Homes are significant and costly investments, so it isn’t surprising to see many homeowners going to great lengths to protect their properties’ value. Harvard University research reports that 2020 was a record-breaking year for home upgrades, with Americans spending about $420 billion on home improvement projects. There are numerous investments you can make to preserve your home’s value. If you wish to learn more about protecting your property’s value, please consider these points.
Sign Up For Homeowners Insurance
Homeowners insurance covers any damages and losses to an individual’s house and assets like furniture and jewelry. It typically covers interior damage, exterior damage, loss or damage of assets, and accidents inside the home or on the property. Although homeowners insurance cannot protect your home and its content from damage, it is still worth taking because it offers a financial safety net if the unexpected occurs.
As such, if your residence is destroyed by fire, wind, or hail, this insurance will cushion you and ensure that any structural damage is fixed in no time. In addition, you will receive enough compensation for all home assets covered under your policy. However, it is always prudent to hire an independent homeowners insurance adjuster to help you with the claims process, ensuring that you receive maximum compensation from your insurance provider.
Wage War Against Termites
Termites are perhaps the biggest threats to home value since their devastating damage often goes unnoticed until it is too late. Termites destroy about 600,000 homes annually in the U.S alone, eroding many homes’ wood along the foundational walls and in crawl spaces. The resultant structural damage is significant and sometimes irreversible, affecting other areas around the house.
In addition, termites can damage the wood around your door and windows resulting in brittle frames. As such, it is always prudent to be proactive in your efforts to combat termites. For instance, you can schedule periodic professional inspections to identify signs of termite infestation early. This way, you can reduce damage and pay fewer repair costs. Also, you can contact pest control experts to treat your home for termites even if you don’t have a termite problem to prevent any future infestations and possible damage to your property.
Update Your Plumbing System
Every old home’s plumbing network bears the brunt of aging, so it is always prudent to update your plumbing system to maintain your home’s value. Old and rusty pipes can give you discolored water and build pressure in your pipes if mineral deposits are left untreated over time. Furthermore, you can experience low water pressure when using sinks or showering due to an inefficient plumbing system. These problems could be down to a simple clog in your plumbing or pipes with pinholes and leaks.
These leaky pipes can even destroy your home’s framing and foundation and encourage mold growth and wood rot. All these issues subtract value from your home, so it is always best to invest in a new and more efficient plumbing system to raise your home’s value. In addition, you can even save cash on your water bills when you change your old plumbing system since newer pipes won’t leak and promote water waste.
Replace Your HVAC System
An HVAC system lasts for about 15 years on average, but many homeowners don’t see the need to replace their old HVAC systems that are still working. However, an ancient system will always be inefficient than more modern units on the markets, so you are likely paying more in energy costs. As such, consider replacing your old HVAC system with a current version that will help you save on utilities.
In addition, your home can be more comfortable if you install newer systems since they improve air flow and regulate the temperature throughout different rooms around the house. Lastly, buyers will always consider the condition of a home’s HVAC system before committing to a purchase. Therefore, if you are considering selling your house anytime soon, a newer and more energy-efficient version can boost your chances of getting top dollar for your property.
Prioritize A Front Yard Makeover
Many home improvement experts agree that few projects significantly affect home value than top-notch landscaping. Indeed, a Virginia Tech survey found that landscaping increases perceived home value significantly, resulting in a higher selling price. Consequently, consider a front yard makeover as a quick and effective way to preserve your home’s value. These makeovers are typically easy and inexpensive, so you can readily adapt the DIY approach to home improvement.
Also, a front yard makeover puts your property in the spotlight, making neighbors and passers-by stop and stare frequently. Thankfully, there is no shortage of ideas you can experiment with, from investing in an excellent paver walkway to simply introducing some colors to your planters to keep your front yard looking fresh.
Add A Splash Of Color
A coat of paint in your home’s interior and exterior can give your home a fresh, well-maintained look at minimal costs. Several factors like climate and whether you have minor children or pets will influence how often you should repaint your home’s interior. However, you can do this every five years as a general rule to maximize your home’s aesthetic appeal. In addition, your home’s exterior generally needs repainting less often than its interior, so you can repaint every ten years to keep your house looking fresh.
Deep Clean And Declutter Regularly
Several homeowners postpone deep cleaning and decluttering numerous times until it is no longer feasible to ignore. However, a cluttered and dirty home loses its value over time. Therefore, schedule regular and thorough decluttering and deep cleaning exercises to keep your home in top shape. It’s prudent to pay extra attention to critical areas around the house like your bathrooms and kitchen space since these areas are hotspots. A clean home will always maintain its value and age better over time, prioritizing regular deep cleaning and decluttering to preserve home value.
Your home’s value is somewhat dependent on how you maintain it. Hopefully, you’ll make these investments to boost your home sales.
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