Give Your Home A Pedigree - Document Your Homes Maintenance and
Improvements
by
Kevin Vitali a Massachusetts REALTOR located in Tewksbury MA.
One thing a home buyer loves is a
well maintained home. A great habit of any homeowner is to document the
work you have done on the home. It helps give your home a pedigree.
So what is the definition of a
pedigree? “The background or history of a person or thing, especially as
conferring distinction or quality.”
Doesn’t that sound great? Of
course it does and what home buyer wouldn’t love that.
Over the years I have had homeowners
that have saved and organized everything they have ever done to their
house. Boy, it is awesome and it impresses buyers.
On the other hand I have had sellers
save nothing and in some cases they don’t even know if permits were pulled,
when certain work was done, etc… and that can sometimes work against a seller.
As a home buyer, would you rather buy
the house that is a pig with lipstick slapped on it or the pedigreed show home
where everything is documented?
How
To Give Your Home A Pedigree
When it comes time to give your home
a pedigree, document every major repair or home renovation you have done with
paperwork and neatly organize it. A great way is to get a big 3 ring
binder with clear sheet protectors to organize your home’s information.
Don’t put in every little receipt in
your book. Replacing a washer in a faucet it not something I would
document. Use the book for significant repairs and improvement that give
your home value.
Remember buyers want to know
everything about your house. By creating a binder of home maintenance and
improvements you help give buyers confidence.
What
Types of Paperwork Gives Your Home a Pedigree
Plans- Save any house plans, plot plans and land
survey. It helps a buyer give a perspective on what they are buying.
Receipts of work completed- Whether it is a roof replacement, major furnace repair, a
home renovation etc…. A receipt does a few things.
It gives value as they see the
receipts and the money you spent.
A receipt also reinforces the work
was properly done by the appropriate, licensed professional.
Even if you did the work yourself
show the receipt for the materials you used. Materials on a DIY job can
be significant cost of any home improvement project.
The receipt will also give an
accurate date of when the work was completed.
Permits- You pulled the permit, you got it signed off by the town,
throw it in your home binder. Permits give a home buyer confidence that
the work was done to code in a safe manner.
No home buyer wants to get stuck
with inferior work on home improvements that should have been permitted but
wasn’t. It can cost them dearly down the road.
Warranties- A lot of warranties can be passed on in part or full to a
new home owner. Others might need to be transferred by the new home
owner. Warranties can certainly help give a buyer peace of mind when
buying your home.
If a repair or product has a
warranty that can be transferred make sure you get it into your book.
Many warranties are predicated on
registering the product in the first place. So don’t forget to register them.
Certifications- Work such as lead paint removal and asbestos removal provide
a certification from a licensed professional that the work was done according
to certain standards and was disposed of properly.
Lead paint and asbestos can very
harmful and the fact you had it removed is a big deal. Ont op of it you
can show you do it safely and properly.
Test Results- Sometimes a homeowner runs into issues that might require
the home to be tested. Issues like radon, arsenic in the water and mold
will have an final test done showing the corrective measures have resolved the
problem.
Homes have problems that need to be
taken care of, it just happens. A home buyer wants to see the problem has
been taken car of properly.
Product sheets of materials used- The product sheets describe the materials used and the
benefit of the product. If it’s an upscale product even better. Many
times a buyer might not know the full benefit of a particular product or brand
and the product sheet gives value.
Look at our culture you can buy a
sweatshirt for 15 bucks but if you slap a logo that says Ralph Lauren on it and
the price jumps drastically.
Instruction Manuals- Instruction manuals provide valuable information for the
owner and wouldn’t it be great to have it all organized in one area.
Instruction manuals can show a new homeowner something as simple as how to
replace a filter in a furnace. Or, the best way to clean a laminate
floor.
Benefits
of Giving Your Home a Pedigree When It Comes Time to Sell
When it comes time to sell your
home, taking that little bit of extra time can give your home a pedigree over
the years can have many benefits.
Gives value- Money you spent on repairs and renovations can give your
home actual value or perceived value to a home buyer.
Take two home in the same
neighborhood and all things relatively equal. One spent 10k on the roof
and one is looking at an expensive roof repair with in the year which would you
choose?
Fully informs the buyer- Imagine leaving this book at the house for showings. A
home buyer can peruse it and see the care you have put into your home.
But not only that, if you have upgraded your home with a high velocity ac or a
tankless water heater it informs the buyer on the benefits of the upgraded
product.
Highlights Low Visibility, Big
Impact Repairs and Renovations- There
are just some repairs and improvements that have very low “eye candy” appeal
but have a major, positive impact on a home. For example, a perimeter
drain in the the basement is a prime example. You don’t really see it,
but if installed correctly with back up sump pump and battery backup it
guarantees you will never have water in your basement again.
Gives confidence- If a home seller had been meticulous about organizing their
maintenance and projects it is going to give a home buyer confidence they are
buying a good house.
Save time and decreases
stress- Imagine having the answer to all
your buyers questions at your finger tips, instead of sorting thru tons of
paperwork trying to find an answer. Because, guess what, they are going
to want details.
Better Offers- The less that is left to question about a home certainly
boosts home buyer confidence. When a home buyer is confident that your
home is a good one, that leads to better offers.
What buyers want is to know they are
not going to experience major problems shortly after buying a home. They
have sunk all their money into a down payment and closing costs. And,
they certainly don’t want to face major repairs.
Home buyers also want to know the
work on their new home is properly and safely performed so that when they pay
for that recent kitchen remodel they will enjoy it for years to come.
Compiling your homes paper work over
the years will definitely help in telling the story your house has to tell.
Give Jinks Realty a Call for All
your Real Estate Needs (956) 429-3232 or visit our website www.JinksRealty.com
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