The value of a home made gift
bossyvossy
8 years ago
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lucillle
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agobossyvossy
8 years agoRelated Discussions
home improvements that add value
Comments (9)Are you planning to sell soon? If so, I would just fix things in the bathrooms that might look worn out like faucets, and external shower hardware. The wallpaper will be a great project too. I donÂt think that any major improvements will improve your homeÂs value more than the amount of money that you put into them (70% is really good), especially if you have to pay someone to do it or do a less than quality job. If youÂre not selling very soon then I think you should improve the bath however you like so you can enjoy it. If you have the common shower/tub combo in there I think that the walk in shower would be more useful - they have came up with a lot neat stuff to put in one. Coming up with the extra room for a separate spa tub in there and moving around walls for a walk-in closet and a sitting area would be nice too though :). Another thing that you might have on your list (or is already done) is updating your HVAC system. Also (if selling) make sure that the roof has a number of years (5?) left in it....See MoreWhich remodel would be better for my house value?
Comments (17)I vote for the bathroom. If you are "looking ahead", here's our story. In 1989 we bought a 2bd 1ba cottage with an illegal 2-room apartment on the ground floor/garage level. After taking a hideous 18 months to remodel it in fits and starts, in 1991 it became a 2bd 2ba with a master suite downstairs to replace the apartment. When the RE appraiser came to look at it, he criticised us for putting in such a "disproportionate" and "huge" bedroom suite. Remember this is 1991 - very few people had ever seen big remodeled kitchens and master bedroom suites in our (older housing) city, let alone HAD them. We didn't get the appraisal amt we hoped for and couldn't refinance. Fast-forward to 2003. Neighborhood is gentrifying fast, old people moving out and young couples moving in. We decide to take out some equity and try the refinance again. Appraiser comes out, walks in the door, and says, "Wow, great job!" (tall cathedral ceilings, big picture windows looking out towards the hills). He goes downstairs and says, "And you even have a master bedroom suite! Gee, lots of people want these nowadays and so few of the houses around here have them!" We got an incredible appraisal, in fact he pulled comps on 3bd homes because he said so few 2bd homes in our area had the features we did. My niece and nephew, both of whom own homes and are getting married this year, would kill to have a master bathroom ensuite. Go for it!...See MoreHas the decline in your home's value
Comments (43)christopherh, Yes, I understand what you're saying. We had a similar emotion when we delivered all of those turkeys. My DH spent two nights this week serving at the Hospice booth in the local shopping mall, he's rang the bell for the Salvation Army, his bank does the Angel tree like your community does & people are very generous, we donated an antique painting this year for a silent auction benefiting Make A Wish (a charity close to my heart), I've made thousands of phone calls for the hospital since T-day, QVC always has a Today's Special Value during the holiday season of Weekly Reader books & I always purchase a few sets & donate to our local libray & hospital, I've been playing Christmas carols at the nursing home near my house twice/week for a month, & we will be serving dinner to the homeless on Christmas Day after breakfast with our family. Sure, we make financial donations & many organizations prefer that but there's huge need for volunteers. Organizations are always chronically short on volunteers. Thank you for giving freely of your time & money to the needy. And, it's true...we can't forget after New Year's. People need help twelve months a year! My DH also can't give plasma. On his third attempt the nurse told him to return to just giving blood. He gives every three months unless medications make him ineligible. I can't donate blood due to health & medications & I greatly admire all those who keep our national blood supply going. So, kudos to all of you who donate! To keep this OT...charities are reporting donations are down pretty much across the board this year & they are attributing it to people having less disposable income due to higher food & energy costs on the home front. It wouldn't surprise me either if some of those who've lost their homes to foreclosure are also part of the increased need at the food banks. /t...See MoreLaminate Flooring and Home Resale Value
Comments (11)I didn't see a link. Is it this one? Looks beautiful. http://www.sunspeedfloors.com.cn/product/60026661428-221350494/Hallmark_12_3mm_acacia_light_handscraped_laminate_flooring.html It's interesting. I posted a similar question on the house buying and selling board, and the response to the idea of laminate was more positive there. While some realtors made the point that laminate doesn't add as much intrinsic value as wood, they did say the appearance counted for a lot when it comes to resale. Some other New Mexico residents said it holds up better to the evaporative cooling systems we use here, and others said it wasn't worth investing so much in floors here unless you were staying a long time since the market here is so bad....See Moremamatoad
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