The Right Renovations to Help Sell Your Elmhurst Home
Home renovations can be costly and stressful, but we go through them because they generally provide some return on investment or they simply give us the feeling of freshness in our home.
The key is to know what will and what won’t pay back all that work when you sell your DuPage County home. From CNNMoney.com, here are four common renovation mistakes to avoid.
1. Being Trendy – Things that are hot today will likely be passé in five or ten years. This includes fads like glass tiles and the vessel sinks that sit on top of the counter. Better choices are things that match the original style of your Elmhurst, Illinois home. For example, you might not want contemporary styling in a vintage 1920’s house.
2. No Specific Design Plans – For more involved projects like additions or moving walls, think about hiring an architect to draw up some plans. You might spend anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000, but it could help avoid disasters mid-way through the renovation. Showroom salespeople and some contractors just don’t have the special training that comes with an architect.
3. Over-the-Top Kitchens – In reality, a kitchen only represents from 5 percent to 15 percent of your home’s value, so that’s about what your renovation budget should be. And know that you probably won’t recoup the costs for those extra-special appliances or countertops. Most experts feel that a full kitchen renovation isn’t necessary unless the room is truly a disaster.
4. Overconfidence in Green – Making your Elmhurst property more energy-efficient is a good thing, but it shouldn’t be the sole reason for a project as you likely won’t get a huge return from it. The salesperson at the window company will claim that new windows will save you 50 percent on your energy bill, but experts know that windows really only account for about 15 percent of heat loss. Typically that’s a savings of just $50 to $175 annually. If you want new windows, your selling advantage will be the added value to the house—not the green factor.
In today’s market, buyers are looking at more than new or updated kitchens and bathrooms. They want the total package, and they know they can get it. Remodeling done with thought and attention can absolutely add value to any real estate in DuPage County, IL, make it more marketable, and pay you back accordingly in the sale.
Our commitment to customers means we’ll be there for all of your real estate needs. If you’re looking to buy or sell Elmhurst real estate, contact the Gracik Makinney Group, or call (630) 567-5902.
