Whether you’re thinking about selling your home or not, you always want to make sure you’re improving, or at least maintaining its innate property value. If you ever do decide to sell down the line, you’ll thank your past self for your foresight.
You’re probably aware that there are many things you can do to increase your property value. But do you know about some of the not-so-obvious changes and outside influences that can hurt your home appraisal value? If not, would you like to find out?
This guide will take you through some of the things that can hurt your property value that you may never have even thought of. Read on to find out what they are.
1. Undesirable Neighbors
This one is somewhat obvious, but sadly out of your control. If you have neighbors that are noisy, disruptive, or rude, then this will take away from the desirability and thus the value of your property. See Seth Rogen in Neighbors for additional context.
2. Construction Carried Out Without a Permit
If you’ve lived in your home for years, you may feel comfortable carrying our minor works yourself, or with the help of a friend. You may not even think to check whether your work is within code or to apply for a permit. This will unfortunately spell trouble down the line if you ever want to sell your home.
3. Curb Appeal – Or Lack Thereof
This one may seem silly, but it’s true. If your home looks unkempt or unpleasant from the outside, it will immediately go down in the estimation of potential buyers. It’s an easy fix, so if you want an easy way to boost your property’s value, this is probably it.
4. Deferred Maintenance
As with a shabby exterior, unattended to issues within your home can also pose a problem for property appraisers. It can be all too easy to let certain things slide around the house over the years. But if you want to keep your property value up, you should try to keep on top of things.
5. A Hot Tub
This may come as a surprise, but a hot tub can often detract from the value of your home. Whereas a pool is almost always seen as an asset, a hot tub is usually seen at best as a piece of personal property. If it’s in a bad condition, it can be a turn-off for buyers.
Ways to Increase Your Property Value
There are some simple things you can do for a better outcome in your property’s value estimate. Solar panels are a surefire way to increase the value of most any property. As is stated above, doing routine maintenance, keeping your home’s exterior paint refreshed, and having a well-kept lawn can all also help.
Make Sure You Make the Most of Your Home
Your home appraisal value may not something you think about now, but it could be important in the future. Doing little things along the way will make it much easier to maintain your property value in the long run. If you’re looking for more property-related tips, see the rest of our content.
