As a property owner, it is your responsibility to think about ways in which you may increase the value of your house, as well as ways in which you might be decreasing it. Renovations and repairs may be worth it to varying degrees. Sometimes, you have to learn to live with the things you don’t like about your home, but letting it fall into disrepair is a definite way to reduce its worth. It’s important to know what the things that can hurt the value of your Florida home are and how to avoid them.
Your home’s value depends on various factors, including its location, size, the quality of the local school system, and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms it offers. Some of these factors are out of the homeowner’s control, while others may be modified. So whether you are trying to sell your parents’ house or your own, pay attention to these things.
1. Disrepair
The easiest way to see your home’s value decline is to put off or ignore necessary repairs. You might not think much of a water heater’s slow seep into the foundation until it causes severe structural damage. Without routine upkeep, even if everything is running smoothly right now, it won’t be long until something fails and you have to replace it, which may be rather costly.
As the moving and storage experts from 247logisticservices.com advise, one of the most excellent methods to gauge the state of your home and your circumstances is to inspect every room thoroughly. You must check things like heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Pest prevention is another thing people often overlook, but it’s one of those things that can hurt the value of your Florida home. You also need to be on top of mold, foundation, and crack-prone surfaces, such as driveways, roofing, gutters, and pipes.
2. Bad neighbors
The closer you and your neighbor are likely to be, the more compatible your interests, habits, and personalities will need to be. In a condo, a potential buyer’s last desire is to acquire a unit where the neighbors above are noisy or unpleasant. It may even be why many people choose to sell their properties! Values of all surrounding single-family houses may reward neighbors who take pride in their appearance and have good taste. Inversely, homeowners whose next-door neighbors create quirky or strange scenarios in the front or backyard can have considerable difficulties selling their property.
3. Odd landscaping is one of the things that can hurt the value of your Florida home
Having a well-kept lawn isn’t enough to boost the value of your property if you’ve added too eccentric or individualized landscaping. A bit of a personal touch is great, but don’t go overboard! While ‘cute’ garden ornaments like gnomes and quirky statues may bring a smile to your face, many others may find them off-putting. During showings, garden statues and other decorations should be hidden away. Another typical turnoff for potential purchasers is a headstone or memorial commemorating a beloved pet who has passed away, no matter how sentimental it may be to you.
Potential purchasers who see a different aesthetic for the yard could write off yours. Similarly, if there are any huge trees that are leaning toward the house, they should be pruned back so that they do not fall on the roof.
4. Garage conversions hurt the value of your Florida home
If you don’t want to hurt the value of your Florida home, don’t turn your garage into anything other than a place to store automobiles. This is because carports and sheds are highly sought after by prospective purchasers. When moving and hiring residential movers, many people decide to convert their garage to a different use. Before moving out and getting a team to help with any task, they often need their garage to become a temporary storage space. If you decide to do this yourself, ensure the process is straightforward so you can go back to using it as a standard garage.
5. Noise
Having emergency services close to your property might strike you as a valuable asset. However, this may not be the case at all. Consider this- when emergency services like the police, fire department, or hospitals activate their sirens, would you like to be close by? Getting woken up in the middle of the night by the sirens of a fire department is hardly anybody’s idea of a nice alarm clock. It can be disruptive to those nearby, especially newlywed buyers planning a family or people with young children. This is something buyers will consider when they stroll around the property and evaluate the acoustics. They could back out of the deal or lower their offer if there’s too much background noise.
6. A pool
Even though you and your family have spent many fun summers in your home’s pool, don’t assume potential buyers will want to continue the trend. While some buyers see a pool and imagine beautiful summer days relaxing on a floatie, soaking up the rays, most buyers will not even look at a house with a pool. This might strike you as extremely strange. However, the answer is rather easy. Most purchasers don’t want the need for upkeep, additional insurance, and overall increased cost that a pool entails. However, this shouldn’t be a problem for you if you live in a high-end part of the town because pools are still popular in high-end estates with ample yard space.
7. Bad repairs are one of the things that can hurt the value of your Florida home
If you’re handy, performing house repairs and renovations may save you a lot of money. If you don’t plan ahead, fixing mistakes in your weekend projects might put a serious dent in your bank account. Not remembering to get the necessary permits might also lead to breaking the law. And few buyers would want to deal with that, not even the ones who have to move very quickly. So before you make any upgrades or repairs, check that it is all up to code.
Final words
We hope our guide has helped you understand what the things that could hurt the value of your Florida home are. And whether you decide to repaint, landscape, renovate, or install a new roof, your property will stand out from the competition. If you’re looking to sell, get an experienced realtor on your side to help you avoid any pitfalls. Best of luck!