems like protecting your home from water damage while increasing your home’s curb appeal is a win-win.

Tip 3 – Relandscape Your Front Yard

You knew we were going to mention landscaping, didn’t you? That’s because you’ve been thinking about it ever since the neighbors moved in and relandscaped their yards. It’s okay. The best day to start is today. We can add flower beds, trim your trees, and add hardscaping. If you don’t want to spend time watering, we can talk about sprinklers and drip irrigation. Landscaping adds 14% to your home’s resale value and allows your home to sell 6 weeks faster. 

Photo: Meyer Landscaping

“When thinking of an overall plan to attack the outside of your home, whether painting trim, adding flowers boxes, or landscaping the yard, don’t be shy and go for some pops of color and other interesting architectural flourishes that will make your home stand out and be more noticeable from the street.” Best Life 

Get Your Estimate Today!

Are you getting ready to sell your home or would you like to increase your home’s curb appeal? For whatever reason, we’re here for you. Let’s schedule an appointment and talk about your remodel.

Can I Convert a Bedroom Into an Office?

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With the workplace landscape’s evolution significantly thrown forward by the pandemic, more and more knowledge workers are opting to work from home. Because of this, many homeowners are adding on to their homes, converting garages, and closing in lofts — if they’re not buying a new house to suit their needs. 

The short answer is, yes, you can convert a bedroom into an office. There are a few things to consider, however. The bedroom you shouldn’t use as an office isn’t the one you sleep in. This is a big mistake as it affects your sleep hygiene, mental health, and can cause issues with your partner. And you’ll want your home office to fit in with the overall decor of your home. That’s one of the main benefits of working from home — to create a space you feel at peace.

“Home office furniture should complement other rooms in your house instead of screaming ‘soulless cubicle.’” HGTV

What Are Considerations for Choosing A Bedroom to Convert?

Jack and Jill bedrooms have come back in fashion and, with the bathroom between them, one of those bedrooms as an office could be an issue. You won’t want someone showering or flushing the toilet (so much no) while you’re on a client call or Zoom meeting with your team. If, however, the other bedroom is a guest bedroom, that could definitely work (until your adult son moves back in and then you need to have a conversation — but that’s another blog post).

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When is a Good Time for a Kitchen Remodel?

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A lot of customers ask, “When is a good time for a kitchen remodel?” Of course, that answer depends on a number of factors. Will you be living in the home? Are you frequently entertaining guests? Where do you spend the holidays?

This is why we approach every kitchen remodel as a unique project. With that said, the best time for a kitchen remodel may actually be the spring and summer seasons. The time a remodel takes depends, of course, on the availability of your cabinets, surfaces, and appliance choices as well.

How Long Does a Kitchen Remodel Take?

On average a major kitchen remodel takes 12-20 weeks. Of course, this can vary depending upon your square footage. Cosmetic changes involving fewer subcontractors can be done in 3-5 weeks. How quickly the remodel takes depends upon your tolerance for disruption as well as your self-awareness of your actual budget. Don’t forget, every design change adds time to the project schedule. 

“Kitchen remodels are unique because they require a lot of moving parts and coordination of electricians, plumbers and other subcontractors, some of whom must wait for the work of others to be completed (for example, cabinets before your sink) before they can proceed.” HGTV

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