The GutterBrush Blog

Have you already decided to move rather than remodel only to realize, like so many others in the same boat, you are still thinking about remodeling anyway? Why? To make your house more appealing to would-be buyers, cut the time it takes to sell it and maybe even get more cash in hand when you sell is why. While you’re remodeling that other part of the house why not tuck in a new master bedroom suite above the addition? You’ll get all of your money back when you eventually sell your house, right?

Not so fast. While many home-remodeling projects are a great way to add value to your home, not all of them are ironclad cash-back guarantees. Before you invest a significant amount of your precious home equity into remodeling projects, it’s wise to do a little homework on what kind of payback you can expect for various home projects in your area.

A good place to start is the Cost vs. Value report published annually by the National Association of Realtors, or NAR, and Remodeling magazine. The report provides a synopsis of the top projects, the average costs of the projects and their average rate of investment return at resale. It also gives you a city-by-city guide on what various home projects will pay back at resale. Real estate experts caution that these numbers can differ significantly depending on your state, city or even neighborhood. So use these numbers as a starting point, but consider getting the advice of a Realtor and/or remodeling contractor before you commit to a big home project. These experts can familiarize you with remodeling payback figures tailored to your state, city., or town.

The fifth project of five to potentially boost your home’s resale value is an attic bedroom remodel. This entails converting unfinished attic space in a two- or three-bedroom house into a finished bedroom and bathroom with shower. It includes a new shed dormer, new windows and closet space in the eaves.

Average payback: 93.5 percent of cost
Estimated job cost: $39,188
National average resale value: $36,649

Because this is a relatively expensive undertaking, real estate experts suggest you do an attic renovation only if you’re going to live in the house for a while (preferably five to 10 years) and enjoy the reclaimed space yourself. Over the long haul, this project adds significant value to your home because it creates brand-new living space and isn’t just a cosmetic improvement. Keep in mind, though, that attic remodels don’t make sense in every neighborhood and part of the country. For example, in Florida, most of the attics aren’t big enough to stand up in, so remodeling them wouldn’t make sense at all. Plus there’s the heat issue — these rooms would be sweltering hot and very expensive to cool.

This is a good example of a remodeling project that would be wise to discuss in advance with a Realtor who’s familiar not just with housing in your area, but in your specific neighborhood. Good Realtors are always happy to spend time talking with you about the wisest renovation projects for your home — even if you’re not planning to sell your home anytime soon.

Other top resale projects from the Cost vs. Value report ranked by percentage of cost recouped at resale, include:

• an upscale bathroom remodel: 93.2 percent.
• a major kitchen remodel: mid-range, 91 percent; upscale: 84.8 percent.
• a deck addition: 90.3 percent.
• basement remodeling: 90.1 percent.
• window replacement: 89.6 percent.
• a bathroom addition: mid-range: 86.4 per cent, upscale 85.8 percent.
• roofing replacement: 84.7 percent.
• a family room addition: 83 percent.
• a master suite addition: mid-range 82.4 per cent; upscale 80.1 percent.
• a home-office remodel: 72.8 percent.

While a good return on your investment is important in every remodeling project, experts say that the most important factor in your decision should still be whether the project improves the way you live in your home now. The fact of remodeling is that you never get your money back instantly. If you’re undertaking a project because you’re going to stay in your home awhile, and it will enhance your lifestyle, then great — do it. It’s tough to put a price on the happiness many young families get from fixing up their house and truly enjoying it for the next 20 years.

Have you already decided to move rather than remodel only to realize, like so many others in the same boat, you are still thinking about remodeling anyway? Why? To make your house more appealing to would-be buyers, cut the time it takes to sell it and maybe even get more cash in hand when you sell is why. While you’re remodeling that other part of the house why not tuck in a new master bedroom suite above the addition? You’ll get all of your money back when you eventually sell your house, right?

