Tag Archives: curb appeal

Enhancing Your Outdoor Space with Gravel

Your outdoor space, if properly showcased, can act as additional living space and add to your home’s value upon resale.   Here are some very inviting spaces that other homeowners have created with the use of gravel in their landscape.  Before using gravel in large areas of your landscape, you should always check your city code and any HOA restrictions that might apply to the use of gravel.  Enjoy!

 

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding adding value to your home, or if you are considering buying or selling a home!

 

You are Invited!

The beautiful house, with incredible views, is having an open house Sunday, May 22 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm!  You are invited to come and take a look in person (slide show below)!  I hope to see you there!

2662 W 118th Ave, Westminster CO  80234

house straight on, hi def

2662 W 118th Ave, Westminster CO 80234         Click Here for more Info and Photos!

Curb Appeal: Is it worth the investment?

Here’s an article specifically talking about the value of curb appeal, from a dollars and cents perspective.  It even breaks it down to what trees and fencing are worth. Most landscaping (as with any home project) should be done for your own enjoyment, but it does add to the value of your home, either in the form of a faster sale or in the form of a higher sales price when you decide to sell.   Some experts believe that mature landscaping can add up to 25% to the value of your home.  If you have been thinking of sprucing up your exterior- have a look at this link!  It may give you some good ideas of where to invest your money.
http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/landscaping-gardening/landscaping-home-value/

 

 

 

Denver’s Top 5 “Biggest Bang for the Buck” Home Improvement Projects!

Many sellers ask me what they can do to improve the value of their homes at resale.  Every year, Remodeling Magazine and Realtor Magazine cooperate to research the costs and value-added of numerous home improvement projects in a wide range of costs.  The research is conducted at the national, regional, and even the city/local level.  This year, the information was compiled in the Remodeling 2014 Cost vs. Value Report (www.costvsvalue.com).

What I am going to summarize here is the information specifically for the Denver metro area.  The average cost and the average amount recouped for each project can vary greatly depending on the area of the country that you are in.   If you live outside the Denver area, you should go to www.costvsvalue.com to search for the information for your specific area of interest.

Although, for copyright reasons, I cannot list all of the projects here in this blog post, I can say that my overall observation of all the projects is that, with a few exceptions, most projects with “upscale” finishes do not recoup as much of their cost as projects done with mid-range finishes.  So, my advice for sellers would be that you should view any luxury finishes as a “value-added” or “personal enjoyment” factor for yourself while you are living in the home.  You most likely will not get back what you spent when it comes time to sell.  While you should recoup a higher actual dollar amount for a high-end project versus a mid-range project, it may not be as high a return when stated as a percentage of the cost of the project.

The Five Projects in Denver that have the highest amount of cost recouped are:

Project Cost Resale Value Percentage of Cost Recouped
Upscale Siding replacement (fiber-cement) $13,250 $13,560 102.3%
Mid-range Attic Bedroom Remodel $48,664 $46,253 95.0%
Mid-range 2-story Addition $153,017 $136,713 89.3%
Upscale Garage Door Replacement $2,793 $2,479 88.8%
Upscale Siding Replacement (foam-backed vinyl) $14,028 $12,358 88.1%

 

 

My thoughts, looking at these top 5 projects for Denver, are that the type of work that recoups the most money can be categorized as upscale projects that improve curb appeal and/or midrange projects that add additional living space. Something to keep in mind, is that the report is based on AVERAGE costs and values for each project.  Your costs and values may be different depending on how well you shop and the neighborhood you are in.  If you wish to recoup as much as possible for your improvements, my advice would be:

  1. do the improvements that are valued by the buyers in your area,
  2. only improve to the level of expectation of buyers for your neighborhood (don’t over-improve),
  3. shop carefully to reduce the cost of the improvements made.

SOURCES:   1. ©2014 Hanley Wood, LLC.  Complete data from the Remodeling 2014 Cost Vs. Value Report can be downloaded free at www.costvsvalue.com. 2. National Association of Realtors (http://www.realtor.org/news-releases/2014/01/realtors-rate-exterior-replacement-projects-among-most-valuable-home-improvements. 3.  Photo copyrighted by Microsoft.

