Remodeling Magazine has released the 2008 Cost Vs. Value Report. If you head for the site to see what remodeling projects will give you the most oomph in resale value, we’re in the South Atlantic Region.

Of course, remodeling shouldn’t be just for resale. Your project should make the house more of a home for you and your family.

(C) 2009 Susan Pruden.

While reading a blog post by Greg Swann, a real estate agent in Phoenix, I found myself musing about repairs, maintenance, remodeling and how the timing of those repairs relates to selling.  What I mean is this -- nothing screams louder to a buyer than a bunch of fix-up and repairs done right before a house goes on the market, particularly when it's obvious that up until these repairs, no maintenance was done.

If a house has been neglected for years, all the fix-up in the world can't mask that fact unless the seller can completely remodel the house. Even if the furnishings are old, if they've been well maintained, it shows. We agents refer to it as "pride of ownership".  Most of us recognize "pride of ownership" within moments of walking into a house.

I sold a house a couple of years ago that had the original wood cabinets in the kitchen (maybe 40 years old) and they had been so well maintained that they just gleamed. Another way to recognize "pride of ownership"? Check those places that visitors seldom see, like the garage or the basement.

Funny thing is, sellers who have neglected their property and end up doing lots of updating and repairs right before going on the market are often cheap about the repairs and disgruntled when buyers don't appreciate them enough. Sellers who maintain their houses throughout their ownership always seem to worry that the condition just isn't good enough for the market. And it's a given that the second owner will get an offer first and for a better price.

There are very few investments that improve with neglect. A house is definitely not one of them. Does your house reflect pride of ownership?

(C) 2009 Susan Pruden.

We all defer some maintenance on our houses -- I have a small hole where a gutter nail has pulled out of the wall several years ago, when our apple tree fell over and brushed the corner of the house. I knew about it and we just haven't gotten around to it. Sure enough, during the gully-washer of a storm, the gutters were full of debris and the ceiling in my home-office developed a leak. It would have been cheaper to just fix the blasted hole when we first found out about it -- now we have to fix the ceiling as well.

But keeping up with the maintenance of a house can be a daunting task. It's not the money, as fixing this particular problem is more aggravation and time-consuming than expensive.

Of course, it sure is more expensive now.

(C) Susan Pruden.

Congratulations to Lance and Melanie Hartwig-Davis, who were featured in this past week's Gazette for being the first of three families who have earned the Cheverly Green Home Certification. Craig and Janet Tupper and Dave and Casey Kneipp have also earned the certification.

Visit Progressive Cheverly's Green Homes pages for more information. You can download the qualification sheet to see if you too have a green home. Perhaps you just need to make a few changes and you'll be able to earn the certification yourself.

It's good for the earth to take these steps and it doesn't hurt re-sale value either.

(C) Susan Pruden.