6 Essential Spring Repairs to get YOUR Minnesota Home Ready to SELL!

It is hard to miss the media reports this spring that REAL ESTATE is back in the Minneapolis/St Paul area!  This good news has many Minnesota homeowners thinking about selling. If you will be listing your home on the market this spring, it will take some preparation and repairs.Even though we seem to be in a never-ending winter this April, it may be time to make the "honey-do" list of spring projects. 

Keeping your home in optimal condition is essential in maintaining property value. Whether you plan to sell your home this summer or not, there are a few essential things to check, repair and or replace after every Minnesota winter. As a REALTOR®, I often have to show properties that have not been properly cared for. Throughout Anoka County, Chisago County and northern Washington County, the areas where I work extensively, I have seen houses with interior ceiling damage from leaking roofs,  cracked driveways and unmaintained decks that can be downright scary to walk on.
Surprisingly, these are not all foreclosure homes. While I understand it can be frustrating to have to make repairs just prior to selling your home, not making the repairs means being priced to compete directly with foreclosure homes for thousands less.
If repairs had been made in a timely manner and the home properly maintained, this expenditures before selling might have been avoided. 

With hindsight being 20/20, I often hear sellers lament about how they wish they had chosen to keep the home in better condition all along and had more of an opportunity to enjoy the benefit of a well maintained home. It is much more beneficial and cost effective to assess your property for required repairs on an annual basis than to be hit with everything at one time when you sell.
Here are 6 spring maintenance tips that will not only beautify your home, but also aid in retaining your home’s value for years to come:

Roof—Walk around the exterior of your home with binoculars if necessary and check for any missing shingles that may have been blown off during a winter storm. If any are missing or you see other concerns, bring in a contractor to assess the damage and make repairs before you have water damage on the interior of your home.
Siding—Power wash debris buildup from vinyl or aluminum siding. Buildup can stain siding overtime.

Deck Settling—Check for any settling or worn boards on your deck especially if it is several feet off of the ground. If the supports of your deck appear to be pulling away from the home or if the boards are weather-worn, have it reviewed by a professional before that first summer barbeque.

Paint and Stain—Did the harsh winter sleet, snow and ice cause the paint or stain on your siding, trim or deck to start to peel? Now is the time to assess the damage.

Gutters—Gutters filled with leaves? Take the time to clean out to prevent water backups. Keeping water away from the foundation is the best way to keep water out of your basement. If your gutters are clogged, they cannot do the job and the rains will pour right over the clogged-gutter’s edge near the walls of your home. Consider adding screens or guards to prevent leave buildup in the future.

Driveway—The winter’s freeze and thaw cycle can do damage to an asphalt driveway. Cracks need to be filled or they will get worse. It is recommended that blacktop driveways also be seal-coated every 2 years when there in an open area with extreme sun exposure to extend the life of the driveway.
  
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Copyright 2013 www.terieckholm.com

Decorating 101--Unique Can Devastate YOUR Home's Value!

I read an interesting article this morning…Extreme Makeover is downsizing their dreams after many of their families have begun to lose their homes to foreclosure. (Read Extreme Makeover story HERE.) Of course as a REALTOR® I was not totally surprised. People who were struggling to maintain a small home would have extreme difficulties managing the enormous bills of a super-sized one. It is just logic. And what if someone has to move? Who else would want the over-built house with the very unique and personalized bedrooms?

Reality television home improvement shows are no doubt fun to watch. It is amazing to see a small room or entire home transformed into a show place. I have always taken issue with unique decorating ideas…many hurt the value of your home. And if anything these few years of market value decline has shown us is our homes really are investments.

Some of the most unbelievable transformations are on children's rooms. They will take a theme like the racecars or princesses and make a child's dream come true. My favorite part of an old kid’s show, Trading Places: Boys vs. Girls, is at the very end when the parents arrive to see the redecorated rooms for the first time. Whether there are ropes hanging from the ceiling, a psychedelic paint job or artificial grass on the floor, the reactions are priceless. Sure they are saying "awesome" for the television cameras, but are they really happy with the new rooms? As a parent, I know how quickly kids grow out of favorite toys, colors and activities. A theme-based room could be hard to transform back to a normal room when the fad passes or child grows. And what if you have to sell your home? How will potential buyers view that boat on the ceiling or the chalkboard walls?

This isn't just something that happens on television. People really do crazy things to their homes and it's not always for their children. Whether it is a unique wall treatment or an indoor hot tub, some people's individualism hurts the value of their homes.

Here are a few unbelievable things I have seen in people's Minnesota homes:

Playground Swings in the bedroom. This family removed a wall from two adjoining bedrooms to create one large room and bolted two playground swings to the ceiling. This home was 1700 ft.., split level home with 3 bedrooms prior to removing the wall. It is now an odd two bedroom. Combine this with the possible structural damage to the support beams if heavier people use the swings, this “improvement” has devalued this home considerably.

