Preferred Properties of Texas

The Preferred way to buy & sell property for over 25 years

6 Home Improvements That Do NOT Add Resale Value

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Just because you’ve added tons of fancy upgrades to your home, does not mean you’ll get any more money for your house when it comes time to sell. In fact, you’ll probably end up sinking lots of money into these projects and seeing little to no return on investment. If you’re wondering how you can improve your home’s value, these are six projects that you can skip altogether.

Pools

The resale value on your pool may differ depending on where you live. For instance, if you live in a state like Florida or Texas, many times, buying a house with a pool is a no-brainer. That’s because the climate is so hot in these areas that pools are almost a necessity. However, for safety reasons families with young children may not like the idea of having a pool. Also, if you live on the East Coast, buying a house with a pool is oftentimes considered a hassle. Pools on the East Coast don’t get used nearly as much as those in the south. 

Also, installing a pool will cost you more than just the installation process. There are reoccurring fees for cleaning and maintenance. Overall, it is rare that you will recuperate the installation and maintenance costs when it comes time to sell your home. 

Landscaping that goes beyond curb appeal

Over-the-top landscaping, elaborate gardens, ponds and more will not make your home more valuable. These additions are too personal to get your home a more expensive price tag. Although your beautifully manicured hedges are aesthetically pleasing, they might not be everyone’s cup of tea. The only thing that really matters in terms of landscaping when it comes time to sell your home is that the grass is cut, and you have a few nice features, such as a gravel walkway and some potted plants to satisfy potential buyers. Keep in mind that anything more than that will be a labor of love and not to boost home value. 

Improving above and beyond what’s typical in your neighborhood

Be careful not to over-improve your home so that it sticks out in your neighborhood. Despite your best instincts, rushing to improve every little thing about your house to boost its value will do you a big disservice. Buyers looking in your neighborhood are seeking a house in a specific price range, but yours, if you over-improve it, will be out of their budget. And someone who can afford your house will probably be looking in neighborhoods already well-known for their affluence. 

Lots of little maintenance projects

Don’t get confused between home improvements and home maintenance. Things like upgrading the electric, replacing the roof, replacing the furnace or installing new gutters are all considered necessary updates that every home needs and won’t lead to added value. 

Home office addition or remodel

According to Forbes, home office remodels only lend a 46 percent cost recoup. That’s not very high. Not everyone needs a home office, so an addition of one will only appeal to certain buyers. If you have an extra room in your house, many people would rather see it turned into a guest room or nursery. 

Sunroom addition or remodel

The same goes for a sunroom addition or remodel – it’s not an essential home feature. Sure, some buyers might like the idea of a sunroom, but it’s not on many people’s must-have list, so it won’t add value. Forbes lists a sunroom addition as only lending a 49 percent cost recoup. 

For more information about what you can do to make your home more appealing to potential buyers, give us a call today.

Decorate with Winter Color Schemes — Year-Round!

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Winter means different things to different people depending on where you live in the country. Some areas experience a winter wonderland from November to February as the landscape is blanketed with thick snow. In other areas, trees lose their leaves and the weather gets crisp, but even a light snow dusting is a major event. But if you love the feeling that winter gives you — even if you live in Orlando or San Diego — you can bring it inside to make your home feel festive no matter the time of year. Here are some ideas for decorating with a winter color scheme.

Cool Colors

With winter comes cold colors like blue, silver and even pure white. These are great colors to use to decorate your home and give it a wintery feel. These colors are also calming, so rooms decorated in these shades can create a sense of peace and serenity.

Pop of Warmth

Of course, too much cold can make for an uncomfortable winter. The same is true in your design scheme. You always want to include a pop of warmth to spice things up and make your home feel cozy. Common warm winter colors include shades of red, including variations like magenta and violet. You also can use rich browns to give your winter space a rustic feel.

Inspiration from Nature

Green may be one of the most underrated winter colors. When paired with red, you might think of an over-the-top holiday display, but it can be used in the right way to inject a pop of color in your winter scheme. Green is the color of evergreen trees that dot the landscape in the winter. Incorporate deep shades of green into your decor for a beautiful natural look.

