Whether you work in real estate or want to sell your home, you want to ensure it’s valuable. Knowing what can affect your home’s property value is pretty essential. And while you can’t fix some things quickly, and they generally aren’t worth it, others are relatively easy to fix. So, we’ve put together a list of 7 things that can hurt your property value, and we hope you find it helpful.
1. Neglecting maintenance
Putting off or neglecting maintenance is one of the most common things that can hurt your property value. Termite damage, out-of-date HVAC system, leaky plumbing, damaged roof, structural damage, all of these are things that you should fix as they come. Of course, problems such as roof and structural damage can be hazardous. But even small things, such as tiny leaks, can evolve into serious issues, which are much more expensive to fix. However, the best way to deal with these problems is to avoid them altogether. So, if you want to sell your house to an investor, or anyone else, ensure it’s properly maintained.
2. Outdated bathrooms and kitchens
When a buyer is looking into a house, one of the first things they look at is the bathroom and kitchen. This is because the bathroom and kitchen are fairly vital to living in a home. If the features in your bathroom and kitchen are out of date, buyers won’t be willing to pay as much. After all, if the first thing they’re thinking about is how they can remodel these rooms, paying more for the house itself is much less appealing. Fortunately, bathrooms and kitchens don’t need too much work (usually) to bring up to date. Most often, all you need is a quick paint job or new tiles, and the rooms look brand-new. And if you’re already looking into a new home, consider reading a quick guide to home insurance before buying it.
3. Low-quality home improvements
Generally speaking, home improvements are a good thing for property value. However, home improvements can have the opposite effect if you rely on amateurs to get the job done. Additionally, doing them yourself without carefully researching them is a terrible idea. If you don’t know how to approach a project properly, the result will be sloppy and likely need correcting. And if you ever need to repair a home improvement project, you will eat into your budget incredibly quickly. All in all, making home improvements yourself or relying on amateurs to get them done isn’t worth it if you’re worried about property value. At the end of the day, buyers will likely look elsewhere for a home if they spot mistakes that need to be fixed.
4. Badly done or neglected landscaping
Curb appeal is how you attract buyers to your house, and landscaping is a large part of curb appeal. All in all, if you let your yard get overgrown or do a bad job at maintaining it, it can hurt your curb appeal quite a bit. In addition to being an eyesore, overgrown yards are also somewhat hazardous. In some places, they present a fire hazard; also, overgrown yards attract bugs and other creatures to your home. Dead or unstable trees can also present physical dangers as well. At the end of the day, if you neglect your landscaping, buyers won’t even consider your home. And those who do will be willing to pay much less.
5. Shoddy construction
One of the biggest things that can hurt your property value is construction. If there were any mistakes during the initial construction of your home or renovations, they would affect property value. This is because these mistakes can cause structural instability and are additional expenses for the buyer. So, buyers will offer much lower prices to cover the repair expenses. This isn’t easy to fix, as it requires renovations. If you intend to fix the problem, Affordable Reliable Moving Company experts recommend that you plan ahead and store your belongings while the renovations are ongoing. After all, the last thing you want is to cause further damage.
6. Noise pollution
Noise pollution is an unfortunate side effect of living in some areas, but it’s still one of the things that can hurt your property value. It can get pretty loud if you live near a busy road or somewhere where emergency services pass by often. When doing a walkthrough of your house, buyers will note what they can hear inside your home. They will likely make a low offer or look elsewhere if they find the noise too much. Additionally, if you’re planning on selling your house while looking for a new one, make sure you know how to buy and sell simultaneously.
7. Damaged roof
The roof is a vital part of every home, and houses with damaged roofs have difficulty selling. This is mainly because a damaged roof can cause severe structural damage. Collapsing roof is very dangerous and can often bring down the entire house. As such, buyers are usually entirely unwilling to buy a home with a damaged roof. Remember, even the slightest issue with the roof can quickly become a much more serious (and dangerous) problem. So, if not as an investment into the house, consider fixing the roof for your safety.
7 things that can hurt your property value – wrap upThere are quite a few things that can make your home less valuable. Most of them, however, come down to proper maintenance and staying up to date. However, certain issues can’t be solved, such as noise pollution, and you might have to just accept that. All in all, however, the value of your property is entirely in your hands. We hope that this list of 7 things that can hurt your property value helps you get the full price out of your home, and we wish you a good day.