The Best 5 Things to Raise Home Value

Raising your home’s value, whether you are in it to stay or are looking to sell, is always a great idea.  Here are our top 5 improvements that will raise the value of your home.

  1. Insulation

One of the easiest and quickest things you can do yourself (it will probably take you a weekend or two), insulation can save you money on utilities while you’re in the home, and be a nice asset for homebuyers.  Attic insulation is the best place to start and can prevent up to 30% of your cool or heated air from literally flying out the roof, but even just caulking around windows and doors will help insulate your house.

  1. Lighting

Recessed lighting has been getting a lot of attention lately and for good reason; kitchens, bathrooms, and living spaces can all benefit from good lighting.  Track lighting is another good solution to really brighten up rooms and show off the home’s character.  Good lighting is always a sure investment to spring for when improving your home.

  1. Lawn Care

Updating your walkway with pavers or buying some grass seed/sod for your front yard adds great curb appeal.  Opinions are formed from the second a person drives up to your home and your lawn is one of the first things that they will see.  Be sure to keep up with edging and mowing your lawn and consider investing in a few large planters with some cheery flowers.  A little goes a long way and you don’t have to spend very much to make a difference.

  1. Remove popcorn from the ceilings.

This is the major thing that dates most homes, no one likes popcorn anymore and though it can be a pain to DIY or a bit pricey to have it done, this is one improvement that is worth paying to have done.

  1. Kitchen

The number one thing to consider in your kitchen is the layout; most people refer to the most important area in your kitchen as “the triangle”.  This is the place where your stove, dishwasher, and sink are located ideally allowing for a seamless workspace.  Before making any surface adjustments, consider if you should make a major overhaul of your kitchen space to remove any obstacles in this area.  Appliances, colors, even countertops will all go in and out of style, but the layout of a kitchen, good or bad, will last a lifetime.

Home Building 101: Major Phases of Construction Part IV

We’ve spent the last few weeks walking you through the process of home building, from foundation to the final inspection, if you haven’t read our blog posts from the previous weeks, you can find them here: Part I, Part II, and Part III.

Mechanical Trims Finished & Bathroom Fixtures Installation

After your flooring is installed, your contractor will finish the mechanical trims and complete installation of the light fixtures, power outlets, light switches, and if the electrical panel hasn’t already been installed, it will be installed now.  Equipment for the HVAC is installed and faucets, sinks, and toilets in the kitchen and bathrooms are installed as well.

Miscellaneous Installation & Flooring

Shower doors and mirrors are installed next, they are installed at this point in the construction phase in order to keep them from being damaged during the actual construction and painting of the house.  Carpet is also installed now for the same reason and the house is cleaned of all debris and construction material leftovers.

Exterior Landscaping

At this point, the exterior of the house is also cleaned up and shrubs, grass, and trees are planted as well as any other exterior items that are left.

Final Inspection

An official will come to do the final inspection to check that everything follows your area’s building code.  If any issues come up during inspection that need to be addressed, the building-code official will have to conduct a follow-up inspection to ensure these have been addressed.  When everything has successfully passed inspection, the official will then issue a certificate of occupancy (C.O.) which means that you can legally live in the domicile.

Final Walkthrough/Pre-Settlement Walkthrough

Now that everything has successfully passed inspection, your builder will walk through the entire house with you to show off all of the house’s features, explain how to best maintain your home.  This is the time for you to look for any problems, mistakes, or areas requiring adjustment.  Your builder will be able to help you decide how to handle or fix these areas, she or he should also help you look for them but it’s important to be observant yourself.  Some areas to watch out for are: floors, walls, countertops, fixtures, and any glass such as mirrors, windows, etc. these parts are more prone to damage from construction.  It’s imperative to point these things out before you move in because after you move in there’s no way to prove that the damage was pre-existing before the movers came through.

That’s it!  Your home is built and ready to move-in!  Do you have any questions or comments about the process of building a home from the ground up?  If so, drop us a line below!

More Custom Home Luxuries

Building a custom home comes with many perks, one of which is being able to incorporate what are considered “luxuries” into the design and many times paying considerably less than if you installed the luxury into your existing home.  We posted another blog post a few weeks back about our favorite luxuries to consider for your South Texas home, here are a few more that we also love.

Self-Closing Drawers and Cabinets

Your dream kitchen and bathrooms will be all the better with this tiny improvement; not expensive to add, you will love how softly everything closes and how tidy this makes your home.

Underfloor or Radiant Heat Flooring

A subtle addition to your dream home, you’ll definitely notice the difference in the winter months.  Imagine stepping out of your shower, or poking your feet out of bed and being met by a soft warmth instead of ice cold.  Now that would be a luxury worth paying a bit extra to obtain.  The great thing is that radiant heat flooring can be energy efficient as well.  You can read more about radiant heat flooring here.

Double Dishwashers

We’ve all heard the hype about double ovens, but have you considered double dishwashers?  They’re just the thing for entertaining or large family gatherings.  You can install the second one in a bar or in your island, or just about anywhere you find convenient.

Pullout Cabinet Shelving

Pantries and cabinets can benefit from having pullout shelves that help you access those difficult to reach spots in the back.  This way you won’t be losing cans of soup, or buying two hand mixers because you can find one.  These are easy to install and won’t cost you much more, but we guarantee that you’ll love the convenience of them.

Light Switch Dimmers

Whether you’re installing lights in your new custom home, switching out existing lights, or just want something to combat the harsh lighting in your home, dimmers might be an excellent option for you.

What are your top dream home luxuries?  Drop us a line in the comment section, we’d love to hear from you!