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TALBOTTON NEW ERA - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018 Page
When granite countertops or shiny, stain- tion of a new steel door on the front of a home
less steel appliances beckon homeowners can have a large impact on the resale value
from the display areas of home improvement of a property. The ROI ranges from 123 per-
stores, it's tempting to gear remodeling cent at the highest, to 86 percent at the low-
thoughts toward the items that will add flair est-- which is still a considerable investment
and decorative appeal to a home. Even though return for such a simple project. Match the
most improvements add some measure of door's style with the style of the house for
value, deciding which are the best invest- the best value.
ments can be difficult.
Return on investment, often referred to Turn up the kitchen heat. An attractive
as "ROI," varies depending on the project, kitchen can encourage buyers to overlook
Frequently, the projects that seem like the some of a home's less attractive components.
best investments don't bring the greatest rate In the kitchen, replacement countertops, wall
of return, while those that seem like smaller color changes, new cabinetry and flooring
projectsbringsubstantialreturns.Realestate offer the biggest ROI.
professionals routinely weigh in with their
expert advice, and homeowners can couple Dreaming of a new bedroom.
that advice with Remodeling magazine's Remodeling magazine also points to creating
annual "Cost vs. Value Index" to .reap the an attic bedroom to increase home value. The
greatest financial impact from their renova- ROI of an attic remodel that adheres to code
tions, can garner an 83 percent ROI.
FOIJ.J3WINGwere some of the proj- Home maintenance projects. There's
ects that garnered the greatest ROI in 2015. little good to improving the aesthetic appeal
and functionality of a home if there are exist-
, Open the door to improvement. Region ing structural or maintenance issues, warn
by region across the United States, installa- experts. Siding replacement, HVAC system
According to Realtor.corn, spring is the on the market in spring won't have the lux-
busiest and best season to sell a home. While uryofwaitinguntil springto dotheir"spring"
a good home can find a buyer any time of cleaning, so start clearing any clutter out in
year, homeowners might find the buyers' winter, even resolving to make an effort to
pool is strongest in spring and into summer, prevent its accumulation throughout winter.
The reasons for that are parents wanting to Just like buyers are impressed by curb
move when their children are not in school appeal, they are turned off by clutter. The
to those wanting to move when weather is Appraisal Institute suggests homeowners
accommodating, clear clutter out of their homes before
Because spring is such a popular time to appraisers visit, and the same approach can
sell a home, homeowners who want to put be applied to open houses. Buyers, like
their homes on the market should use win- appraisers, see cluttered homes as less valu-
ter as an opportunity to prepare their homes able. In addition, a home full of clutter might
for the prying eyes of prospective buyers, give buyers the impression, true or not, that
The following tips can help homeowners dur- the home was not well maintained.
ing the pre-selling preparation process.
1. Address the exterior of the home.
Winter can be harsh on a home's exterior, so
as winter winds down, homeowners who want
to sell their homes should make an effort to
address anything that might negatively
affect their homes' curb appeal. A study of
homes in Greenville, S.C from researchers
at Clemson University found that the value
of homes with landscapes that were upgrad-
ed from "good" to "excellent" increased by
6 to 7 percent. If it's in the budget, hire pro-
fessional landscapers to fix any problemat-
ic landscaping or address any issues that
arose during the winter. Homeowners with
3. Eliminate odors. A home's inhabitants
grow accustomed to odors that might be cir-
culating throughout the house. Pet odor, for
instance, might not be as strong to a home's
residents as it is to guests and l t'ospectix e
buyers. Because windows tend to stay dosed
throughout the winter, interior odors can be
even stronger come late-winter than they
are during the rest of the year. A thorough
cleaning of the house, including vacuuming
and removal of any pet hair that accumulat-
ed over the winter, can help to remove odor.
In the weeks leading up to the open house,
bathe pets more frequently, using a sham-
poo that promotes healthy skin so pet dan-
green thumbs can tackle such projects on der is not as prevalent. Open windows when
their own. the weather allows so more fresh air comes
2. Con terior clutter.;'Clutter has into the home.
is a popular a/f fpotentially Itl :
a way of accumulating over the winter, when tive time to sell a home, and homeowners
people tend to spend more time indoors, who spend winter preparing their homes for
BEFORE REMODELING!- Before remodeling, determine which projects will provide
the greatest return on investment.
repair or replacement, a new roof, and base-
ment dampness prevention solutions can be
smarter investments before other flashy
remodels. Many buyers have a strict budget
for a house, and those buyers may be more
likely to buy a house with little or no main-
tenance issues. Such buyers will then upgrade
the kitchen or baths themselves, according
to Harvard's Joint Center for Housing
Studies.
