Gutters Often Overlooked When Improving Curb Appeal

As it has become more difficult to sell real estate in the current market, it has become more important that your home be in excellent condition if you are to attract a buyer for your home. Curb appeal remains very high on the priority list of items that should be addressed and improved prior to listing your home for sale. As a homeowner, it is sometimes difficult to objectively review all of the parts of a home that have slowly lost the luster and newness associated with them. One item of particular importance is often overlooked when addressing the exterior of a home and preparing it for sale. Gutters may seem like a boring, utilitarian device of little consequence, but, the truth is that gutters are found on nearly all homes and act as a sort of jewelry that is very visible and "caps" the home.

Often gutters are forgotten, filled with leaves and left to sag thereby putting your home at risk by making their intended purpose of carrying water away from the foundation less effective. They also begin to sag and pull away from the fascia boards allowing water to trickle down off of the roof and back up behind siding where wood rot can begin. Beyond the actual intended purpose of gutters, they are very visible as a buyer takes a good look at your home. Gutters are almost impossible to hide so they are usually painted, or, sometimes made with copper add a nice visual effect. After some time,gutters begin to fade and become visibly stained as well. This is when they begin to effect curb appeal can make your whole house appear old and worn.

What To Do With Old Gutters

Sometimes old gutters can simply be cleaned of the leaves and some mild solvent can be used to bring back some of their shine and the leaf stains removed. Whatever the case is with your particular gutters, it is imperative that they improve the look of your roof line, not detract from it. At the end of the day, a home is a "roof over your head" and buyers will notice when aspects of the roof and its associated components, such as gutters, are not in good condition. Old gutters can make an entire roof look old and you run the risk of giving a buyer the impression that there are more problems that they cannot see.

If your gutters are old, fascia and soffits beginning to rot and you cannot clean your gutters, I strongly suggest that you factor into your repairs budget to replace them before you list your home for sale. By doing so, you will also help to make your home more competitive in the market that is saturated with homes for sale.

The truth is that Atlanta homes sell in buyers markets and in sellers markets. The difference is that only good homes sell in buyers markets. Don't let your home be the one that sits on the market price reduction after price reduction. Make sure your home is in a condition that you would buy yourself and you will give yourself the best opportunity to sell.

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