It's that time again! Tredyffrin Easttown homeowners bet you forgot about making any resolutions for your house!
You know the start of the new year when everyone makes personal resolutions, new personal and business goals, a word to live the year by.
That is all well and good on the personal front, we all need to continue to grow. But as a Tredyffrin Easttown home owner have you made or set any resolutions or goals for your home this year?
When you buy a home, it is never perfect, whatever we tell ourselves and all our friends. Even those buying multi-million dollar homes usually make changes before or when they move in. Often when you live in a home you realize this or that does not work how you thought it would, so it needs changing. Remember that home inspection report you shelved or stuck in a draw, often it includes items to repair, renew or maintain over time.
1) The start of the year is a good time to look over your original home inspection if you bought a home in the last few years. What was noted that you need to maintain, is it doable by yourself or do you need to find a contractor?
2) If you bought a home more than 5-10 years ago it may be worthwhile to arrange another inspection to see if anything major needs to be fixed.
3) How about painting, this is an easy job to tackle if you feel inclined or easy to find a local painter and one that gives so much instant gratification and a feelof updating a home. When was the last time your walls or trim had a fresh coat of paint. Often we paint inside and forget the outside trim needs care as well especially around the windows, caulk and paint.
4) Do any doors or storm doors need updating or replacing? What about your roofs or gutters? Gutter covers are a boon when the leaves fall, and can improve the length of life of your gutters.
5) Flooring, maybe when you moved in you thought about replacing carpets or putting hardwood down but never got around to it, maybe now is the time?
6) What about your heater or air conditioning units, hot water heaters or appliances are you budgeting for replacement over time? Make an appointment now for maintenance and prolong their lives.
7) Are there any projects you want to tackle in the yard, hardscaping projects give a high return rate compared to cost, planning them out may take some time, but often doing this ahead of time saves money and lets you obtain permits when necessary and allows you to find a contractor who will be ready to start work and understand exactly what you want to acheive. How about planning your garden, either starting a vegetable plot and growing your own healthy vegetables free of pesticides or planning out the flowers around a patio to give the best splash of color through the seasons.
8) Does your driveway need repair or maintenance this year?
9) What about your septic system does it need emptying or cleaning? Do you have a well, when was the last time you had the water quality checked?
It is so easy to overlook these projects, but we have found making a list at the start of the year allows us to plan out a time to do the work, budget for it and prioritize the jobs as well. Some things are a priority, others are if we get time we will tackle them.
Owning a home requires a constant investment, even a new home requires maintenance, like a car needs tuning up so does your home.
While you are at it, keep a file with all the receipts and photos of work done, before and after so when you come to sell you have a record and can share this with potential owners. Show them you have cared for the home removes a lot of the worry new buyers have about cost of ownership and increases the value of your home.
Making resolutions can be a pain, but when you look back and realize you did what was required or you wanted to achieve for your home at year end will make you feel a lot better and end up putting money in your pocket when you come to sell.
This may be the year you decide to move, remember we are here to help you negotiate and make you be more confident as you understand the process of selling and buying a home in Tredyffrin Easttown or along the Main Line. Contact Nick Vandekar, Selling the Main Line with Long & Foster Real Estate Inc., office 610-225-7400 cell or text 610-203-4543, email Nick@VandekarTeam.com.
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