/mid
Worthy window replacement. Angle'g
List, a home services review and referra i '.
has found that the average ROI
resource,
r~~"T~' :l
new windows is 77 percent. The cost of instal
a 1
lation and energy savings tend to offset
around the'10-year point.
If remodeling is on the horizon, home
r~od
owners should give strong consideration to
ROI before choosing a project.
I'l:2:q
Monthly mortgage payments are the
biggest single expense for many homeown-
ers. So it's understandable why plenty of
homeowners would love to trim those costs.
A host of factors determine how much
homeowners pay for their mortgages each
month. The cost of the home, the amount of
the initial down payment and property taxes,
which are often folded into monthly pay-
ments, will factor heavily into the cost of
home ownership. While homeowners m ly
feel as though there's little wiggle ro ,rn to
cot the costs of their mortgages, there are
several ways to do just that and potentially
trim years from the life of a home loan.
Make bi-weekly payments. Making bi-
weekly instead of once-a-month payments
can save homeowners substantial amounts
of money. A year's worth of once-a-month
payments equates to 12 payments per year.
But homeowners who pay on a bi-weekly basis
will make 26 half payments, or 13 full pay-
91,qE
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mortgage insurance, or PMI. But once the~C':~
balances on such mortgages falls below 8( ot
percent, homeowners can cancel such insttr oi
ance. Homeowners may also be able to StOl~;~n~
paying PMI by having their homes reap-
praised. *
Refinance the loan. Refinancing a loanlg .
also can save homeowners substantialv -
amounts of money each month. Homeowners-' (-
are typically eligible for lower interest rates qo
when refinancing their loans, meaning the w
will pay less in interest each month. Howeve~v~i
refinancing is not free, so homeowners should eza
first check the going home interest rates and, 61
examine their.credit scores to see if the intermix,~,
est rate they're likely to get upon refinanc: 9:J
ing will save them money. The cost of refi l', 'T
nancing might be more than homeowners can
save.
Request a tax reassessment. Real estate e':a
values increase and decrease, and homeown - :
ers who feel their homes have decreased in---:
ments, per year. That extra annualpayment value can request that their homes
can be applied directly to the principal, dra- reassessed. Homeowners whose homes
matically reducing how much homeowners assessed at:ai: t ue tll l the curg4 l
pay in interest b cbr the life of their loans. l e can pa s ch
Stop paying PMI. Homeowners whose taxes. I
initial down payments are less than 20 per- Homeowners hoping to cut mortgag
Homeowners who want to put their homes the market may reap even greater rewards, cent of the sale price will have to pay private costs have various options at their disposal.
I
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731 Jenni Lane
This 4 Bedroom, 4Bath custom built home sits on 2.28 acres in
Manchester. Cathedral ceilings with cypress beams and stone fire-
place accent the living room and kitchen area. Custom kitchen cab-
inets, large master bath, screened porch and attached 2 bay garage.
Priced at $299,900. Call Penny Hale- 706 249-0815.
<:::i~ ~' L:': > b::::C:: ::ii~:i::i>':
114 E. 2nd St. Manchester 418 Oak Road
Privatdy and centrally located inside the city
limits of Manchester. Private driveway and yard.
Hardwood floors with updated bathrooms with
a claw foot tub. Updated roof, siding~ and dec-
tdcal. Priced at $59,900. Call Jon Hale 706-
580-6545
This 4BR/3BA horne is located inside Historic
Roosevdt Inst. Ove~ 3000 sq.ft Great kitdaen, sun
room, graci,~ ~ ~oomk~ng roor~ ~tter's
pamzy and outdoor wodcslaop. Gorgeous 10ft
roasonely fueplace in doe living room with so'~d oak
beams are just a few of doe re,any amenities. A must
900 Nebula Rd Manchester
Thia eommoreial brick building i~ zoned
C1 and i~ 107~ Sq. Ft. Lo~tod in a b~a~y res-
idential area and ~ ro~ th~ ~tr~t ffrom
Sherman William. Plant, 11~ din ideal loca-
tion for a small buairl~aa. Lot ta .34 ~er~
and h~u~ paved p~rking oa th~ ald~. 1~rle~d
~ $41,900.
