Home 'n Garden Magazine

Is Home Repair A Worthwhile Investment?

With the costs of home repair projects increasing in both materials and labor, will repairing your house turn out to be a good investment? When you spend money on home repairs, it isn't necessarily money down the drain. It is estimated that as much as 40% of all residential construction spending is spent on home repair to existing houses. This is a large expense, and big business as it accounts for about two percent of the U.S economy. This so called “boom” may have been fueled by the increase in home costs together with lower interest rates and a strong homeowner equity.

So, you may wonder whether or not spending money on home repair is really a worthwhile investment. The answer would be “probably.” The home repair industry is reaping large profits because people are finding value in their home repair projects. This does not mean that one would recover all of the money spent on repair immediately.

The typical amount recovered generally ranges between eighty and ninety percent within the first couple of years. With better home repair, one may even make money on their investment as, over time, the real estate market would leverage the investment through growth in the value of the property.

Before Undertaking Home Repair, There Are A Few Things To Assess

You should appraise what the impact of the home repair project will have on the appraised value of the home.
How long you plan to hold the property.
How strong the resale market is in that particular area.
There are various home repair projects having different benefits for the maintenance and repair projects individually.

Typically, home repair projects are required to maintain the home’s integrity and includes areas of the home such as roofs, exterior painting, window upgrading, electrical amperage capacities, furnace upgrading, etc. These are all the areas of the home that should take the highest priority. If you are thinking of selling the home, the buyer will be expecting a solid structure and supporting systems. They will then look at any cosmetic changes that were made before deciding whether or not they will purchase the home.

In addition, home inspectors are paid to critically evaluate a home and objectively rate the home’s condition. Important areas for home repair are the roof and flashing, chimneys, gutters and downspouts, brick walls, foundation, plumbing fixtures, electrical systems, and the furnace.

These are important, though not a complete list of the major home repair areas. Homes that are in good order will help critical buyers to consider the home in positive light. In most cases, the amount spent on the home repair projects will pay dividends at sale time. It may be that the improvements made will push the purchase through and thus pay back the investment handsomely.

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