Increase your home’s value: Waterproof your basement
In today’s real estate market, competition is fierce for sellers. When it’s a buyer’s market, anything you can do to increase the value of your home and entice buyers toward your house and away from your competition will help to position your house favourably in the market. Making even small changes to your house to increase the value can make all the difference in the world. One such change you can make is to waterproof your basement.
When your home undergoes a presale inspection, one of the things the inspector will take into consideration when assessing your home is the susceptibility of your home’s basement to potential water damage. If your home is waterproofed, it will be a point in its favour on the inspection – and in the eyes of potential buyers.
If you are planning to sell your home, you don’t have to sink thousands of dollars into a full waterproofing project. The first thing to do is to contact several waterproofing companies such as www.affordablewaterproofingllc.com. They will be able to walk you through your options and discuss how much it will cost to waterproof your property. Find out what the most cost-effective option for waterproofing your basement and make it attractive to potential buyers.
It could be that the only thing that is necessary to waterproof your basement is to install high-pressured water jets, which will relieve pressure on your basement walls by unclogging your footer drains. This will not only decrease the likelihood that water will seep into the basement, but also reduce the chances of mold and mildew developing. If you want to go a step further, you can coat the basement walls with a waterproof polymer coating. This will not only improve the look of your basement walls, it will also bolster their waterproof qualities. That will be attractive to potential buyers on both levels.
If your waterproofing company determines that a more extensive approach is necessary to waterproof your basement and to repair any existing water damage, that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to fork over the money to have the repairs done. You do, however, have to disclose this information to potential buyers. Otherwise, if mold is found or a flood results in water damage after the sale, you could be held liable for the cost of the repairs.
On a side note: If you want your basement to be a selling point for your home, treat it like a proper room in your house, not as a storage area! Clean up the clutter, get rid of things you don’t need, and keep your basement tidy. Potential buyers pay closer attention to the state of your basement than you think they do. So, before you list your home, always make sure your basement is as good a shape as possible. Get rid of any musty smells and clean things up if you want to attract your basement. These steps, combined with your waterproofing endeavours will give your home a leg up against the competition when it comes to attracting buyers.