If you’re thinking about making home renovations, you may have a long list of projects you would like to tackle. Figuring out where to begin can be difficult when each item on your wish list seems important. In many cases, starting on the outside of your home is the best choice.
Reasons to Fix the Exterior First
Focusing on exterior repairs and renovations could protect your family’s health, make the house safer and lower the cost of homeownership. For example, a leaky roof could lead to interior water damage and mold. Drafts around windows and doors and damaged siding could cause you to waste money on heating and air conditioning bills. Replacing those parts of the house could lower your utility bills.
There is another reason to fix exterior problems before you start upgrading the inside. Your home’s envelope (roof, siding, windows and doors) protects it from the elements. It would be a shame to spend money on new flooring, cabinets and other interior renovations, only to have them damaged by a roof leak.
Where to Begin
If you plan to sell your home in the future, focus on projects that would give you a good return on investment and help you attract prospective buyers. Energy efficiency is a priority for environmentally conscious homebuyers and for families who are on a tight budget. A new roof or siding and energy-efficient windows and doors could make your home stand out when compared to other houses without similar recent upgrades.
Potential buyers want a house that won’t require major repairs in the near future. If you put your home on the market with an old roof, damaged siding and inefficient windows, you could struggle to find a buyer, even if you had spent tens of thousands of dollars to spruce up the interior.
Curb appeal is critically important when selling a house. You only get one chance to make a first impression. Potential buyers who are unimpressed by the appearance of a house often don’t bother to come inside and look around.
If the siding is in good condition but the color is fading, a fresh coat of paint might be enough to make it look like new. Fixing up the yard could also make a big difference. Cutting the grass is an obvious step, but trimming bushes, pruning trees and planting a garden could all improve your home’s curb appeal.
Spend Your Renovation Dollars Wisely
Like most homeowners, you probably have a limited amount of money available for home improvements, so you need to prioritize projects that could make your home safer and more energy efficient and help you sell it in the future. Although the interior is important, focusing on the outside of the house first might yield greater benefits in the long run.
