Why not make February an annual reminder to put some effort into making your home a place you can fall in love with all over again?
According to Adrian Goslett, Regional Director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, there are several cost-effective ways that can either restore a home to its former glory or simply make it an even more desirable place in which to live.
“Homeowners who want to show their property a bit of extra love this Valentine’s Month do not need to go to costly measures to create a big impact. Subtle, inexpensive changes often can go a long way to increase the property’s overall appeal,” he advised.
When it comes to restoring a home to its former glory, Goslett said that sometimes all it takes is a little elbow grease and tackling the regular maintenance tasks that many fail to make time for during the year, such as pressure-washing the roof tiles or weeding the pavements.
“To maintain the resale value of the property, create a household chore schedule and tackle a few maintenance jobs over the course of the month,” he advised.
Depending on the home, Goslett recommended sanding down and varnishing any wooden door and window frames first, as this can often make a big impact on both the interior and exterior of the home.
“Replacing these with aluminium frames can also be a good investment for those with the budget to do so.”
Goslett also suggested repainting rooms within the home that are looking a bit tired or grubby, as this can go a long way towards transforming a space.
For those who are planning on tackling some Valentine’s DIY projects themselves, Goslett cautioned that DIY projects are a great way to add value to a home only if the work is completed neatly and to a high standard.
“If installed or completed incorrectly, the project could end up devaluing the home and could cost twice as much to fix as a professional would have charged in the first place.”
Those who plan to invest some cash into their homes this Valentine’s Month are reminded not to over-invest on the renovations.
“A key consideration when renovating should always be its potential return on investment. For example, if a seller pays R50 000 to renovate his/ her bathroom but the value of the home only increases by R10 000, then the seller would experience a negative return of R40 000 on that investment,” Goslett explained.
Lastly, to avoid causing tension with the neighbours – it is the month of love after all – Goslett recommended being considerate of the noise and disruption the renovations could cause to those living around you.
“Depending on the renovation, you could find yourself in for fines issued by your Body Corporate or even a visit by the local police for disturbing the peace. To avoid this, warn your neighbours in advance when you plan to start any noisy renovations. As a rule of thumb, be sure any loud construction work comes to an end by 17:00 and does not start before 07:00,” Goslett suggested.
