When preparing your house for sale, it’s easy to get carried away by major house improvement projects. In some cases, complete makeovers are not necessary. A few repairs on high-impact areas will equally increase your house’s value by improving its functionality and general appearance. To help you navigate the house makeover, J. King Real Estate shares some helpful tips on areas with a high impact.

Complete the Necessary Repairs

When you've lived in your house for a while, you get used to some of the flaws and learn how to live with them. This is a sign of neglect for new buyers, so ensure you fix all those things you keep overlooking. 

For instance, you can start by inspecting your windows. If some need to get repaired or replaced, get in touch with contractors that offer window repair services. You’ll find that rates change depending on the type of windows you want and the type of services you need. 

For best results, be specific in your search, using keywords like ‘casement window repair near me’ to find a specialist. You can find information on some companies online, so start by reading a few customer reviews to check the quality of their work. Another option is asking them to refer you to satisfied customers. Verify their credibility, and check if they have insurance and a valid license.

Outside your house, check for large cracks on the pathways, missing shingles, patio pavers, and tuckpointing. Fix loose railings and broken windows, panes, and doors for security purposes. Adding a wooden deck will drive your house value up and accelerate the time frame as well. If you already have a deck, look out for cracks in floorboards and refinish the surface. 

You can consult the J. King Real Estate team to highlight the crucial repairs your house requires to save you both time and money.

Replace the Roof

Most buyers will go for the house with the newest roof to avoid the cost of repairing leaking roofs. A new roof will help you sell your house faster, and it will recoup the money you spend on resale by about 107%. If it’s beyond your budget, you can consider negotiating a lower price with potential buyers.

You can do some repairs for a relatively new roof, such as fixing any leaks or replacing some shingles. Regardless of your experience in DIY jobs, it's always advisable to hire a professional due to the risky nature of the work. 

If you're more inclined on DIY, here are some tips:

• Take care not to cause more damage by breaking the tiles or features like the chimney.

• To protect you from slipping, wear shoes with rubber soles.

• Ensure you have someone on the ground as a lookout.

• If there’s bad weather like wind or rain, don’t attempt going to the roof.

Double Glaze the Windows

Living near a public road or public amenities can be noisy sometimes. This harms the value of your house. To curb this, you can double-glaze your windows. Double glazing will reduce the noise level considerably and help in retaining heat. This will drive your house value up as it becomes more energy efficient.

Install a Backsplash

Adding a backsplash in your kitchen adds value to your house. You can install one behind the hob. It will protect the paint or wallpaper from splatter when cooking, leaving no stains in the kitchen. It also forms a water barrier to prevent mold or mildew from growing.

You’ll find different designs and materials such as ceramic tile, glass, metal, or wood. When selecting the perfect one for your house, keep in mind the theme you have in the kitchen. Besides the added convenience, it will enhance the overall beauty of your house.

Remove Popcorn Ceilings

Popcorn ceilings were once popular, but now they reduce the value of your house and can potentially discourage buyers. They were banned from use due to the presence of asbestos, which is hazardous and carcinogenic.

Having them removed will add a modern look to your house. With the right equipment, you can remove them yourself, but ensure you take precautions. The removal process disturbs the fibers, which can end up in your lungs. Before you start, have the material tested for asbestos by professionals. 

Fill Holes and Cracks in the Walls

As time goes, wear and tear can lead to the wall plaster getting holes, cracks, or chips. Before applying a fresh coat of paint, ensure you repair these imperfections. It will improve the general appearance of your house and drive the value up.

Knockdown Walls to Create Open Plan Living Spaces

Most house buyers today prefer open-plan living spaces. Such rooms bring in lighter inside your house, make the house seem more spacious, and allow the rooms to have multiple purposes. You can leverage this plan to make your house more valuable. 

Again hiring a professional is advisable to avoid knocking down load-bearing walls and other potentially costly damages, as well as accidents and injury. And finally, reach out to the J. King Real Estate team for assistance. Call 803-386-9488.

