Hello,
If this question is out of place here, please excuse me.
My family owns a house that will be lived in for about 3-5 more years and then sold. There is a large backlog of necessary investments.
Our main question is: which investments are advisable to maintain the value of the house? Which ones can we skip given the planned sale soon? I hope someone in this forum can give us some tips, even if it is just comments on individual measures. Thank you very much in advance.
Facts: Semi-detached house from 1989 in a fairly expensive location, about 200m² (2153 sq ft) of living space.
Planned measures this year:
- Renew the ridge and a pitched roof to prevent consequential damage. Since the house will be fully scaffolded for this, it makes sense to carry out additional exterior work now.
Possible measures:
- Cladding of gable beams
It might be possible to clad them with copper; otherwise, they supposedly require repainting every 5 years. Any opinions on this?
- Painting the exterior facade
It may never have been painted. Is it advisable to do this now while the scaffolding is up, or would it be a waste of money? One side of the house has partial ivy growth—are damages to be expected there?
- Insulation
Some areas are uninsulated, for example the roller shutter boxes and a roof exit window.
Many thanks and best regards,
wildwuchs
If this question is out of place here, please excuse me.
My family owns a house that will be lived in for about 3-5 more years and then sold. There is a large backlog of necessary investments.
Our main question is: which investments are advisable to maintain the value of the house? Which ones can we skip given the planned sale soon? I hope someone in this forum can give us some tips, even if it is just comments on individual measures. Thank you very much in advance.
Facts: Semi-detached house from 1989 in a fairly expensive location, about 200m² (2153 sq ft) of living space.
Planned measures this year:
- Renew the ridge and a pitched roof to prevent consequential damage. Since the house will be fully scaffolded for this, it makes sense to carry out additional exterior work now.
Possible measures:
- Cladding of gable beams
It might be possible to clad them with copper; otherwise, they supposedly require repainting every 5 years. Any opinions on this?
- Painting the exterior facade
It may never have been painted. Is it advisable to do this now while the scaffolding is up, or would it be a waste of money? One side of the house has partial ivy growth—are damages to be expected there?
- Insulation
Some areas are uninsulated, for example the roller shutter boxes and a roof exit window.
Many thanks and best regards,
wildwuchs
ypg schrieb:
Take a look into the topic of home staging! It’s not just about new furnishings, but starts with neutral-colored walls, cleanliness, and a well-maintained garden, and continues with organizing kitchen cabinets and depersonalizing the space. This wouldn’t be relevant yet, but definitely at least six months before starting to sell. When I read the Wikipedia entry on this, it sounds exhausting.
It’s like moving before you actually move and living in a show home.
Musketier schrieb:
When I read the Wikipedia entry on it, it sounds exhausting.
It sounds like moving before the actual move and living in a show home.It’s not quite that bad — but it can affect your life for several months. I’d say it’s less suitable for families with young children, but more manageable for a grandmother’s house 🙂
Especially when older people want to downsize, they eventually have to start minimizing their belongings. A house filled with things that don’t belong there is hard to sell — at least not to buyers who want to preserve the value of the property.
Feel free to browse my website 😉 there are some photos showing how to better showcase a resale property (through home staging).
EveundGerd13 Sep 2015 22:38Home staging is exhausting even without small children!
From my own experience, I can share the following advice: Avoid unnecessary, costly renovations. Buyers’ tastes may be completely different from yours. You won’t get those investments back. Only do what is absolutely necessary, based on an expert’s assessment!
For us, the floor plan and the location close to the city were decisive.
Therefore: Keep the garden, yard, and building clean and tidy, carry out necessary repairs properly, and keep all receipts. Everything that can be documented is appreciated. Then the sale will surely go well. 😉
From my own experience, I can share the following advice: Avoid unnecessary, costly renovations. Buyers’ tastes may be completely different from yours. You won’t get those investments back. Only do what is absolutely necessary, based on an expert’s assessment!
For us, the floor plan and the location close to the city were decisive.
Therefore: Keep the garden, yard, and building clean and tidy, carry out necessary repairs properly, and keep all receipts. Everything that can be documented is appreciated. Then the sale will surely go well. 😉
Hello Wildwuchs,
I would proceed as the building expert suggested. If, in your opinion, the house is in a "desirable" location and not completely neglected, getting an inspection is worthwhile. However, be prepared to invest around 1000€ (approximately $1100) for a proper report; avoid cheaper inspections costing 200-300€ (about $220-$330).
No one will pay you back for copper on the gable roof within five years. If the gaps in the insulation are related to the roller shutters and roof windows, I would probably have those fixed and carefully document everything for future resale (including invoices for the work done and before/after photos). Roller shutter boxes might also be accessible from the inside; it depends on whether there is enough space.
The painting and ivy issue has already been addressed. The roof and walls could possibly be cleaned with a pressure washer, but the inspector should also be able to provide recommendations.
Best regards,
Dirk Grafe
I would proceed as the building expert suggested. If, in your opinion, the house is in a "desirable" location and not completely neglected, getting an inspection is worthwhile. However, be prepared to invest around 1000€ (approximately $1100) for a proper report; avoid cheaper inspections costing 200-300€ (about $220-$330).
No one will pay you back for copper on the gable roof within five years. If the gaps in the insulation are related to the roller shutters and roof windows, I would probably have those fixed and carefully document everything for future resale (including invoices for the work done and before/after photos). Roller shutter boxes might also be accessible from the inside; it depends on whether there is enough space.
The painting and ivy issue has already been addressed. The roof and walls could possibly be cleaned with a pressure washer, but the inspector should also be able to provide recommendations.
Best regards,
Dirk Grafe
wildwuchs schrieb:
There is a significant backlog of investments.If there really is a major backlog of investments and the new owner will or must make improvements to insulation, facade, etc., or in the worst case even demolish the house, then repainting, patching, pressure washing, or fiddling with the insulation is pointless. In that case, I would recommend investing as little as possible.
On the other hand, if the house is habitable, it makes sense to spend a small amount of money to improve its appearance.
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