Category Archives: Home Maintenance Tips

Ratings of the Best and Worst Home Insurance Companies

When buyers are ready to purchase a new home, their lender will require proof of insurance at closing. This is the perfect time to shop at least 3 different companies to compare policies and costs.  Most of the time, customers will get the best rates when they bundle their auto and home insurance together.  I also encourage my clients to look into “Umbrella” policies which provide additional coverage for very little money (usually $1,000,000 policies).  Also, take time to review insurance company reviews, what good is a cheap policy if the company you work with refuses to pay or is very difficult to work with?  Lastly, many insurance companies act like our cable providers and reward customer loyalty by jacking up their prices higher than new customers pay! So it makes sense to review your insurance company and costs annually.

 

Clark Howard Post of Insurance RatingsInsurance rates

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Which Remodeling Projects Give Homeowners the Most Payback?

Thinking of doing some upgrades to your home? You may want to consider the payback you will get when selling your Raleigh area home in the future. The website Remodeling Magazine explains how different areas of the country reward home sellers in varying degrees for their home improvements; in the Raleigh real estate market replacing  your property’s siding from Masonite to Fiber cement will let your recoup 78% of the cost.  Converting an attic to a bedroom will payback 72%,  replacing your front door 73% and the beloved kitchen upgrade ($20,000 in value) may allow you to get back approx 72% your cost.

Modern kitchen
Modern kitchen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In addition to making your home nicer while you live in it, these popular upgrades will attract more buyers to your home when you are ready to sell…and your home will sell faster than those Raleigh homeowners who do not offer homes which are up to date in repairs and condition. Take a look at Remodeling Magazine‘s site to see each type of home upgrade/ update and the typical payback seen in Raleigh’s Real Estate Market.