Image via Unsplash

You may view more pictures and specific details by viewing the listing page. Click here to view the listing page for 107 Dutch Point Road, Chapin, SC 29036.

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How to Buy a Home Together and Keep Your Relationship Intact

You’ve decided to buy a home with your partner. You love each other, you get along well and you want to spend the rest of your lives together. It’s time to start looking for your dream home! Well, not exactly. Before you go shopping for the place of your dreams, take some time to look at the reality and make a good plan together. 

As Americans continue to relocate in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and a hot housing market, 64% of millennial homeowners have at least some regret about purchasing their current home, according to a new Bankrate.com survey.

So how do you begin to navigate this bumpy road? Talk, talk and more talk. Sit down with your partner and work out a budget. Consider your finances and what you’re able to afford. Speak with a financial advisor and a lender to help you decide what you can afford. Then look at your monthly income, how much you have for a down payment and what kind of monthly payments you can realistically take on. Once you have a budget decided, stick with it. Know exactly how much wiggle room you have, if any, and what you’d have to give up if the perfect home costs more than expected. 

Then talk about what kind of home you would like and where. Do you like the suburbs or the city, or somewhere in between? Do you want a basement? A yard? A garage? Understand that throughout the process, you’ll need to compromise. You may not get everything you want, and your partner won’t get everything he or she wants, either. 

When it’s time to start shopping, let your real estate agent know what you’re looking for and why. She’ll keep your needs in mind when searching for the right home for you. When you’re looking at homes, try to keep your partner’s needs in mind and don’t just focus on getting what you want. Your partner needs to know that you hear what they have said and understand their needs.

Soon, you’ll feel like every free moment is spent looking at homes. Don’t let this be the case. Remember that your relationship needs nurturing, too. Take time to spend together at dinner, out for a walk or just sitting in a café and chatting about something other than your house hunting. When you are touring homes, take that time to learn about your partner and understand his or her thought process. You might learn something new. 

When it’s time to make an offer, don’t be afraid to act. When the market is good for sellers, buyers are jumping on the best homes. If you are hesitant and want to think about it overnight, you might miss out on the best house and have to start the search all over again. 

Buying a home is a big decision, and you should make sure your relationship is strong and likely to last at least as long as you plan to stay in your home. Having some good stress  and conflict management skills can help you navigate this time together more easily. Remember why you came together in the first place, and focus on how great it will be to buy a home together. Then once you’re settled, you’ll look back on that time with fond memories. 

Your efforts to support the Epworth Children’s Home last year, during Christmas, was a grand success. The J King Real Estate brokerage is looking to help again. This time our focus is helping the Epworth Children’s Home with supplies for the upcoming school year. Epworth is a facility, located in Columbia, SC, that cares for children from severely stressed family systems and their goal is to nurture and love them by providing education, counseling, medical care and spiritual enrichment. Their aim is to break the destructive cycle of abuse, neglect and shame and replace it with an opportunity for each child to live a life of self-respect, responsibility and productivity.

The organization has created a wish list with Amazon to make it easier for us to donate to their organization. When you purchase using this wish list, the needed amounts are automatically adjusted to help the organization and the children get exactly what they all need. The wish list also makes it easy by automatically populating the Epworth Home’s shipping address.

Listed below is a link to the Epworth website which will take you to the Epworth’s web page where you can read about their specific needs and links to help them this season. Although the list is extensive, we want to encourage you to send at least one thing. We could really make a major impact on their lives by doing this simple thing. Please take action by August 7, 2021, to accommodate their school supplies needs. If you are not using their wish lists, their shipping address is Epworth Children’s Home, 2900 Millwood Avenue, Columbia, SC 29205.

Direct link to Epworth's Amazon School Supplies List

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y8A4WEGNPX18/

If you would like to look at other donation opportunities, please view this link

https://www.epworthchildrenshome.org/support/wish-list/