With friends and family coming to me for homeownership tips, I decided to brush up. Here’s what I learned — both from the experts and from experience — that every new homeowner should keep top of mind.
By Ari Bendersky | October 22, 2018
Be strategic about renovations
The younger you are, the more likely you’ll eventually move to another place — and you’ll want to retain resale value. For example, “Don’t decrease bedrooms unless it’s totally unlivable,” says Kate Ziegler, a Realtor with Arborview Realty in Boston. “You’ll lose value and you won’t get it back.”
Ziegler suggests using your inspection report as a punch list to fix things up, but she also strongly advises not to save making updates until you’re ready to sell. And don’t get super trendy with decorating. “If you look too much at cutting-edge design, you end up with things that will look dated in three to five years,” she cautions.
If you have a basement, don’t ignore it. Tour it occasionally to watch for any new cracks or damp spots. “They can be minor issues, but will set off alarms for people,” says Ziegler.
Continue to Life and Money by Citi for the full list.