If decks (76.8%) and sunrooms (66.3%) did not yield the same kind of value as siding and windows, that’s because they’re not for everybody, Realtors say. “No one ever says: ‘I have to have a sunroom,’” Witt says. “I do have people say: ‘I have to have a space I can use as an office.’” In the Upper Midwest, Morawski says, “some people look at those rooms and think: ‘Oh great, now I have to heat that?’” In fact, Realtors in the Midwest saw sunrooms contributing 58.3% of their cost to the value of the home, versus the South (74.5%) and the West Coast (70.6%). Another factor is age. “If they’re older people, they love [a sunroom],” says Phoenix Realtor Christa Burlakoff-Lawcock, of Zip Realty. “If they’re younger, they couldn’t care less.”
DOWN THE ROAD For home improvement companies, the good news is that in addition to all the other reasons to buy a roofing, siding, or window job, there’s also the fact that potential obstacles to selling the home are removed. For example, roof problems, say Realtors, are among the issues most likely to be identified by home inspectors. When that happens, Morawski says, sellers typically issue a credit at closing to cover the cost of repairing or replacing. The wise thing to do, she adds, is to replace these items before you sell the house “so that you can say: ‘New roof. New windows. New siding.’”
In Phoenix, problems with the roof come up in 80% of home inspections she sees, Burlakoff-Lawcock says. “Roofing issues scare the hell out of buyers, scare the hell out of sellers, and are definitely an issue,” she says, adding that a problem roof “can mean the difference in whether a transaction goes through or not.”
Just how much value exterior improvements add to the home depends on the market and the neighborhood, Morawski and others point out. Morawski estimates that the $18,000 she recently spent on a roofing and window job for her own home helped increase its value by $40,000. “That’s how big a value it can add,” she says. “Sometimes you’ll just break even. But I can’t imagine a market where you’ll lose money, unless it’s a depressed area.”
RESEARCH TEAM Specpan (www.specpan.com), an Indianapolis–based market research company, programmed and hosted the Web-based survey, collected and compiled the data, and provided pre- and post-survey consulting.
The Washington, D.C.–based National Association of Realtors (www.realtor.org) broadcast e-mail links to the survey to more than 100,000 of its members, comprising sales agents, brokers, and appraisers.
HomeTech Information Systems (www.hometechonline.com), the Bethesda, Md.–based estimating software developer, provided cost-to-construct estimates for all 25 remodeling projects, including area-modifiers for each of the 60 metro cities surveyed.
Project Descriptions Deck Addition Add a 16-by-20-foot deck using pressure-treated SYP joists supported by 4×4 posts set into concrete footings. Install composite deck material in a simple linear pattern. Include a built-in bench and planter of the same decking material. Include stairs, assuming three steps to grade. Provide a complete railing system using either a matching system made of the same composite as the decking material, or a compatible vinyl system.
Replace Roof Midrange Remove existing roofing to bare wood sheathing and dispose of properly. Install 30 squares of 235-pound fiberglass asphalt shingles (min. 25-year warranty) with new felt underlayment, galvanized drip edge, and mill-finish aluminum flashing. Assume a 5-square hip roof; custom flashing at two average-sized skylights; and custom cap treatment at vented ridge.
