Best home improvements

<<>> Sometimes the best home improvements are the most basic. I see a lot of home owners that get extra money and complete the wrong home improvements that will prevent them from getting a loan or from selling their home. If you don’t care about your home value or weather you can refinance, then don’t read this. But, if you think you might need to sell or refinance your home sometime soon, these improvements should be completed in order of importance.

1. Make sure that your roof is not at the end of its economic life cycle. If the shingles on your home are falling off or they look like dried mud in July, replace your roof on any structures on your property. Replace your roof on your garage, carports, outbuildings and your home. If your roof begins to leak, this may caused mold and damage interior walls, this is why this is listed as number one.

2. Make sure that your heating and cooling systems are working properly. If they are old, there is no need to replace them at this time. If they are functioning properly, use your money to repair other areas of your home. If the heating, cooling and electrical systems are not working in your home, it may cause livability problems. Banks won’t lend you money for these types of problems, so make sure you fix these things next.

3. Make sure that you maintain the exterior and interior of your home. If there is any exterior peeling paint, make sure you scrape and paint the areas that need painted. Most hardware stores can match the paint by bringing in a pant chip. This is not an important as the two items above, but make no mistake about it, peeling paint on older homes is considered a safety hazard because of the lead based paint, so get this done.

4. Always make improvements to the main level, kitchen, bathroom living room and bedrooms before starting on the basement. The above grade areas of your home will be worth more and provide you with more value than the below grade areas, in most cases. Complete egress basement windows and basement improvements last. This is because the appraiser will treat the below grade areas differently than the above grade areas.

I just went to a home the other day when the owner made all of the improvements to the basement, but didn't make any improvements to the main level of the home or the exterior. This was a mistake, because he used the only money he had to make these improvements in hopes of taking out a new loan with increased equity, but since the roof was at the end of it's economic life cycle, the paint on the siding was peeling and the main level needed work to bring the home up to average condition, there's a good chance the bank didn't give him the money until he completed the basic maintenance for his home.