Real estate agents suggest that curb appeal and appraisal booster projects are the guidelines when deciding what projects to undertake before putting your home up for sale.

Curb appeal:
You can enhance curb appeal with these projects:

• Maintain the landscaping
• Keep up with the paintwork, both inside and outside of your home
• Replace your home’s siding, gutters
• Replace old window frames with wooden or energy-efficient ones

Appraisals:
Bringing your home up to your area’s standards is important. Banks and real estate transactions all use appraisers. And appraisers use what are called “comps” or comparables. Those are similar homes in the area that sold for a certain price and then that is used to determine the market value of your home.

Appraisers have certain things they look for as key determinants of value. For example, the location of the real estate (location, location, location!), the livable square footage of a home, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, if it has a fireplace, what the home is constructed out of, what it “looks” like (curb appeal), etc.

What don’t they care about? Well, they don’t care what color your living room is or what brand of kitchen appliance you have. What you want to focus on with appraisal booster projects are high ROI projects that improve the appraisal value and comps. Appraisal booster projects are home repairs that will automatically boost the appraisal of your home, such as energy-efficient windows and doors, wood flooring or the addition of a fireplace. To avoid financial loss and disappointment later, remember to always consult with a realtor or renovations expert to determine how much value planned renovations will add to your home.

Most roofing manufacturers recommend temperatures above 40 degrees, for a number of reasons. Fiberglass shingles have a self adhesive strip that plays an important role in keeping the shingles in place, and creates an effective seal that guards against wind damage. When the temperature is too cold the adhesive isn’t as effective. Extremely cold weather also makes shingle brittle and prone to breaking, which leads to the need for more materials.

However, emergencies do occur, so sunny weather or not, if you need assistance before the warmer days arrive, don’t hesitate to call us! We are here to help!

Not only does failed siding open your home to all manner of weather (rain, snow, ice = water everywhere), and insect damage, it delivers a blow to your home’s market value should you decide to sell or use as collateral in a re-financing package. Further, your relationship with your neighbors, who will also be affected by a lower market values, can become strained.

Homeowner sometimes elect to turn damaged or missing siding into do-it-yourself weekend projects. This is a cost savings IF the homeowner has the knowledge, tools and materials, but more often than not, the savings evaporates when any of those three elements is lacking. Matching existing siding is an art unto itself for which the weekend carpenter is ill equipped.

We have the experience, know-how, tools and siding and resources to fix and match existing siding. A call will bring one of our factory trained professionals to your home for a consultation. Save your valuable weekends for time with the family or serious man-cave down-time!

The impact of hail on a home is immediately obvious: it can dent some types of siding, rip holes in roofs, and even break windows. Wind can work its way behind siding at the seams and pull panels away from the home, rip off shingles and cause tree branches to break windows.

Your first call should be to your insurance agent. Your second call should be to us. The sooner repairs can be made, the less severe the damage will be. Left unattended, water can enter your home, exacerbating the damage done. Mold can form, which is a health risk.

The next time the Windy City howls, check your exterior and give us a call if you notice any damage.

Optimism is contagious. As homeowners see their neighbors and friends getting a good return on their home sales, their thoughts turn to their own home. Many who had put off listing during the past three years, will reconsider.

When listing with a reliable real estate agent, you will be advised about home improvements that will increase your home sale. Most Realtors will tell you that it is advisable to replace defective siding if you wish to sell your home in a timely manner, and to get the best price. New siding can give your home a facelift, influencing its first impression or “curb appeal.”

Give us a call to learn more.

 UPDATE: 12/29/11

(Reuters) – Pending sales of existing homes surged to a 1-1/2 year high in November, an industry group said on Thursday, offering more signs of a tentative recovery in the housing market.

The National Association of Realtors’ Pending Home Sales Index, based on contracts signed in November, increased 7.3 percent to 100.1 — the highest level since April 2010.

Fortunately, siding comes in many styles, colors and price ranges. When choosing siding, there will be several choices within a homeowner’s budget and sense of design. Choosing the right siding then, falls short of television commercials, but rather smack dab in the realm of the siding contractor.

