What Outdoor Features Can Set Your Home Apart?

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Most homeowners are interested in increasing their home’s value to ensure that they can make more of a profit off of the property once it’s time to sell. When it comes to boosting your property value, adding outdoor features can prove to offer a high rate of return once you find a buyer. When you want to invest in features that will pay off, there are a few features that are worth purchasing.

Barbecue Stations

Barbecue stations and outdoor kitchens are in demand among buyers because it offers a place to entertain outdoors. Homes with barbecue stations have a 26 percent higher value than those that don’t include the feature because it provides the ability to spend more time outside.

Showers

Outdoor showers are increasing in popularity because they provide you with the chance to rinse off after taking a dip in the water. Many homes that are located near the beach or a lake can benefit from an outdoor shower because it will prevent you from tracking in sand or dirt.

Fire Pits

Fire pits are now considered to be a staple for outdoor spaces because they allow you to stay warm while inviting your guests over. The open flames make it easy to roast s’mores and can make it possible to spend time in cooler weather conditions while stargazing.

Patio

A patio makes it possible to lounge outdoors instead of having to sit on the grass in your backyard. Patios are a valuable addition that has an ROI value of over 100 percent. You can place patio furniture on the feature and spend time dining outdoors while taking in the view of the surrounding environment. Finishing or repairing an existing patio can also have a high return of 500 percent. Add outdoor light and a few pillows to make it a comfortable space.

Pools

Although some pools don’t have an effect on the value of the home, they can increase what the property is worth if there’s enough space available around the feature to ensure that the backyard can still be used for other purposes. Install a pool with spillways, a diving board, or rock formations to create an appealing feature that will increase the visual appeal and the functionality of your backyard.

Common Mistakes Parents Make When Buying a Home

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When purchasing a new home, parents tend to make a few mistakes that show up later in life. It is important to look at the past, present, and future when considering a new home. What can we learn from others’ past mistakes, what do we need for the present, and what does the future hold that we can prepare for now? When we consider these during a new home purchase, we can get a home that will meet our needs.

The Past

Learning from others’ mistakes is important when shopping for a home. Many parents purchase a home without checking out the local schooling options. Then when the children are old enough to go to school, they don’t like what is available. Decide if the schooling system near you will meet your child’s needs in the future.

Safety Issues

Learn from parents of the past concerning safety issues. Do the stairs have a handrail? Does the pool have a safety fence around it? Is the deck in good order or do boards need to be replaced?

The Present

Will the home meet the grandparents’ present needs? Is there a fenced yard for a dog? Is there plenty of storage for ball equipment or musical instruments? Is there plenty of space for doing laundry, and for folding?

Driving to Activities

Is the church nearby? Is there plenty of shopping close? What about the doctor’s office? Make sure the family can get where they need to go within a reasonable amount of time.

The Future

Look into the future for the family. Having more children means needing more bedrooms. It also means the family may need more bathrooms, especially if they are girls. We can’t know everything the future will bring, but we can anticipate some things and prepare for them.

Anticipation of Expectations

Think about what the family already loves to do, or is interested in doing in the future. Consider these options:

  • homesteading
  • home-based business
  • homeschooling
  • fishing and hunting
  • husbandry
  • horseback riding

Looking at the past, present, and future needs of the family, will help parents make a wise choice on such a big ticket item. They can know that they have thought through all the reasonable possibilities that this new home needs to provide. In doing so, the home will the refuge throughout the years.

Red Flags To Notice When Purchasing a Home

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If you’re a first-time homebuyer, you obviously won’t be too experienced with what to expect. Purchasing a home is s tricky, long and complicated process. You’ll probably need all the help and advice you can get. With that being said, when you’re looking to purchase a home, there are a variety of things that you should be looking out for that will act as warning signs. Here are a few of the most common red flags to pay attention to when going house hunting.

Insects/Pests

So you’ve just walked through your very first showing and you feel pretty confident about the house. It’s large enough to accommodate your growing family, it’s close to work and it simply feels right. However, you’d noticed several insects, from roaches to house centipedes. Who cares, it’s only a few insects, right? They’ll die out and you won’t have to worry about them, right? Wrong. Admittedly, it could have been a coincidence that there were a few pesky insects in the house, but you should certainly do your due diligence and follow up on the matter if you decide to go through with purchasing the house. What may seem like a few harmless bugs could lead to a serious infestation. These infestations are incredibly dangerous, as they can lead to thousands of dollars in repairs and, depending on the pests, health hazards.

Fresh Paint

So you’ve walked through another house and it seems perfect! You’d noticed that the current owners had buckets of paint in random rooms throughout the house, but it didn’t seem as they’d painted entire rooms, only small portions. No big deal, right? Wrong. While it may seem harmless at first, it very well could be a sign of a much larger problem. If you see buckets of paint lying about the house and only small portions of the house being painted, the owners could be trying to hide something. Make sure to address the situation.

Poor Neighborhood

When purchasing a home, you cannot solely focus on the home itself; you must also look at the surrounding neighborhood. If you decide to purchase the house, you will be a part of that neighborhood. Do your research on your neighbors and see who exactly is living around you. Don’t just look at who you’re living with, look at how they are living. If the neighborhood seems run down and dangerous, you may not want to move in at all. It could make things difficult to sell the house in the future.

Real Estate Myths Debunked

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Whether you’re trying to sell your home or looking for a home to buy, there is a great deal of misinformation out there. It’s important to learn the truth, because believing in one of these myths could force you to commit a costly mistake.
Sell Your Home for More Than it’s Worth
This is a common myth and it could actually hurt the sale of your home. Some people believe that setting an asking price above the home’s market value can help you sell your home for the price you really want. While it’s true that buyers try to negotiate the final price, trying to sell for too much can chase away potential buyers.
Buyers Do Better Without an Agent
The idea behind this myth is that the real estate agent’s fee will be spared. This is a false assumption. Real estate agents working for the buyer and seller share a percentage of the sale. In a case where the buyer isn’t working with an agent, the seller’s agent gets the full share.
Sellers Don’t Need a Real Estate Agent
While technically true, trying to sell your home won’t save you much money. The buyer will expect a discount from a seller working without an agent, so the money you save on the agent’s commission will be lost to the buyer. Additionally, you’ll have to be able to do everything an agent can do from listing the property online to handling the closing.
Sellers Should Remodel Their Kitchen and Bath
This is frequently recommended, but it may actually be bad advice. Buyers may have their own plans for the kitchen and bath, so putting in the work ahead of time could negatively impact a sale. Especially if they don’t share your tastes, they may prefer to look for a home that hasn’t been updated recently.
Sellers Can Expect to Earn Back What They Spend on Renovations
While it will be noticed, if the roof is in bad shape or the air conditioning doesn’t work, fixing these big ticket items won’t help you raise the value of your home. Buyers may feel it’s your responsibility to repair these things before putting the home on the market, so they usually won’t be willing to pay more for an updated home. However, if you don’t fix these things, you may actually lose value in your home.
There are more myths flourishing in the real estate industry, so always check to be sure something is true. If you don’t do enough research, you may find that it cost you money instead of helping you save. Always direct questions to a qualified and experienced real estate agent to avoid making devastating mistakes.