by | Oct 30, 2019

The Top 5 Ways to Increase The Value Of Your Home in Portland

Considering a home improvement project to add to the value of your Portland home? While remodeling projects are often thought of as the best ways to increase home value, more substantial structural projects can often add more value.

Continue reading to learn how to add value to your home the right way.

What’s the best way to increase home value?

When you’ve made an investment in a home to call your own, keeping up with the investment and making sure it retains and builds value is crucial.

Not putting money back into your home can lead to a loss of value and a house that can’t be sold. Further, who wants to live in a home that’s not kept up with?

Advantages to investing in your home

  • A home you love: No one wants to live in a home that needs tons of work. If you stay on top of keeping your home valuable, you’ll enjoy your time living there more.
  • Cheaper maintenance in the long-run: Home maintenance is not something that can just wait. A lot of the time, waiting means more issues piling up that never would have happened if you fixed the initial issue. Gradually working on your home will avoid these catastrophic sorts of issues and cost less in the end.
  • Less work when you decide to sell your home: When a home falls behind on work, you’ll need to do lots of work to even make it saleable. Or, in order to modernize it to an acceptable level, you’ll need to remodel.

By the numbers: Which home improvements improve value the most?

Remodeling Magazine recently conducted a study on the best cost vs. value of home improvement projects. According to the study, some of the highest value projects include….

  • Garage Door Replacement — 97.5%
  • Manufactured Stone Veneer —94.9%
  • Wood Deck Addition — 75.6%
  • Siding Replacement — 75.6%
  • Steel Entry Door Replacement — 74.9%
  • Vinyl Window Replacement — 73.4%
  • Fiberglass Grand Entrance — 71.9%
  • Wood Window Replacement — 70.8%
  • Composite Deck Addition — 69.1%

What do all of these improvements have in common?

  • Structural updates and improvements: The most important thing with a home is that it’s safe and has a solid in construction. If your roof or siding can’t stop water or wildlife from entering your home, not much else matters. Damage will ensue and value will be reduced.
  • Aesthetic improvements: Curb appeal matters. Particularly when it comes to home value, people do judge a book by its cover. Aesthetic improvements to your home often pay for themselves.
  • Functional improvements: Useful additions to your home will always increase value. While things need to look good and be solid, adding features like a deck will add a selling point to your home.

Read below to learn more about some of these outstanding ways to add value to your home in Portland and Vancouver! Make sure to let us know any questions and see if we can help increase your home’s value!

Modern roofing

Keep the top solid and the rest will be put in a position to succeed.

The idea behind roof replacements being the best way to increase home value is formed around this philosophy. Particularly here in the Pacific Northwest, making sure your roof repels all water ensures your home stays dry.

Leaks in your roof also encourage critters to get into your home, causing even more issues not just with your roof, but in the rest of your home.

Investing in your roof is truly a way to invest in your whole home!

The lifespan of a new roof is about 20-25 years. If you’ve owned a home around that long, or it’s been that long since a roof was last installed, it may be time to invest. Even if it’s been longer than that, issues can still pop up. Make sure to keep an eye out for the following issues:

  • Missing shingles
  • Fragments of shingles in your gutter
  • Curled and buckling shingles
  • Daylight coming through your roof
  • Unexplained wet spots in your home
  • Shiny shingles (exposed fiberglass)
  • Excessive moss

Solid siding

Siding does for the sides of your home what a roof does for the top of it. When siding becomes less effective and starts to disintegrate, it’s bad news. Cracks develop, leaking water, and wildlife to see a golden opportunity to destroy your home.

One of the biggest issues we see with bad siding is mold. When this happens, it can be a death knell to certain parts of your home. You may even have to completely remodel an entire part of your home!

Even if your siding isn’t decades old, we find that homes in wet and wild areas can be drastically helped with modern siding. Modern siding, like our favorite brand James Hardie, is an advanced, high-tech, beautiful, and incredibly durable.

What are signs your siding needs to be replaced? Siding that is…

  • Cracked
  • Loose
  • Visibly rotting

Decks and outdoor living improvements

Decks are a great way to add livable space to your home. While in years past homeowners the Portland and Vancouver areas were nervous to invest in a deck given the constantly moist environment, high-tech materials have changed the equation.

Modern materials like AZEK, TREX, and IPE hardwood gives you the strength of composite materials with the stunning beauty of traditional hardwood. This combination is a GAME CHANGER for Portland area homes.

Decks are great for entertaining and give homeowners the opportunity to enjoy their homes and outdoor space. Empower your family to take in the beautiful surroundings and enjoy the classic Oregon and Washingtom summers.

Paint your home to make it looks its best

An expert paint job not only improves the look of your home, but protects your home’s siding from degrading. Some of the homes with the worst siding we’ve seen over the years actually don’t have the oldest siding, just the homes that have been painted the least.

Not only does it hurt the siding, but if you wait too long to paint your home it actually becomes HARDER to paint your home. This leads to more money out of your pocket and a worse looking home.

Keep an eye out for the following signs that you need a new paint job:

  • Faded paint
  • Damaged siding
  • A poor looking home
  • Peeling paint
  • Cracked caulking

Windows and doors

Modern windows and doors, like those from Marvin Windows & Doors, can do a whole lot for your home.

While older style windows leak your home’s climate-controlled air, new windows keep that air inside, reducing your energy bill and leaving a less drafty home. Modern windows and doors also just look better and are more solidly built. This is safer, makes your entire home look better, and is a good way to increase home value.

With your doors and windows, it’s a good idea to look into replacing them if you notice:

  • Scratched, broken, or rattling panes
  • Warped or cracked frames or doors
  • Drafts of temperature changes in the room
  • Window condensation
  • Inoperable sliders
  • Wood windows or doors not opening
  • Peeling paint or water stains
  • Mold or rotting stills or door frames

Cutting Edge Contracting increases home value in ways that matter. We’ll leave the fluff for the rest.

We love working with homeowners who take a proactive approach to adding value to their homes. We know your home is likely the largest investment you’ll make in your life, and we’re here to treat it with the respect and care it deserves.

Contact Cutting Edge Contracting today to get started on your path towards a more valuable (and safe) home.

Sean Kelly

About the author: Sean Kelly

Sean Kelly is the COO & President of Cutting Edge Contracting. His background in business, accounting, and the construction industry helped him become the award-winning manager of a nationally-known paint company before joining Cutting Edge.

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