Affordable Ways To Boost The Value Of Your Dallas Home

Sponsored content brought to you by BBVA Compass

Dallas ranks as one of the best places to live in the United States when comparing housing affordability, real estate market rank and the living environment. While the Dallas area itself might be a bit expensive for many Americans, the suburbs of Dallas provides plenty of affordable living accommodations, with both Grand Prairie and Richardson ranking in the top 15 for the current real estate market value in the country. It is also important for Dallas homeowners to continue to find ways to increase the value of their homes, and there are plenty of ways to accomplish this without spending a fortune.

Maintain And Beautify The Yard

Honestly, when someone is looking to purchase a home, the first thing they see is the outside. That means that one of the first things that prospective buyers take notice of is the condition of the lawn. While just mowing the lawn will not make a home worth more right off the bat, a lawn with nice shrubs, a clean walkway and a nice base to the home will lure people in to look at more. Adding some inexpensive tracking lights, rock gardens, and possibly a small clean pond would go a long way to making a house appear to be worth more than a house with nothing but a patch of grass in front of it.

Replace Front Entry Doors

When people are looking at homes, the first thing that they look at is the yard, and then they make their way to the front door. Adding beautiful entry doors can really grab the attention of a prospective home buyer, but the doors do much more than that. Many new doors can also help lower heating and cooling costs for a home, especially if they are replacing older basic doors. In Dallas, with the heat of the summer, this could go a long way to making a home worth more just because of the costs it eliminates. Add some vinyl windows and the house will suddenly seem very energy efficient to buyers.

Build a Deck

When thinking out outdoor decks, Dallas is one of the top areas in the United States where a deck is not just an extended patio, but a way of life. Whether the decks are used for regular cookouts, watching the local Dallas sports teams in action on a flat screen TV, or for nights with a fire pit and friends, a deck will instantly add more value to the home. What works best about a deck is that the price spent building the deck will immediately be recouped in the value it adds to any Dallas home.

Add Or Replace Siding

Easy maintenance is one of the biggest draws when people are looking to buy a home in Dallas. Adding siding to a home, or replacing old siding with nice new siding, will add an eye-catching appeal to many homebuyers. It also adds even more energy efficiency to the home. As always, with the Dallas weather conditions, especially the summer heat, this is something that will not only add value to the home, but will save the homeowner money over the long run and make the home more comfortable.

Remodel And Upgrade Kitchen

One of the most important rooms of the home to perfect in order to get the highest return possible is the kitchen. Cooking, both outdoor and indoor, is big in Dallas, and the kitchen is the room that really needs to win over the prospective buyers. The kitchen is one of the first rooms visited by people looking at homes. It only costs a few hundred dollars to replace the kitchen faucet and cabinet doors. For just a little more money, replace the appliances with newer models and make sure that everything matches. Also, adding in some energy efficient, yet bright, lights can make the kitchen even more welcoming.

Shawn S. Lealos is a freelance writer who graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2000 with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He writes for a variety of national publications and has over 15 years of sports journalism experience. Follow Shawn on Twitter @sslealos. Examiner.com.