My, What Nice Gutters You Have!

I have never had a buyer come to me and say, “Melanie, I don’t care about what upgrades are in a house, I just want to find one with nice gutters.”  

On the other hand, I have had sellers tell me exactly when, where, and why their gutters were installed and how much they cost.  The seller that pays for the gutters wants the potential buyers to see the value in them.  Unfortunately, gutters are not very glamorous and are understandably devalued by buyers. 

Gutters are not alone.  There are a lot of practical, utilitarian features in a home that can be overlooked and underappreciated.  Not until you live in a house without them, do you realize how beneficial they are.  Because I love a good underdog story I thought maybe it was time to put a spotlight on some of these no-frills upgrades.  So… buff your aluminum, you great channelers of precipitation, it’s time for you to shine!

Gutters—We have had to install gutters in our last two houses to keep the rain from washing away all the mulch from certain areas of our plant beds.  I would rather have spent the money on just about anything else.  Although I received no retail therapy benefit while buying the gutters, my bushes are happier now that they are not trying to thrive underneath Niagara Falls.  In the end, they have saved a lot of time and money on landscaping costs.

Pre-wires & Pre-plumbs—Sure, it would be nice if there was something attached to these wires and pipes, but it is far better than them not being there.  If you have any desire to install surround sound speakers, ceiling fans, or extra lighting, you will save time and money by having this important step already completed.  Pre-plumbing and gas lines on a patio will make building that outdoor kitchen I talked about last week much easier.

Utility Tubs—Those of you who have a utility tub inside your laundry room should consider yourself lucky.  I remember when I had one and I didn’t have to do my hand washed laundry in the un-air conditioned garage.  On the other hand, having one in the garage has proven to be a great place to clean dirty feet and hands before walking into the house.  How great would it be to find a house with both!

Hose Bibs—If you have ever tried to lug a giant hose around to the other side of your house, only to realize it isn’t quite long enough, you know the importance of having well-placed hose bibs.  At the very least, make sure there is one close enough to your pool to make re-filling it less of a hassle. 

Permanent Garage Shelving—Since a lot of us don’t have vast attic storage and none of us have basements, shelving inside the garage can prove very useful.  I have seen platforms that hang from the garage ceiling, shelves attached to the walls, cabinets, bike hooks, and tool racks.  All save precious space and help us organize our stuff a little better.

I encourage all of my buyers to pay attention to the big and little upgrades in a home.  On a day to day basis these practical features can be just as important as the cosmetic upgrades.  I can assure you, if I ever move, gutters will be at the top of my wish list! 

Melanie Atkinson is a Realtor with The Wood Team at Coldwell Banker.  She can be reached at 813-368-6084 or Melanie.Atkinson@floridamoves.com

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