Crinkled grocery bags glued to the wall instead of wallpaper. It is a unique look and similar to wallpaper but since it will be difficult (if not impossible) to remove, you will need to find a buyer who likes the look as much as you did. And most buyers don’t like wallpaper so this unique décor had a drastic affect on the home’s value.Multi-colored hand painted murals and stenciling painted on walls throughout the home. This can be beautiful to the owner but because it is applied in an uneven way by less than professional painters, it is difficult to repaint. Often sanding and several layers of special primer are required to repaint.

Indoor hot tubs. Unless you are installing your hot tub oasis in a four-season porch, think long and hard about this so called improvement. In a cold weather state like Minnesota, this just doesn't make any sense. I have seen them installed in bedrooms and family rooms. Many were professionally installed but that does not help retain your homes value. Most buyers still didn't like them because they took away living space or a much needed bedroom. Buyers also have concerns about the installation. What if it leaks? Will it wreck the foundation? Does the steam cause mold? Even if the sellers offer to remove the hot tub prior to the closing, most buyers are turned off by the potential problems that they will walk away from the home. Again your improvement reduced the value of your home buy tens of thousands of dollars.

Kid’s Art on Walls. Chalkboard paint on walls is okay as long as you have a plan to repaint prior to resale. But if you are a permissive parent who thinks, “It’s just a closet after all, what difference will it make if the kids go crazy with a rainbow of Sharpies on the walls?”, think again. If you have ever tried to paint over it, you know it can take more than one coat of Kilz to cover over red permanent marker. No buyer will ever consider kiddy graffiti as adding value to a property.

So does this mean a person shouldn't personalize their home at all? Of course not! It is your home after all.

What I am suggesting is that when you are considering a home improvement or trying the next decorating trend, remember that your home is your biggest investment and asset. Put the hot tub on the patio, deck or four-season porch. Swings belong in the backyard. And wall treatments need to be removable and easy to repaint. Make your decisions with this in mind and your home will be beautiful and pocketbook will be protected.

Copyright 2010 Teri Eckholm 

Six Essential Spring Exterior Repairs to Maintain the Value of Your Minnesota Home

As the spring real estate market starts to heat up a bit due to excitement over the $8000 first time home buyer credit, many Minnesota homeowners start thinking it's time for the "honey-do" list of spring projects. Keeping your home in tiptop shape is essential in maintaining your property’s value. Even if you don’t intend to sell your home this summer, there are a few essential things to check, repair and or replace after ever Minnesota winter. As a Minnesota Realtor, I see many properties that have not been properly cared for. Throughout Anoka County, Chisago County and northern Washington County, the areas where I work extensively, I have seen houses with interior ceiling damage from leaking roofs, potholed, cracked driveways and decks that are downright scary to walk on.
Surprisingly, these are not all foreclosure homes. It is frustrating to have to make repairs just prior to selling your home. Some traditional sellers are faced with having to sell in this slower market and are frustrated in having to make thousands of dollars in repairs in order to sell due to lack of maintenance. Not making the repairs means being priced to compete directly with foreclosure homes at thousands less than expected. Neither choice is appealing to sellers when values are depressed.

With hindsight being 20/20, many of these sellers lament about how they wish they had chosen to keep the home in better condition all along so they could have enjoyed the benefit of a well maintained home. It is much more beneficial and cost effective to assess your property on an annual basis and make repairs as necessary.

Here are 6 spring maintenance tips that will not only beautify your home, but also aid in retaining your home’s value for years to come:
Roof—Walk around the exterior of your home with binoculars if necessary and check for any missing shingles that may have been blown off during a winter storm. If any are missing or you see other concerns, bring in a contractor to assess the damage and make repairs before you have water damage on the interior of your home.
Siding—Power wash debris buildup from vinyl or aluminum siding. Buildup can stain siding overtime.
Deck Settling—Check for any settling or worn boards on your deck especially if it is several feet off of the ground. If the supports of your deck appear to be pulling away from the home or if the boards are weather-worn, have it reviewed by a professional before that first summer barbeque.

Paint & Stain—Did the harsh winter sleet, snow and ice cause the paint or stain on your siding, trim or deck to start to peel? Now is the time to assess the damage.
Gutters—Gutters filled with leaves? Take the time to clean out to prevent water backups. Keeping water away from the foundation is the best way to keep water out of your basement. If your gutters are clogged, they cannot do the job and the rains will pour right over the clogged-gutter’s edge near the walls of your home. Consider adding screens or guards to prevent leave buildup in the future.
Driveway—The winter’s freeze and thaw cycle can do damage to an asphalt driveway. Cracks need to be filled or they will get worse. It is recommended that blacktop driveways also be seal-coated every 2 years when there in an open area with extreme sun exposure to extend the life of the driveway.

Copyright 2009 Teri Eckholm http://www.terieckholm.com/