Added value in a home

Recently I’ve had a number of buyers look at homes where the items that are updated are not all that apparent- namely the utilities and systems of a home.

When buying a home it’s important to consider the added value of having new or recently updated utilities and systems. Why? They’re expensive for one thing. Secondly you get to avoid the many stories of someone having to continually deal with problems in a home.

While it’s important to buy a house that looks and feels nice, the added value of updated utilities can be substantial – and are worth paying more for. It’s a lot easier to pay a little more for a home rather than having to spend thousands of dollars periodically once moving in. Plus, the higher purchase price can all be given as a home loan- your house projects or piecemeal fixing of systems after moving in can’t.

And for sellers- be smart about what you update. I’m a big fan of adding insulation and energy efficient windows because it brings down your utility bills. But oftentimes buyers don’t fully see that added value. So keep that in mind when you decide what to do or not do. And save your old utility bills so you can show in hard dollars how you’ve added value to the home.