HomeFit Issue 1- Barbara Haggerty HomeFit Issue 1- Barbara Haggerty | Seite 13

5. Install a Pedestal Sink to
Create the Illusion of More
Space
If you have a tiny bathroom that’s
cramped and makes you want
to scream, imagine the effect it
might have on a potential buyer.
One possible and inexpensive fix
the pros use is to remove the big,
old sink in your tiny bathroom and
replace it with a small pedestal
sink and decorate it with a few
red roses. The result is the optical
illusion of much space and style,
transforming the bathroom from a
liability to an asset.

6. Use Art to Draw People In
Unfortunately, many prospective
homebuyers tour a house with
blinders on. It’s almost as though
they have tunnel vision. How in the
world can you get them to explore
the entire depth and breadth of
your home? Professional stagers
use a piece of artwork hanging at
the top of the stairs, or a colorful
vase near the back of the house
to catch the eye of prospective
buyers. Such a strategy gets them
to view the house in its blissful
totality, rather than segmenting it
into little chucks.

Busting the Myth That
Home Improvements
Pay For Themselves
For years, homeowners cherished
and embraced the myth that
expensive renovations and
improvements to their homes were
great investments that would more
than pay for themselves in the long
run by adding to the overall value
of their properties when they were
sold some day in the near future.

Here are the payback percentages
on some popular home
improvements:

Many major home improvement
contracts have been signed and
justified by this financial myth.

Remodeling and
Improvements Equals Poor
Return
According to Remodeling
Magazine, over the last decade,
payback on the average
remodeling job has fallen from 82
percent in 2003 to 57 percent in
2013.

•

Garage doors only paid back
71.9 percent of their cost when
the house was sold.

•

Steel Entry doors only paid
back 73 percent of their initial
cost.

•

Built-in, back-up power
generators only returned 47.5
percent of their cost at the sale
of a property.

•

Popular additions such as a
sun room only returned 45.9
percent of their original cost.

*Remodeling Magazine

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