Use of Texture

Although not a color, texture can enhance your winter decor. What do you associate with the cozy feel of the season? Cable knit comes to mind and can be used for pillows or throw blankets. Faux fur also lends a luxurious feel to your winter home-scape. Other textures, like birch bark and evergreen branches, can introduce a feeling of the season into your home.

 

Creating a Better Home While Increasing Its Value

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2020 continues to be a year where folks have spent time in the home lately memory. Turning the house to a livable space has to be the aim in this time period. The house should be regarded as a massive investment since it’s probably the majority of a individual’s net worth if they have the house outright or through home equity. Improving your house and its resale value concurrently should be the objective of every homeowner.

Flooring Change

Maintaining the carpet clean through the house can look to be a full-time task in itself. This job gets a lot more difficult with kids or even a pet operating around. Wood flooring may not be the most suitable choice for families with children or pets, because it could be scraped. Water left with no cleaned up can cause the floor buckling along with the floor with need to be replaced at any stage. A fantastic choice is really a faux wood tile that offers you a look of wood with no upkeep related. Tile can defy anything other than heavy items being lost but a cracked tile could be substituted at a sensible price. Make a list of pros and cons to determine which kind of flooring will really increase resale value when decreasing time spent keeping the flooring.

Garage Door Replacement

Garage door replacement may give a house that curb charm that things immensely when set a house. Painting a present garage door can aid with curb appeal however may not be needed. A home inspector will make notice of a garage door that may cost tens of thousands to replace. Look after this today by replacing your present garage door with a more modern choice.

Building a Deck

The deck may be a excellent spot to amuse if you’ve got a pool or not. The 1 aspect to remember is using the support of guaranteed contractors with past experience building decks. The last thing anybody needs is that a deck to fall when people are over contributing to numerous accidents. For all those who have pools, the pool can have an outside kitchen additional. Being in a position to amuse without worrying about spills at the house provides the greatest advantage for hosts.

Opening Up the Toilet and Including an Island

This is the point where a household congregates during foods and in which guests do the same. Having the ability to open the kitchen up may allow parents to observe their kids while they’re prepping meals. The kitchen island can help with prepping as additional counter area makes it quite simple to prep quite a few components. HGTV has popularized such islands and this station might have a bigger impact on a buyer’s checklist compared to their tastes. Movable islands would be the most versatile, since they may get in the way occasionally if not put in a handy place.

Finishing Your Basement

The reality is that the majority of the crap from the cellar could be thrown or sold out. Including a lot of square footage from livable space in the house by completing the cellar is sensible . The cellar is much too versatile of a room to be utilized for storage since it can readily be used for entertaining. A teen that yearning for solitude might observe the cellar as their flat. Placing a toilet in the basement may also enable for advantage if the cellar is become a coveted individual cave. A purchaser will see this distance for a bonus compared to other pristine rugs in houses they’ve been shown.

Taking the opportunity to make a list of developments which you wish to create within the upcoming few years is vital. The list may offer motivation to conserve cash for another job which will alter the power of a space or the whole house.

If your interested in selling or buying your home in Stephenville please give our office a call. We are here for all your Real Estate Needs!

Homes for Sale in Stephenville

Do Solar Panels Increase A Homes Value?

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Even better for the environment and capable of creating around half of the energy required to operate an ordinary residence, solar panels have apparent advantages. But when purchasing or selling a house, solar panels may add some sophistication to the trade.

As a buyer or a seller, you must be aware of the advantages and issues linked to solar panels as you go into the market to purchase or sell. The more educated you are, the easier it’ll be to make decisions which are sound both within the long and long term.

Just as solar firms want you to think differently, this isn’t a yes or no response. If you request any solar energy business, they will tell you with no doubt that solar panels do raise a home’s worth. Not too fast! The Reply to this question is based upon several variables such as:

What portion of the nation you reside in.
The sort of house you have.
Exactly what the beginning value of the house already occurs to be. (Higher- priced houses often get more worth ).
Just how much energy you’ll be saving.
Recognizing solar energy when selling or purchasing a house is not so difficult, a few of the nuances, however, might surprise you. Continue reading to find out what you want to learn about solar powered houses.

