Common Costs of Home Upgrades and Repairs
The early 2000’s brought us a reality TV show called Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. They took peoples’ houses and made premium repairs and luxury upgrades with very little consideration of cost, paid for only by the good deeds of the receivers of the changes. For those of us without the budget or hair of Ty Pennington it is advantageous to consider the cost of various upgrades on a case by case basis.
Should you buy a home with everything you need included already, or buy a home that you can upgrade to have everything on your list? This is a question that is useful for deciding when to settle for a house that lacks something you needed or wanted, and if you should buy it anyways and put in that item yourself. For example, let’s say you wanted an in-ground swimming pool. Well, this house has everything you need, and is listed at about 40k less than you were expecting to pay. Well, if we use the cost calculators of several different websites, the average cost is roughly $25,000. Meaning that in this instance, if time and patience isn’t in limited supply for you, then it is worth it to take the home without the pool and add it in yourself later.
How will I know what I can expect to pay for common upgrades? There are some good websites for finding out general costs, though they should be taken with a grain of salt, and weighed against any bids that you get from contractors. These websites also include mini-directories for local professionals.
- (gives data on cost and features right away)
- (emails you any data)
As mentioned, if you want to know what a swimming pool will cost roughly, remember that the costs will vary based on your region, and you need to browse around to get an accurate estimation.
Fixr.com says that a swimming pool’s cost will range from $6,200 to $22,000. The cost will range depending on the size of the pool, the shape, if the pool is for a home or for a business. Obviously an above ground pool will be considerably cheaper than an in-ground pool. Pool enclosures, heating systems, attached jacuzzis, water filtration, ladders, slides and other features. There is also the ongoing costs like maintenance and repairs, and chemicals that you will have to buy monthly.
For a wooden fence, the cost can range anywhere from $1,900 to $9,000(according to fixr). This obviously could be cheaper or more expensive, depending on the quality of materials you use, the size of your property, the style of the fence, how much of your property you would like to enclose etc.
The less experience and volume a contractor has the more likely they will be willing to charge less, but that comes with the risk of potential issues. Ultimately the best way to price projects is by shopping around and getting bids, and letting contractors know you are looking for bids. When shopping around, you need to know what you want. The size, the due date, the budget, the location and things of that nature. With all of this you will be on your way to getting the right price and quality for your project.
If you’re thinking about selling your home in San Marcos, contact The Damron Group REALTORS to discuss your options! We’d love to hear from you, and we can help you set the ideal price that keeps you happy and closes the deal as quickly as possible.
