Thinking of updating your home but don’t know where to start?
At Green Sur Properties, we’ve been working with real estate in Los Angeles for quite a while now. And we’ve learned a thing or two about upgrading and repairing older homes.
In fact, to help you, here are some of the most important updates / repairs that should be made based on the age of your home:
• 1950s — Update the home to have three-pronged outlets ($150 – $300) and replace “busy” flooring with hardwood. Or refinish hardwood floors for about $1.50 to $5.00 per square foot.
• 1960s — Check for and deal with asbestos and lead-based paint. It’s best to hire a professional to deal with these problems. These projects will likely cost upwards of $5,000. Also, consider taming the interior color scheme as wallpaper was popular in the ’60s.
• 1970s — A lot of faulty electrical panels were distributed in the ’70s from Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) and Zinsco. You’ll want to make sure that the electrical wiring in your house is safe. Also, consider renovating the bright and obnoxious flooring that was oh so popular in the ’70s.
• 1980s — Polybutylene was a cheap and flexible plastic used in plumbing systems in the ’80s. Consider replacing these as they can reduce the value of homes from this time period and scare off buyers. Also, consider updating those ’80s style kitchen, cabinets and countertops.
• 1990s — Exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS) was a popular insulation system in the ’90s that’s now been shown to be faulty. It’s a good idea to have an inspector check out your home insulation. Also, consider renovating brass and gold fixtures in the home.
• 2000s — There was a big housing boom in the 2000s, but that made for some homes that had rushed construction. Get your home inspected for common problems like cracked floors and water-logged insulation.
Updating an older home can be a very fulfilling task, if you have the knowledge, time and financial resources to do it right. Sometimes many homeowners want to tackle the house renovation process without a clear plan or path to successfully achieving the result they hope for and end up wasting lots of resources and their own money by hiring people who aren’t as qualified as they say they’re (we have other articles about that in here and here). Save yourself headaches, enjoy better your free time and keep your money where it should be instead of embarking in this projects, unless you really enjoy doing them and know how to.
So, if this is too much and if you’re looking to sell your home fast for cash, give us a call at (323) 990-3922. We’ll make you a fair cash offer and we can close in as little as two weeks!
