5 Often Overlooked Tips for Selling Your Home

By Annie Crawford 07-01-2020
QUICK SHARE
Tag Icon

You probably know the most popular tips for selling your home, but many people forget some small but important details. These often-overlooked steps can help boost your buyer's confidence while ensuring you get the price your home deserves.


Here are five ways to improve financial offers on your house, reap more return on your home improvement investments, and make the home selling process a little smoother.


1) Talk About Warranty Transfers


Did you know some warranties can be transferred? Home sellers can make the most of their assets by advertising transferrable home warranties to prospective buyers. Warranties offer value and security to new home buyers and may increase the financial offers on your house.


Check to see if your roof warranty can be transferred post-sale, as well as any warranties you may have for major systems like your HVAC or septic. When allowed, warranty transfers are subject to the manufacturer's terms and conditions so be sure to review the warranty for this important information.


2) Gather Service and Inspection Records


Home inspections provide prospective buyers with helpful information about a home's roof system, HVAC system, and other big-ticket items. A home inspection is usually not required by law—so it only happens if you ask.


While many sellers will get an inspection done, service records on those major home systems are also important. Service records may be required to show that you complied with warranty requirements, such as annual maintenance, and assure buyers that you took care of your system. Additionally, some warranties may be voided if regular maintenance requirements aren't met, so service records can be very helpful to buyers in the future.


3) Showcase Home Improvements


One of the top tips for selling your home is showcasing the improvements you've made over the years. Besides increasing your enjoyment of your home while you live in it, home improvements can net you major returns when you go to sell. For example, the 2020 Cost vs. Value Report from the online publication Remodeling shows that improvements like a fiber-cement siding replacement recoups an average of 78 percent of costs. Meanwhile, a roof replacement can recoup about 66 percent of costs.


Don't forget the receipts and records! These provide proof of home improvements, and making them available to potential buyers can make your home a more attractive investment.


4) Confer About Maintenance Costs


Homeowners spend an average of $2,000 per year on maintenance services, according to a survey by Bankrate. This includes lawn maintenance, homeowners association fees, snow removal, septic service, security systems, and more.

Make sure potential buyers understand what their monthly homeownership costs will be. Being transparent about these projected maintenance costs may help potential buyers trust you, and it can allow them to stay on budget and make a confident purchasing decision.


5) Capitalize on Staging and Curb Appeal


Improving curb appeal and home staging are among realtors' top tips for selling your home. In fact, 99 percent of realtors believe that curb appeal is important in attracting buyers.


To amp up curb appeal, tidy your landscaping, address exterior paint issues, and make sure your roof isn't showing any signs of damage. Inside the home, don't forget to hire a professional home stager. Eighty-three percent of buyers' realtors state that home staging helps buyers visualize the property as their own.


Ready to boost curb appeal with a roof repair or replacement? Find a local GAF factory-certified roofing contractor*—and don't forget to ask about the different roof warranties that can add value to your home and be transferred to your buyer.




*Contractors enrolled in GAF certification programs are not employees or agents of GAF, and GAF does not control or otherwise supervise these independent businesses. Contractors may receive benefits, such as loyalty rewards points and discounts on marketing tools from GAF for participating in the program and offering GAF enhanced warranties, which require the use of a minimum amount of GAF products.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Annie Crawford is a freelance writer in Oakland, CA, covering travel, style, and home improvement. Find more of her work at annielcrawford.com.
Don't miss another GAF RoofViews post!
LATEST UPDATES
In 2022, GAF launched a first-of-its-kind initiative in Pacoima, one of the hottest neighborhoods in Los Angeles, to explore community-wide solutions to combat urban heat. The GAF Cool Community Project is addressing the complex issue of extreme heat through a research-driven approach: Take a hot, sun-exposed community with an abundance of heat-retaining surfaces. Then, apply solar-reflective coatings to its streets and public hardscapes. With resources and support from GAF and non-profit partners, more than 700,000 square feet worth of streets, parking lots, and other hardscapes were coated with StreetBond DuraShield with Invisible ShadeTM technology over a contiguous 10-block area. The formerly dark streets were transformed to a cool gray-blue, and colorful coatings brighten the basketball courts and other public gathering spaces.
Longtime fixtures of playgrounds and recreational areas, sports courts have a lot to offer. In addition to providing opportunities for children and adults to participate in physical activities, they can strengthen communities. There are also other benefits when courts are designed to reduce surface temperatures and protect substrate materials.
What is going on here? No, this roof does not have measles, it has a problem with thermal bridging through the roof fasteners holding its components in place, and this problem is not one to be ignored.
GAF is committed to building more resilient communities in the areas where we live and work. Working with our network of manufacturing communities, we can leverage our expertise, resources, and products to help protect the places we call home. Our local teams lend their time and talents to address the unique needs of each community, as we help support the fundamental needs of shelter, families and workforces.
Cold storage facilities face unique challenges when it comes to maintaining optimal interior temperature levels. Development of cold storage roofing system design documents that both maintain interior temperatures and create an airtight roof system are important to have a high-performing cold storage roof. Uncontrolled airflow into the roofing assembly can lead to condensation within the roof and the presence of icicles or ice balls at the underside of the roof deck. Condensation and ice in the roofing assembly adds weight to the roof assembly, and wet insulation has significantly reduced R-value. A reduction in R-value means that it is more difficult for the insulation to retain interior temperatures, and cooling equipment has to work harder to maintain the interior temperature set points.
Cold storage facilities face unique challenges when it comes to maintaining optimal interior temperatures. One crucial aspect in ensuring efficient temperature control is creating an airtight roof system which can help prevent cooled interior air from escaping, warmer exterior air from entering, reduce thermal loss and condensation potential, all while promoting energy efficiency and prolonging the life of the roof system and building.
This blog contains information created by a variety of sources, including internal and third party writers. The opinions and views expressed do not necessarily represent those of GAF. The content is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to constitute financial, accounting, tax or legal advice. GAF does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, and completeness of the information. In no event shall GAF be held responsible or liable for errors or omissions in the content or for the results, damages or losses caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on the content.

Interested in sharing or republishing our content? We kindly ask you to adhere to our guidelines.