Call PennyHale 706 249-0815.
Charming home on a corner lot has hardwood floors thru out
and solid 6 panel doors, Large office area and 3 Bedrooms and
2 Bath~. Large out building with fenced bacl~ard. Priced at
$1~05,0~0. Call l~any Ible-706 24~081~.
I
iNC
.::. .::
freedom
1701 Dukes Wadder Rd
Beautiful countrf home with lbr/lba
7 Lane Street, Manchester, GA
Great sur~ h0me 0r iavearaeat pr0peay HVAC inm~ 2010, P,a~
2014, P,t~i~ 2014 and re-plumbai 2015. Pti~ z~ $40,000. Ca~ I~
Hale 706-2,49-0815
acres with private stocked pond! Planed ph~ and food:;
plots make this retreat an outdoors
iif!~,i
y v u jon C7o6) 5~6545
821 McCurdy Blvd. Manchester
pl~ i~ the den. 'The homo ~Jl~o ~ a ~mb~a-
,ado ,0tu=al.~ oom/l~ -t *~ roo*~ d'*=t op'---,'= onto =*
~ovcrd patio a~.~. ~F]r~ere is a s~pa~ x= den
ba~'. prl~d at $87,OOO
Call. Penny H~le 706-249008 5
Hardwood and tile floors, updated kitchen, sun roora~a
with hot tub and much more. Prk~ at $319,900.
614 Mayes Way*
2183 Sq. fi 3 bedroom and 2 bath home. Family room k
built in book shrives l ~dhg to a larF de&.
yard. ~ at $109,900. Call l~may Hale 706 249-0515~.~
2851 Chalyboate Rd.
This manufactured home has been maintained to
perfection. Just ou~de Manchester on 2 acres with
a beautiful mountain view. 4 bedrooms 2 bath
with office space and 2 large outbuilding. Yard is
completely fenced. Quite country liv'mg!l Priced
at $119,900. C all Penay Hale 706 249-0815.
INSURANCE
540 4th St Manchester
NEW LISTING-This 2 BR/2BA home sits on 3
city lots. 1800 sq ft finished with unfinished upstairs
3rd BR. Located in a very established neighbor-
hood, this home would be great for first time home-
buyers with growing family. Priced at $87,000. Call
Penny Hale 706-249-0815
535 West Main Street
& large front Fad. Prioed at $57,000 Call Penny .-.
Hale 706-249-0815 "; ~
LIFE, HOME, CAR, IUSlNESS
Macon Hwy. Talbotton Ga. 44 aore tract perfect for the hunter tired of paying a lease o[ fan [
ily looking to build their dream home. Appx 14 acres of pasture and good mixture of pines and mature
woods, Pti l al tail don I le.
REDUCED 3,8 in Mounlain-ln Pi mont 8ulxlivision.L 46 & 48, I ild Ji
Iotsinapristineneig,Tennis Courts, pool and a 212 acre lake, ;
allHOAinformaflon. Pdceclal, Bale -gq, 15. . :
22947 Ga Hwy 85, Gay, GA King Gap Rd, add-Located close to Shiloh and 85 in Harris County, This r id al
68 Bream Dr Manchester 3135 Judson Bulloch Rd is pdced to sell at Call Penny Hale T06 24, 0815o
Imm dy ma q m 19,16
NEW LISTING-This 3BIV2Ba brick home on 2.04
~3~/2Badmpl=~dpane/au~uaddbya=s6a~d0o 3z~Appx acresis movein read~ Separate laundry room with exte- ~ Scenic Heights Rd-58 Acres-Panoramic mountain views on this one~
l~q~t~floor~L~i~t=~b,fi~blo~o~to~lmi~= riot entrance. M~stet bathiadudes a ~aen rubewith of a kind tract just outside of Manchesterl Priced at $172,0OO. Call Jon Hale ~Y~
b~r~a~bac~ tl fia~adh~geb=kdd~M vein~ud~P6mt=t$109,900.C=ll] a}hle a separate shower and double vanities. Priced at
p~ ~t ~)~000 I C~lll~ ~1~ 7~2~ 7~-5~6U5 $130,000. Call Penny Hale 706-249-0815 706-580-6545 ~'~
