Repairs and home improvement

Radon test kits are available at home centers and hardware stores for about $10. They usually involve setting a collector in your home for a week or so and then sending it to a lab for analysis. (One manufacturer is Pro-Lab and charges $40; includes a postage-paid envelope.) Conduct the test in the lowest livable area.

New fixtures, fresh paint and light fixtures, and exhaust fans are good places to start. According to Steve Frellick, licensed contractor and founder/broker of Yonder Luxury Vacation Rentals, a one-to-one bedroom/bathroom ratio is ideal. “An additional bathroom creates greater functionality of a home, while also increasing resale value.” Not sure where you could possibly squeeze in an additional bathroom? There are usually a variety of hidden opportunities in homes. This may be an underutilized closet, space in the basement, or “stealing” a little space from a bedroom or hallway, says Frellick. Check out these 15 secrets to locking down the sale of your home faster.

• Not only do they give windows a nice finish, but they also bring gorgeous flowers up and into view from inside the home.
• Floor in your home can add a sense of warmth and comfort to your house in general.
• Even among homes ranging from $250,000 to $400,000 in Georgia, an unfinished basement can add about $15,000 to $20,000, Russell says.
• Anything that’s dead should be removed, and anything that’s overgrown should be cut back.

And a lot of the work going on in backyards slips under the radar of people like Anderson. Astoria Camille, for instance, is working on a scrappy project behind her mother’s home in Kansas City’s Troostwood neighborhood. “My partner and I, we like to travel quite a bit,” Taylor says, smiling. “We like theater. We like live music. And so that’s how we spend our money. But then suddenly all that stopped, and so, if I can’t travel, I chose to put my energy in the place where I am.” “As soon as COVID hit, we needed someplace the kids could play,” Buhr says, noting that neighborhood parks were closed. “So we put a playhouse down first and then found the kids liked it so much that we went ahead and built a living room. And then my wife needed the space to work.”

Most notably, limewash brick instantly creates a stylistically worn or weathered appearance. This paint is packed with pure limestone, giving it a unique look distinguished from traditional paint. Natural wear and tear will be less noticeable, so you won’t have to constantly plan for your next coat of paint. If you’re looking for something a little more complex than the basic coat of paint, limewash is the perfect solution. Limewash brick paint penetrates the surface of the brick itself. This means less maintenance on your end, which is always a plus.

Other ways to finance home improvements – credit cards and unsecured loans

A clogged filter can put strain on your system and cause it to break itself. That means expensive repairs and time-consuming conversations with the AC company, all of which were totally preventable. Better Homes and Gardens is a lifestyle magazine that focuses on home gardening ideas, plants, and how different household things work together to create a harmonious House & Home Improvement space. If you need inspiration for decor, home-cooked meals, or maintenance, this classic magazine is the one for you. This Old House also offers basic maintenance tips to repair little items that don’t require a professional handyman. Lighting system in your house can transform your whole home to an extent that you won’t be able to believe it.

Leslie Cook is Money’s lead mortgage reporter covering trends in the housing market, mortgage rates and real estate. As you can see, the benefits and potential savings from properly maintaining your home should not go ignored. Whether taking advantage of government loans or using charities and funds to hire a contractor to help, there are many free renovation programs and affordable ways to ensure you can get the job done.

Professional cleaners of Hellamaid, Canada can offer post-construction cleaning services designed to get your home back in order. Things like loose doorknobs, broken fixtures, blown-out light bulbs or other routine maintenance projects should get taken care of before potential buyers see your home. Sixty-nine percent of realtors surveyed recommend making minor home repairs ahead of a listing. The value of stocks, shares and any dividend income may fall as well as rise and is not guaranteed, so you may get back less than you invested.

A lifetime mortgage allows you to take out a loan that is secured against your property in return for either a cash lump sum or a regular income. If you’ve lived in your house for many years, and area housing prices have been gradually going up over all those years, a portion of your gain on sale could be taxable. If so, you can reduce the taxable gain by including the improvements in the cost basis of the house. Similarly, Young Alfred has a business relationship with Credible, a mortgage broker. Please click here for the full Affiliated Business Arrangement disclosure form. You are not required to use Credible as a condition to obtain access to any settlement services, such as homeowners or other insurance products.