A majority of Homeowners are always looking for ways to increase the value of their homes. However, there are a lot of homeowners that Decrease the value and don’t even realize it. Not only can these homeowners decrease the value of their home they can decrease the value of their neighbor’s home too.

You might be wondering how it’s possible to decrease the value of your home before Stepping Foot inside. After all, inside is where you’ve spent a bulk of your money on home improvements. However, it’s rather easy.

Homes will always be judged from the outside first. It’s the first impression for home buyers, neighbors, vendors and visitors. This is where home buyers are going to decide if they want to look inside or get back in their car. It’s also how many buyers decide if a neighborhood is right for them. So even if your home isn’t listed for sale your home’s exterior appearance can negatively impact your neighbors home sale and the overall value of your neighborhood. Why? Nobody wants to live next to homeowners who don’t maintain their property, which can drive home values down. And if the home is located in an HOA it may make a buyer wonder if the HOA actually enforces rules or if they just collect the monthly dues.

7 Ways to Decrease Your Homes Value Before Stepping Foot Inside

Overgrown Grass

Depending on where you reside the grass needs to be mowed several times a month, in some areas at least weekly. If you are unable to maintain your lawn you should hire a service to do so for you. Tallgrass often makes a property appear abandon, which can lead to security issues for you and your family. Plus, it becomes a neighborhood eyesore.

Unmaintained Trees & Shrubs

While some trees and shrubs don’t need much maintenance others do. In fact, some trees can become extremely dangerous if they aren’t trimmed. They may grow into powerlines or a palm frown can fall and injure someone. If this is a project you can’t tackle a few times a year there are plenty of great tree trimming companies out there who can.

Weeds

Unmaintained homes often have weeds in the flowerbeds, driveway, or sidewalks. If you’re like me and not a fan of toxic chemicals there are other options, such as 30% vinegar. This will kill weeds and grass making it perfect for removing weeds from your driveway, sidewalk and patio.

When it comes to removing weeds in your flowerbed you may want to spend a few minutes and pull them by hand. Maintaining landscaping is part of homeownership and it only takes a few minutes a week to stay on top of removing weeds.

Garbage Cans in View

We’ve all seen it, neighbors leaving their garbage cans curbside, in their driveway or on the side of their home within view. Sometimes it might be for a few days after garbage pick-up while other times that’s where the garbage cans are kept. Most cities and HOA’s will have rules against leaving garbage cans out. Yet, many homeowners still do. If a homeowner can’t put their garbage can away what do you think the inside of their home looks like? Even if your home is spotless, leaving a garbage can out for days or weeks screams you don’t care.

Black Sidewalks

Over time dirt builds up on sidewalks, driveways, the roof, even your house and will need to be pressure washed. In South Florida, pressure washing needs to be done at least once a year, sometimes more. While you can purchase a pressure washer at your local home improvement store sometimes it’s more cost-effective and easier to hire someone. What can take a homeowner all weekend will only take a professional a few hours. Plus, they are trained professionals and take the proper security measures when pressure cleaning a roof.

Faded Paint

While homes don’t need to be painted every year or even every other year they do need to be painted. While some homes may be able to go more than 10 years before needing a new paint job others will need to be done within 3-7 years. It all depends on where the home is located, the climate and construction. It also depends on the type of paint it currently has and how it was applied. CBS homes that have a nice thick high-quality paint rolled on can easily last 10 years while an inexpensive paint that’s sprayed on could only last 4.

If you decide to hire a professional painter you’ll want to find out what type of paint they use and how it’s applied. You’ll also want to see if there is any type of warranty on the work they do. I’ve heard of painters watering down the paint and spray one coat of paint to make more money and save time. Within month’s homeowners can start to see inconsistency in the paint coverage. Taking shortcuts will ultimately cost a homeowner, so make sure it’s done right every single time.

Junk Laying Around

A bike or toys laying in a front yard while kids are outside playing is normal, but grills, hoses, boxes, containers and stacked bricks laying around 24-7 are not. Junk doesn’t necessarily refer to garbage either it can refer to clutter too. 100 potted plants displayed all over the front yard can be an eyesore. Sometimes less is more when it comes to the design of your home’s exterior and a little elbow grease will make it shine throughout the year.

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Final Thoughts

Pride of ownership, it’s something every homeowner should have, but not all do. Owning a home is a big deal and one of the biggest assets for most people. So it’s natural for homeowners to want to build equity in their home, which can only be done with the right improvements, maintenance, and property value increasing.

It’s real estate 101. When neighborhoods are redeveloped home values will increase, but when neighborhoods aren’t maintained home values will decrease. Once again nobody wants to invest their hard-earned money into a neighborhood that isn’t being maintained and it only takes a few homeowners to make the entire neighborhood look neglected.

Additional Home Value Resources

• A great way to add value to your home is by adding a bedroom or bathroom. However, some homeowners think they can put up a wall and create another bedroom. That may not work though, it’s important to know what is considered a bedroom. Does it have to have a window, a closet or a door?
• If you’re getting ready to sell your home there are many things you should do ahead of time. Some of these things will increase the value of your home while others are necessary to make your home more appealing to buyers.
• Transforming your home doesn’t have to cost a lot. In fact, homeowners with a low budget can make incredible transformations too. From painting to adding flowers or a few area rugs is all it takes to make a room look completely different.

About the Author

Top Wellington Realtor, Michelle Gibson, wrote: “7 Ways to Decrease Your Homes Value Before Stepping Foot Inside”

Michelle has been specializing in residential real estate since 2001 throughout Wellington Florida and the surrounding area. Whether you’re looking to buy, sell or rent she will guide you through the entire real estate transaction. If you’re ready to put Michelle’s knowledge and expertise to work for you call or e-mail her today.

Areas of service include Wellington, Lake Worth, Royal Palm Beach, Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, Greenacres and more.

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