Add “Curb Appeal” and Value to Your Home During National Home Improvement Month
Welcome to National Home Improvement Month. According to professional contractor Mark Clement, May is the ideal time to make improvements to the exterior of your home. By upgrading your home’s curb appeal, you increase the value of your house and make a positive impact on visitors.
“According to Remodeling magazine’s 2014 Cost vs. Value* study, home improvement projects involving curb appeal have very strong return on investment numbers for homeowners,” says Clement, co-host of MyFixitUpLife home improvement radio show. “Their research shows that in a mid-range priced home, up to 67.8 percent of the cost of a roof replacement can be recouped when selling a home.
Clement points out that homeowners should start each May with a “top-down” evaluation of their home’s exterior products. “Begin by checking out the appearance and functionality of your roof, siding, windows, trim and doors,” says Clement. “Look for products that are worn out, need repair or re-painting, or simply should be replaced. Tackling these projects in May means you’ll have more time to enjoy the results and a carefree summer.”
Clement recommends the following checklist for checking your roof during National Home Improvement Month to make sure your home is in top condition:
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- Using either a ladder or binoculars from across the street, look for problem areas, such as missing or broken shingles, along with roofing tiles that may be “flapping” in the wind.
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- If you find problems with your roof, consult a professional roofer for their insights and recommendations.
- Make sure to research the benefits of polymer shake and slate roofing tiles. These impact- and fire-resistant tiles come in a wide variety of colors. Some roofing tiles, like those from DaVinci Roofscapes that Clement chose for his home, are sustainable and recyclable. They also have a 50-year limited warranty.
For more tips for your home, see Ready for National Home Improvement Month?
The 2014 Remodeling Cost vs. Value study results can be found here. The Farnsworth Group, an online market research company, programmed and hosted the 2014 Remodeling Cost vs. Value web-based survey. REALTOR® Magazine and the National Association of REALTORS® distributed an online survey to more than 200,000 member agents, brokers and appraisers to obtain estimates of resale value. RemodelMAX, a publisher of estimating tools for remodelers, used Clear Estimates remodeling software to generate cost estimates for all 35 projects in the study in 81 cities.