Cindy's Blog

As the new year is upon us, many of us think about what are plans for the new year are. No matter how many years I say and hear "ahh, no resolutions this time..." I always do. I'm a list maker, so it's in my nature. I've begin my list(s) already. Have you?

Is buying a home on your list for the new year? At the risk of repeating myself, it really is a great market for buying right now, with a fairly sizable inventory and not as much competition from the buying side. However, if you have a home either that you just bought, or have been in for a while, and your resolution involves making some changes, here is some food for thought.

Even if you plan to stay in the home for a while, you always want to keep resale in the back of your mind (that's not to say, of course, that if you are a pro bowler and have the money and space to build a bowling alley in your home you shouldn't do it. Just like anything else, furniture, clothes, art...ultimately everything is not about resale, but something has to be about enjoyment as well!)

So, as you determine what you may want to do renovation-wise, keep the idea of what the return on your investment will be (but remember, do what you like, too- there is nothing that's going to pay you back 100%.

In a midrange home, the top 5 renovations (from a resale perspective) are the addition of a deck, replacing the siding (typically on a hardboard home), a minor kitchen remodel (new appliances, etc.), window replacements and finally, a bathroom remodel.

In a higher end, or luxury home, they do tend to be a different, with number 1 being siding replacement to a fiber cement, amore durable product, or a foam backed vinyl, window replacement, deck addition, typically a composite material, and finally a major kitchen renovation.

There are lots of energy efficient renovations and modifications that can be made, and I'll be writing more about those in upcoming posts.