The Advantages of Solar

There’s not any doubt that solar panels can be helpful under a great deal of circumstances. For example:

Solar panels could create a surprising quantity of electricity. The total quantity of power generated can change based upon many factors, including the kind of solar panel systems, the amount of panels in the machine and the total amount of sun available. Broadly , a standard solar panel system may produce enough power to treat half of your home’s electricity requirements. When incorporating a solar panel program for your house you get bids from several companies and compare the outcomes. The solar business that you interview should give an estimate of just how much electricity their system will produce based on yearly data the provider knows from a few different variables: the weather locally, the angle of your roofing, and its orientation to the sun. These variables will determine the dimensions of your own body and just how much power, normally, it is going to produce every year.

Electricity isn’t getting any cheaper. A solar panel system which protects half of your house’s energy demands will indicate that you cover half of your typical power bill — for as long as the machine is operational, which is decades. Believe it or not, it’s likely you won’t have a power bill whatsoever when you’ve got solar panels.
Largest advantages tied to how pricey energy prices vary in your town. Not surprisingly those homeowners that have the biggest current electricity bills will reap the most important advantages for adding solar energy for their dwelling.
As fascinating as it is to envision cutting off your energy prices in half and lowering your carbon footprint, the expenses related to installing a solar panel system could be sobering. The exact same typical solar panel system which brings all of the aforementioned benefits also will cost $15,000 — $20,000, a cost that maybe not every homeowner gets the cash for.

Most solar panel companies have introduced a method for homeowners to find the solar panel system just how without having to think of the cash upfront. Rather than purchasing, it is possible to rent a system.

While leasing a method can look to be a perfect structure, doing this can make an awkward situation if you choose to sell the house. Breaking your rental together with the solar panel firm will normally result in you being billed the complete invoice for the 15 decades of use you agreed to, that may return to $15,000 or more. You’re selling the house, which means you clearly don’t need to continue to cover the usage of these solar panels. You also don’t need to get stuck with a $15,000 charge. The only alternative left would be to see whether you’re able to transfer the lease to the purchaser of your property.

They might worry about the credit demands of the solar panel business, or they might simply not feel comfortable committing to this kind of long-term arrangement at the top of all of the other pressures of buying a house. There have been many deals which have fallen through more than solar panel rental transfers, and there are most likely to be more. As an operator and a vendor, you need to know about the issues before you rent a solar panel , or try to sell your house when you’ve signed such a contract. One factor that has to be highlighted is that an appraiser won’t include some value to a house which has a rented solar panel program! Appraisers can’t boost the worth of something which isn’t permanent into the construction.

As stated previously, there are tons of posts written by solar panel companies which discuss how their products raise the worth of a house, but in the actual world, the increase in value isn’t anywhere near as straightforward. A solar panel system can add value to your house, or it might be an addition that neglects to improve the cost of your house sufficient to make it worth the initial expense.

If your interested in a home with solar panels, we can help find you that home. Contact our office today to get started.

Text HOMES to 877-965-7775 for all of Stephenville’s listings or visit our website.

Getting Your Backyard Ready for Winter

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Colder Weather beforehand does not mean that you have to forfeit your precious outside area. This year especially, you’re going to want to enjoy your backyard or balcony just as long as possible. Here are a few tips to make the most of your area this autumn and winter.

Clean up before winter
Spruce up your lawn to make an outdoor environment you’ll be motivated to enjoy. Make care to clean up and dispose of leaves and fallen branches. For your flower beds, pull out the dead annuals, add mulch, then plant cover plants or add compost.

Heat up it
Electric or propane outdoor heaters will help extend the outside mingling season. Together with freestanding, tabletop, and umbrella-style versions offered in a variety of sizes, there are options available to fulfill your needs. (If you live in a condo, assess regulations .)

Use what you have
Rather than putting it all in storage, then leave your patio furniture out. Insert Some machine-washable covers to present your cushions for a new look. Circle your Furniture round a fire pit and you’ll be roasting (and burning) s’mores in no time time.

Look on the bright side
Lights with clear white LED bulbs can make an inviting setting. Solar Powered, weather-resistant lights are less expensive than ever and create for Hassle-free setup and upkeep.

Food for thought
Keep the barbecue in working order and your propane tank filled. Grill up some Goodies, then enjoy them outside. Cheaper and without a line for the toilet.

How Do You Know If a Home Has Good Resale Value?

