The housing market is more competitive now than it has ever been before thanks to the introduction of the internet. While the internet has made it easier for home buyers to canvas a wider variety of homes, at the same time it has meant that home sellers have more competition than ever before. Distinguishing your home through home improvement projects is one of the surest ways to guarantee that your home gets the attention it deserves and sells at a price that you can be happy with. Unfortunately, most home improvement projects focus on the interior of a home, which implies that the structure itself is the only thing for sale — in reality home owners aren’t just selling a house, but a property. Investing time and effort into outdoor improvement projects can not only increase the curb appeal of any home, it can also help guarantee a larger return on investment and influence a faster sale.
Laying a Fence
Fences help to lay out boundaries, which many home owners appreciate. While simple chain-link fences are classy and stylish in their own right, zoning departments around the country have found that a majority of fencing installations are for wooden privacy fences. Many home buyers feel that a home with a privacy fence is more comfortable and secure than a home with no fence or a see-through fencing installation. Installing a fence on your property could go a long way to improving the curb appeal of a home while guaranteeing a significant return on investment.
Paving a Patio
Patio comes from the Spanish and refers to house’s courtyard, it is an outdoor area that can take many shapes and be built using a variety of materials including concrete, pavers, stone, tile, brick, pebbles, rock, or pea gravel depending on the kind of look one wants to achieve. A patio serves as a comfortable outdoor area for grilling, entertaining, or just relaxation; many home buyers look for a classic patio laid out with professional brick pavers, as this can add significant character and value to any home. Travertine tile is quickly becoming one of the most popular choices for a patio: the limestone tiles come in a variety of colors including white, tan, brown, cream, and gold and many people appreciate the rough, natural texture of the stone. Travertine brick pavers can lay out a patio in a variety of brick patio designs to achieve interesting motifs and styles completely unique to a home. Contact professional brick pavers to see what designs and styles can be achieved with your backyard space.
Building a Deck
An alternative to a patio, a deck is a platform typically composed of wood or a composite wood material. Popular woods for decking include harder woods like redwood, cedar, and pressure-treated pine made to withstand the elements while looking good. When building a deck, many people choose to forgo natural wood as composite and vinyl decking does not splinter and has a tendency to avoid warping, at the same token many prefer the natural look and feel of wood to synthetic materials. As such, the pressure treated woods are the most popular and cost effective decking material with an average life of around 15 years with proper maintenance. Adding a deck can provide homeowners with an estimated return on investment of around 72%, making a deck one of the best outdoor investments a homeowner can make to increase the value and appeal of their home.