Not so fast. While many home-remodeling projects are a great way to add value to your home, not all of them are ironclad cash-back guarantees. Before you invest a significant amount of your precious home equity into remodeling projects, it’s wise to do a little homework on what kind of payback you can expect for various home projects in your area.

A good place to start is the Cost vs. Value report published annually by the National Association of Realtors, or NAR, and Remodeling magazine. The report provides a synopsis of the top projects, the average costs of the projects and their average rate of investment return at resale. It also gives you a city-by-city guide on what various home projects will pay back at resale. Real estate experts caution that these numbers can differ significantly depending on your state, city or even neighborhood. So use these numbers as a starting point, but consider getting the advice of a Realtor and/or remodeling contractor before you commit to a big home project. These experts can familiarize you with remodeling payback figures tailored to your state, city., or town.

The second project of five to potentially boost your home’s resale value is a midrange bathroom remodel. This includes updating an average 5-by-7 foot bathroom that’s at least 25 years old with moderately priced fixtures, a double-sink vanity, a ceramic-tile floor and vinyl wallpaper.

Average payback: 102.2 percent of cost
Estimated job cost: $10,499
National average resale value: $10,727

Improving an existing, but outdated, bathroom is almost always a good investment because an up-to-date bathroom makes your home look like it’s been kept in good repair, and that’s what all prospective homeowners are looking for.

However, do not try to personalize the bathrooms too much or spend megabucks trying to turn them into ultimate home spas. Your home is a valuable asset, and you want to treat it respectfully whenever you remodel. In other words, think twice about adding a pricey imported soaking tub or three separate shower stalls for your growing family’s convenience. Those renovations might not fit the taste of a buyer 10 years down the road. If that happens, the money you spent on your bathroom renovation is down the toilet, so to speak.

GutterBrush can prevent this from happening.

Excessive amounts of water overflowing from your gutter system could cause a number of serious problems around your home, some of which could cause you hundreds if not thousands of dollars to repair. But there are just some things that no gutter protection system, even GutterBrush, can solve. One of those situations is a heavy deluge of rain that courses down a roof’s slope and into the gutter with such force that it can not be properly channeled into the gutter and out the downspout. However, leaking or overflowing gutters should never be ignored and a properly installed and clean gutter system should function to move water safely down the gutter and out the downspout in every other type of rain. If they leak or overflow during normal conditions perhaps we can help you to maximize the effectiveness of your gutters and gutter protection system during normal rainfall conditions.

First, if your house is fairly long where the gutters are continuous along the entire length and the only downspouts are on both ends this could cause some over flowing and leaking to occur. Most homeowners prefer this gutter/downspout configuration for aesthetic reasons because a downspout does not have to be installed right in the middle of the house which is usually right near the entrance to the house. However, often times only having a downspout at the end of the gutter system leads to the inability for the gutter system to handle the volume of rain that is falling. An effective solution to this problem is to have the one end raised just as high as you can so that the flow will be sufficient for the water to exit the preferred main exit end before ever running over. You can also investigate the installation of a large gutter on your home’s exterior to accommodate larger volumes of water flow.

Second, make sure your gutters are not leaking as this can lead to the misidentification of the problem you face. To quickly and effectively repair a leaky gutter, first remove debris and wash out the gutters with water. Second, apply a silicone gutter seam sealant to gutter seams, exposed nail/screw heads, and minor holes as needed. Third, you should absolutely replace any section of gutter that is pitted or rusted through. Fourth, make sure that all gutter sections are secured properly to the fascia boards and replace any rotted fascia boards as needed. Fifth, install drip flashing around all roof edges. Finally, fill the gutters with water using a garden hose to check for leaks and proper drainage. Next time it rains watch the gutters for leaks and overflows. If water still overflows the gutters, then you may need to adjust the slope towards the downspouts and or add additional downspouts as previously mentioned. In addition, you might consider installing larger downspouts that will help prevent gutter overflow but these should be coupled with the installation of downspout extensions to divert water away from the house structure in order to avoid costly water damage to your property.

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