Replacing your front door is one of the most commonly recommended tricks for boosting curb appeal.
It’s not very expensive, usually about $1,000, so when you sell you’re likely to recoup all the cost of the expense, maybe more, according to nationwide averages from Realtor Magazine’s latest
remodeling cost vs. value report.
But what else can you do now to add value to your home — and boost your own enjoyment of it — while you wait out the slow real estate market?
Build a deck
Putting a new deck on your home is a bit like adding a new room to your house at a fraction of the price.
You’ll increase your overall living space, at least seasonally, and you’ll improve your access to outdoors, natural light and maybe even potential views.
Decks can create play places for kids and entertaining areas for adults.
If your existing deck is rotting or an awkward shape, a new one can help you better use the space, said Windermere Real Estate broker Casey Price.
Price’s family replaced an old 8-by-30-foot deck with a 20-foot-square deck to make the space less like a hallway and more like a room.
It’s now the ideal place for Price’s almost-2-year-old nephew to play on dry days.
Snohomish County residents can expect to pay about $15 per square foot for cedar or $20 per square foot for composite Trex decking, labor included.
Homeowners will likely make much of that investment back when they sell, 73 percent on average nationwide for a new deck, according to data from Realtor Magazine.
Spruce up landscaping
If you have years to wait, buying young trees, shrubs and vines — which all need time to develop to their full potential — is a smart move, said Sandy Koffman, a real estate broker with Windermere on Camano Island.
Small plants cost much less than more mature ones.
Homeowners who would like more privacy or to block a bad view of a neighbor’s house or garage or a busy street, should plant screen trees now to create virtual walls of green, Price said.
Common screen trees sold locally include Leyland cypress, arborvitae, excelsa cedar and English, Russian and Portuguese laurels.
Reface cabinets
Kitchen and bathroom remodeling projects have always been good investments for resale. You’ll make back an estimated 68 percent for a major kitchen remodeling job and 64 percent on bathroom updates, according to Realtor Magazine’s 2010 nationwide averages.
But if you’re planning on moving, you may not want to spend the time and the tens of thousands it costs for major updates. In fact, overimproving your kitchen can actually devalue your home.
Refacing dated or worn cabinets, however, can be a happy medium between a major makeover and minor changes.
When doing a cabinet refacing, contractors leave the old cabinet boxes attached to wall. Then they cover up any old wood with veneers, or paint and add all new doors and drawers.
It can make your cabinets look brand new, and it can cost less than $10,000, half the price of even a minor kitchen remodeling job, which typically costs about $20,000.
Call your agent
If you’re sure you’ll be selling in the next few years, bring your real estate broker over now so you can plan major long-term changes based on his or her advice.
Chances are you haven’t looked at your house with a truly critical eye since you bought it.
Your agent can tell you where to spend money on improvements for resale and where to simply relax.
Resources
Decks: Deck Pro, Woodinville, 425-766-7829, www.deckpro.com; or NW Custom Deck, www.nwcustomdeck.com, 206-235-4545.
Screen trees: Big Trees, Snohomish, 866-313-2333, www.bigtreesupply.com; or NurseryTrees.com, Snohomish, 425-343-2650.
Cabinet refacing: Lambert Gray Kitchen and Bath, 1520 Third St., Marysville; 360-659-7482, www.lambertgray.com.
Agents: Casey Price, Windermere Real Estate, www.caseypricerealestate.com, 425-446-1892; or Sandy Koffman, Windermere Real Estate, Camano Island, 360-348-6360, sandykoffman@windermere.com.
Return on investment
Entry door replacement, steel
Cost: $1,218
Resale value: $1,243
Cost recouped: 102 percent
Garage door replacement
Cost: $1,291
Resale value: $1,083
Cost recouped: 84 percent
Siding replacement, fiber cement
Cost: $13,382
Resale value: $10,707
Cost recouped: 80 percent
Kitchen remodel, minor
Cost: $21,695
Resale value: $15,790
Cost recouped: 72.8 percent
Deck addition, wood
Cost: $10,973
Resale value: $7,986
Cost recouped: 73 percent
Source: “Remodeling Cost vs Value Report 2010-11” at www.realtor.org.
Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com.
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