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Before you purchase a house, make certain to consider its resale value. If you don’t plan to reside at the house for the rest of your life, it is important to have a firm understanding of a house’s resale potential before submitting an offer to the seller. In the end, a house is among the most critical financial and personal investments you will ever make. Therefore, it’s essential that the house appeals to buyers later down the road. In general, a home with good resale value is typically a fantastic investment, even while a house with terrible resale value might not be worth your time or money. So how do you know if a home has good resale value? Here is our guide to knowing the resale value of a home.

What’s a home’s resale value?

A home’s resale value is its estimated value later on. Many things, including any improvements made to the house and the total age and condition of the house, can affect the resale value”

How do you know if a house has good resale value?
Though you can’t consistently predict the future (or housing market volatility), you can predict quite a few variables that will most surely play into a home’s resale value. Here are five signs that a home has good resale value.

The Residence is located in a sought-after place.
Purchasing a house in a good place ensures that your house will be a hot commodity once it hits the marketplace later on. This is also true for property located within an up-and-coming community, where home prices are on the rise. If you’re in a position to buy a property and get in at the ground level, then you might have the ability to earn a penny when it is time to market. As long as the location is continuing to enhance and attract new buyers, your investment will probably pay off later down the street.

Close proximity to highly-rated public colleges and popular private schools are extremely valuable to a home’s resale value. Even if you don’t have children, you should look closely at the quality of nearby schools. If the home is not zoned for quality schools, then you’re certainly limiting your buyer pool later on. Families with school-age children will likely look elsewhere as it comes to time to purchase a home.

The curb appeal is there.
A home can have all of the bells and whistles indoors, but without at least a certain amount of curb appeal, it’s going to be tricky to sell the house later on. Naturally, as long as your home has curb charm potential (meaning: you are able to improve it using a tiny bit of landscaping and paint), then there is no need to worry too much about the curb charm’s future impact on resale value. On the flip side, if the outside this home has undesirable characteristics that are not easy to eliminate, then you should think twice before buying the property.

The floor plan works to get a broad pool of buyers.
A few important features to note: 1) one-story homes have the greatest resale potential, thanks to a lack of stairs. Older buyers and people with physical constraints find one-story homes to be well-suited for their requirements. 2) Families with young kids often find it is easier to have all the bedrooms on the same floor. Bearing this in mind, houses with a master bedroom onto another floor may have difficulty selling in certain markets. 3) Three-bedroom houses tend to attract more buyers than two-bedroom homes. 4) A somewhat open floor plan with a thoughtful and smart stream will appeal to the majority of buyers.

The neighborhood is considered safe and silent.
Purchasing a home in a neighborhood with higher crime rates will make it tough to regain your investment down the line. A home with good resale value is generally one that’s located on a secure and quiet street, away from the hustle and bustle. Here’s how to find out how safe the area is before purchasing a home.

A home without much resale value will generally take more time to sell. Maybe it has a funky floor plan, a lot of stairs or is located in less than desired location. Whatever the reason, it’s long term on the current market is certainly a red flag that it could not be a good investment.

It is the most expensive (and over-priced) house on the cube — Purchasing the most expensive house on the block is a big no-no for anyone concerned about resale value. Unfortunately, these pricey homes are less likely to appreciate in value because of nearby comps being considerably lower. In addition, it’ll be more difficult to locate a buyer who is prepared overpay to be on a specific street when neighboring homes available are less costly. For this reason, it’s particularly important that you listen to some location red flags while looking for a house. For instance, a nearby street, poor schools, empty storefronts or neighbors with towering lawns may be a red flag that the place is not good for resale value.
The residence is in poor condition — When the house is in poor condition, then it probably doesn’t have great resale value. Buyers attention about a house’s systems (think: HVAC, electrical and plumbing). These ought to be in great, working condition, otherwise you’ll wind up having to pay for costly replacements. Other important features to pay attention to include the condition of the yard, roof, closets, garage and finishes. Remember that if the residence is in bad condition, you’ll end up having to shell out money on a number of costly improvements, which could offset any kind of profit you do wind up making as it comes time to sell.

When your ready to sell call Preferred Properties of Texas. We are here for all your Real Estate Needs!

Preferred Properties of Texas

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