Additional information that may be of interest can be found at these sites:

http://www.houselogic.com/photos/home-improvement/best-home-improvement/slide/steel-entry-door/

http://www.houselogic.com/home-topics/features-of-an-ideal-kitchen

If you would like a free consultation about the current value of your home, or suggestions for improving the marketability and resale value of your home, please feel free to contact Joan, by either calling 720-201-3049 or submitting the form below.

The “Honey Do” List for Fall is Here!

Fall has officially arrived, and now is the time to tuck in your landscaping and prepare your home for the cooler weather ahead.  I have never really made a study of how to take care of the “green things” that live outside my house.  That job is delegated to someone else in my household.  However, I do believe that it is important to know what should be done this time of year, even if you hire someone else to do it for you.

Good landscaping adds value to your home (maybe as high as 10-15% according to some industry estimates).  And as a realtor, I have seen many a buyer pull up to the curb of the seller’s home and just keeping driving- ruling out the house without ever going inside!  When you are selling, curb appeal means a faster sale and more money in your pocket!

Here are some very good articles that will give you some tips on how to take care of things outside so that you can protect the value of your home!  

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<a href=”http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/landscaping-gardening/landscaping-mistakes-wreck-curb-appeal/” style=”letter-spacing:normal!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif!important;color:#16a8d3!important; text-decoration:none!important;”>
<img style=”border:0 none;” src=”http://c0263062.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/content/images/sized/landscaping-mistakes-curb-appeal-bushes-deer_f757f446a977745ebe6eaecd9cb4ed5d_1x1_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg” alt=”Deer feasting on plants in a yard” title=”landscaping-mistakes-curb-appeal-deer” />
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<h3 style=”letter-spacing:normal!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif!important;float:left;width:373px;margin:0; font-size:16px!important; font-weight:bold!important;”><a style=”color:#16a8d3!important; text-decoration:none!important;” href=”http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/landscaping-gardening/landscaping-mistakes-wreck-curb-appeal/” target=”_blank”>7 Landscaping Mistakes That Wreck Curb Appeal</a></h3>
<p style=”letter-spacing:normal!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif!important;margin:0;float:left;width:373px;”>Don’t let badly designed or maintained landscaping wreck your home’s curb appeal. Here are pitfalls to avoid. <a target=”_blank” style=”color:#16a8d3!important; text-decoration:none!important;” href=”http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/landscaping-gardening/landscaping-mistakes-wreck-curb-appeal/”>Read</a></p>
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<a href=”http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/plants-trees/tree-care/” style=”letter-spacing:normal!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif!important;color:#16a8d3!important; text-decoration:none!important;”>
<img style=”border:0 none;” src=”http://c0263062.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/content/images/sized/tree-care-pruning-yard_1x1_ea5977e447416c4e289ed0b61897559b_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg” alt=”Pruning a Bartlett pear tree in the early spring” title=”tree-care-pruning-yard” />
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<h3 style=”letter-spacing:normal!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif!important;float:left;width:373px;margin:0; font-size:16px!important; font-weight:bold!important;”><a style=”color:#16a8d3!important; text-decoration:none!important;” href=”http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/plants-trees/tree-care/” target=”_blank”>How to Properly Care for Trees</a></h3>
<p style=”letter-spacing:normal!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif!important;margin:0;float:left;width:373px;”>When trees fail to thrive, they (and you) have a problem. Here are tips on how to care for your trees to prevent troubles. <a target=”_blank” style=”color:#16a8d3!important; text-decoration:none!important;” href=”http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/plants-trees/tree-care/”>Read</a></p>
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<a href=”http://www.houselogic.com/blog/lawns/get-rid-of-lawn/” style=”letter-spacing:normal!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif!important;color:#16a8d3!important; text-decoration:none!important;”>
