Selling your home this winter? A great deck spruces up the curb appeal.
Curb
appeal is integral when selling a home, but when the trees are bare and the ground
is covered in dirty snow, the winter months can make it very difficult to
showcase your home’s attractive landscaping. But smart sellers know that taking
extra steps to care for and present a home’s exterior is a worthwhile
investment, particularly during the real estate off-season. There is one
improvement you can make that will help boost your home’s outdoor appeal no
matter what the season: a deck.
When
potential buyers visit your home in winter, they might not be able to envision
how green and lovely your backyard will look come spring, but they will be able
to see with their own eyes what a deck adds to the home’s living space. Decks,
patios, sun rooms and porches have always been popular with home buyers, but
real estate agents say that too often these spaces are neglected or not used to
their best advantage.
Yet
outdoor improvements like a deck can significantly enhance your home’s value
and appeal. In fact, at the time of resale, a deck will recoup about 73 percent
of its original cost, according to “Cost vs. Value” in Remodeling Magazine.
"Anything
that adds living space adds value, and the least expensive way to gain space is
to build a deck or turn the one you have into an outdoor room by staging it so
that it flows seamlessly with the rest of the house," says Mary Beth
Harrison of The Harrison Group, a Dallas-based real estate
agency. "A great deck can set your home apart from others with the same
interior floor plan or square footage, and deck additions typically add value
when it comes time to sell."
 |
| Snow Covered Deck |
The
cooler temperatures of fall and early winter make the season a great time to
add a deck to your home. Or, if you already have a deck, enhance its appeal by
adding simple touches and accessories that include:
*
Staging a tiny deck or a rarely-used balcony off a master bedroom as a romantic
getaway with cozy, cushioned seating and a raised fire pit.
*
Adding designer style while safeguarding your deck with Latitudes Deck
Stones, 16-inch interlocking square tiles made of natural slate or granite.
Deck stones provide an effective fire barrier that's an asset under fire pits
or grills, or when used to create an outdoor kitchen.
*
Lighting a deck to create a warm, welcoming mood for evening entertaining, as
well as an important safety feature. LED deck lighting kits, like those
offered by Deckorators, are both practical and visually appealing.
*
Incorporating deck railings into your design to add both safety and
visual appeal. Decorative railings with ornate balusters, post caps and post
covers can give virtually any wood or composite lumber deck a distinctive look
for a modest investment.
"More
than ever before, people look at their decks as outdoor entertainment
areas," says Chris Fox of Universal Forest Products, producer of
Latitudes Composite decking and railing and Deckorators, a leader in decking
railing systems and deck accessories. "For some, it's a kitchen; for
others, a living room. Decks can be party spaces or quiet retreats. With so
many different types of deck materials, lighting, rail systems and decorative
accents, it’s possible to turn a plain deck into a fantastic outdoor living
space."
"Potential
home buyers always react positively to nice decks that look like a great place to hang
out," says Harrison . "From a buyer's
perspective, if all else is equal, it's true that the home with the best deck
wins."
This
sponsored article is presented by Brandpoint.