A competent siding contractor can guide homeowners in making a selection that makes sense. When a homeowner picks a siding contractor, that contractor must have ample experience, understand the physical ramification of an area, and must have the applicable license, insurance and bond. He will also know how to listen to his homeowners as well as explain what’s needed to get the job done.

Professional Siding has been “dressing” Chicago’s homes for decades. Call for a list of recent homes then drive by and see for yourself. Professional help, there when you need it.

Potential exposure to lead, especially to children and infants, is simply too dangerous to ignore. If you were born before 1968, as are a large percentage of Americans living today, chewing the paint off window sills and door jams was considered lunch. Paint was almost a food group.

How do you know if you were “exposed” to lead and in fact have lead poisoning? In the gross analysis, lead poisoning lessens intelligence, stunt growth, and impairs hearing, so without an actual blood test for lead poisoning, you’re probably not going to know.

From a parent’s standpoint, do you want to roll the dice with your children’s health at stake?

From a homeowner’s standpoint, lead test kits are readily available and relatively inexpensive, from about $12 to hundreds of dollars.

The nuts and bolts of the issue begins when Congress passed the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, also known as Title X, to protect families from exposure to lead from paint, dust, and soil. Because all of us aren’t as truthful as our mothers might like, Section 1018 of this law directed HUD and EPA to require the disclosure of known information on lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before the sale or lease of most housing built before 1978. Section 1018 is the reason to have your home, regardless of the year it was built, tested for lead contamination.

Do you know anyone who would readily and openly say their home has lead contamination when all they have to say is something to the effect, “Not To My Knowledge,” or something similar.

You are reading this because you are contemplating a renovation of your home and that can be daunting. The last thing you want to worry about is the possible health risk of some common tasks. Sanding, demolition and siding and window replacement will certainly disturb lead-based paint if its present creating a risk of lead poisoning. Because of the risk, the EPA  developed the “Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Program.” The legislation requires that workers, including contractors, painters and maintenance personnel, be trained to use lead-safe work practices, and remodeling firms must be EPA-certified.

We have taken the initiative and our employees and subcontracts are trained and we are certified. Because many remodeling practices and processes may involve family health issues, we feel it’s important for you to know what our lead-safe practices are before delving into some projects.

First, what does the legislation entail?

• Applies to all remodeling/renovation projects on homes, childcare facilities and schools built before 1978
• Related to on-site work practices
• Contractors and workers must take an eight-hour training course to become certified on lead-safe practices
• It is the contractor’s responsibility to confirm all dates and pertinent information.

If you’re discussing a renovation with a contractor other than us ask to see their government-issued certificate from the EPA showing that their firm is certified in lead-safe renovation practices. If they do not provide this documentation, find another contractor. And be aware this legislation may increase the cost of some projects, so be careful not to succumb to an enticingly lower bid from a non-certified contractor.

Remember, better safe than sorry. There’s more at risk than an increase in the cost. For more information on the Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Program, we encourage you to visit http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/leadinfo.htm

Results are already adding up. Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy in 2010 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 33 million cars — all while saving nearly $18 billion on their utility bills.

Energy efficient choices can save families about a third on their energy bill with similar savings of greenhouse gas emissions, without sacrificing features, style or comfort. ENERGY STAR helps you make the energy efficient choice.

If looking to make larger improvements to your home, EPA offers tools and resources to help you plan and undertake projects to reduce your energy bills and improve home comfort.

Assess your home

Getting a handle on your home’s energy use is an important first step to improving efficiency. You can do a simple assessment yourself using our on-line tools, or have a professional energy auditor perform a more thorough audit. Then, use ENERGY STAR resources to get guidance on home improvement projects to enhance energy efficiency, lower utility bills, and increase comfort. Energy Star offers a home assessment on its website.

GIve Mal Graifman a call to learn how we can help you lessen your energy consumption: 847-253-9500.

In the Chicago area, Zone 5, when replacing siding, R5-R6 insulative wall sheathing is used beneath the new siding. A properly insulated home can deliver comfort and lower energy bills during the hottest and coldest times of the year.

In addition to siding, look for other areas to improve energy efficiency, in particular, leaky or poorly installed windows.

Give us a call to learn more: 847-252-9500.