<img style=”border:0 none;” src=”http://c0263062.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/content/images/sized/how-prevent-weeds-sprouting-dandelion_e782af07aa9e06171e904ff1fd180678_1x1_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg” alt=”Dandelion growing in grass” title=”get-rid-lawn-dandelion” />
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<h3 style=”letter-spacing:normal!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif!important;float:left;width:373px;margin:0; font-size:16px!important; font-weight:bold!important;”><a style=”color:#16a8d3!important; text-decoration:none!important;” href=”http://www.houselogic.com/blog/lawns/get-rid-of-lawn/” target=”_blank”>Should We Get Rid of Our Lawns?</a></h3>
<p style=”letter-spacing:normal!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif!important;margin:0;float:left;width:373px;”>To some, a lawn is their yard’s crowning glory. To others, it’s a big hit on the pocketbook and the environment. Where do you stand? <a target=”_blank” style=”color:#16a8d3!important; text-decoration:none!important;” href=”http://www.houselogic.com/blog/lawns/get-rid-of-lawn/”>Read</a></p>
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<a href=”http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/lawns/lawn-maintenance-calendar/” style=”letter-spacing:normal!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif!important;color:#16a8d3!important; text-decoration:none!important;”>
<img style=”border:0 none;” src=”http://c0263062.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/content/images/sized/lawn-maintenance-calendar-lawnmower-blade_1x1_cdadd70eb9975eed57d6a281c01b5151_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg” alt=”Changing the blade on a lawn mower” title=”lawn-maintenance-calendar-lawnmower-blade” />
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<h3 style=”letter-spacing:normal!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif!important;float:left;width:373px;margin:0; font-size:16px!important; font-weight:bold!important;”><a style=”color:#16a8d3!important; text-decoration:none!important;” href=”http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/lawns/lawn-maintenance-calendar/” target=”_blank”>Season-by-Season Lawn Maintenance Calendar</a></h3>
<p style=”letter-spacing:normal!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif!important;margin:0;float:left;width:373px;”>Follow our season-by-season lawn maintenance calendar to get a barefoot-worthy lawn and ensure great curb appeal. <a target=”_blank” style=”color:#16a8d3!important; text-decoration:none!important;” href=”http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/lawns/lawn-maintenance-calendar/”>Read</a></p>
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<a href=”http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/plants-trees/dangerous-tree/” style=”letter-spacing:normal!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif!important;color:#16a8d3!important; text-decoration:none!important;”>
<img style=”border:0 none;” src=”http://c0263062.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/content/images/sized/tree-fall-into-house_1x1_bda09b5d05d5808716eddd513ae15440_jpg_80x80_q85.jpg” alt=”Tree that has fallen into a house” title=”tree-fall-into-house” />
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<h3 style=”letter-spacing:normal!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif!important;float:left;width:373px;margin:0; font-size:16px!important; font-weight:bold!important;”><a style=”color:#16a8d3!important; text-decoration:none!important;” href=”http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/plants-trees/dangerous-tree/” target=”_blank”>Is Your Tree Going to Fall Over?</a></h3>
<p style=”letter-spacing:normal!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif!important;margin:0;float:left;width:373px;”>Sometimes a valuable tree uproots without warning; but most often, your tree sends distress signals before it topples. <a target=”_blank” style=”color:#16a8d3!important; text-decoration:none!important;” href=”http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/plants-trees/dangerous-tree/”>Read</a></p>
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<p style=”letter-spacing:normal!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif!important;margin:0 0 12px!important; color:#000!important; font-size:12px!important;”>Visit <a style=”color:#16a8d3!important; text-decoration:none!important;” href=”http://www.houselogic.com”>houselogic.com</a> for more articles like this.</p>
<p style=”letter-spacing:normal!important;font-family:Arial,sans-serif!important;margin:0 0 12px!important; color:#000!important; font-size:11px!important;”> Copyright 2013 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®</p>
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 When you are ready to sell your home, give me a call!   I can give you a more personalized curb appeal plan for your home, so that we can get it sold quickly!