Auburn Alabama Area Real Estate Living

The weight and feel of old coins in one’s hand is, to me, similar to that of a rare, out-of-print book--- you touch history and imagine the hands and hearts that held the stories. Local electrician, Lee Waller, had my full attention the other day when he pulled a couple of old coins out of his pocket and began telling me the story of how they came to be in his possession. He has a friend whose business is buying older, sometimes historic properties, and renovating them for resale here in Lee County. So one day, on the job, his friend found a bag of several dozen old coins. The two pictured here, illustrating both sides, are the ones that had been given to Lee – a token of friendship! They seem to have some English or Russian markings on them, and are dated 1799 and 1774. If you can provide any information or interesting details about these coins, please feel free to email Lee, who is secretly hoping for an early retirement!

THIS STORY GOT ME THINKING ABOUT HOME RENOVATIONS in general, and how there are still some smart improvements or renovations you can make to your home--- even in these penny-pinching times--- that can help later in the sale of your home. Minor improvements and renovations can also improve energy efficiency that can make a noticeable difference for your savings or selling plans. Here are a few ideas:

Lighting - Change the light bulbs! ENERGY STAR products claim that “If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, equal to more than $600 million in annual energy costs.”

Windows – check for good insulation, ease of operation, and if trims need re-painting or touch-ups. If you need to replace windows or have that in your plans, choosing ones with the Energy Star are much more efficient and can drastically reduce heating and cooling costs.

Water Heaters – heat pump water heaters are a new option, cutting electric water heating costs in half!

Bathrooms – minor things like replacing outdated commodes, upgrading mirrors, lighting and hardware, maybe replacing boring faucets or an inefficient showerhead, or just adding a fresh coat of paint, can let things look better, feel better, and make a subtle impact in the sale of a home.

Flooring –Quality carpeting, if cared for, can last up to ten years, according to several local homebuilders. On the other hand, I’m told that quality wood flooring can last a hundred years or more. Most buyers I’ve worked with seem to prefer wood flooring, especially in the main living areas. Some buy and replace it. Some request the builder to replace it if it’s new construction. A few buyers won’t even look at homes that don’t have wood flooring!

I recently showed several prospective buyers a townhome, new on the market. Each one ooohed and aaahed at the upgraded brick pavers installed in the entryway, kitchen and baths. It seemed to add something special to the flavor of the whole house.

Shop around and compare prices and labor costs (if you’re not planning to install it yourself). There are some good deals right now, due to some stock surpluses since construction slowed down last year.

Appliances - Don’t run appliances into the ground. This can be costly, not to mention a household headache to not at least consider a replacement. One man I knew kept complaining about his washing machine that he'd had for years. It didn’t wash clothes properly. It took a long time to run the cycles and he had to tweak things during the process. For several weeks he frequently mentioned needing to find the time to take a trip to a major plumbing store about 60 miles away to find some hard-to-find (antique?) parts, insisting it wasn’t something he could order online or by phone. He said he didn’t want to buy a new machine ‘because he could fix this one again.’ Can you step back and see how much time and attention is wasted here? Not only is it a damper of personal energy, needing to use that much attention for weeks on end to the problem of not being able to wash your clothes with any ease, but it also required a lot of his very valuable time just to think about it, vent about it, and maintain a demanding workday schedule.

Of course many appliances are worth the repairs, but at least consider all the options, especially if you’re spending a lot of time-and-money resources on the maintenance of a home appliance. Today’s appliances are extremely energy-efficient, and they add vigor and value to daily living and also a HOME FOR SALE.

Fireplaces – I helped a young friend with the purchase of a home in 2006. Now we are trying to sell it. When he purchased the home, built in 1996, there had always been some problem with the gas fireplace not being able to operate. Someone had given the previous owners a “major price” for its repair, so when my friend purchased the home, it was bought with the fireplace in “as is” condition. Through his diligent questioning and consulting with experts, my friend learned that there was an air bubble in the gas line that kept it from operating correctly. He had it repaired for $179.00! Yesterday, I stopped by and saw it working for the first time. It’s really a brand new fireplace because it’s never been used. What a difference it makes, adding functional warmth and improving the focal point in the main living area of his home. This Seller turned the “as is” defect into a very attractive selling feature! If you use your wood-burning fireplace, chimney cleaning and regular maintenance shouldn’t be overlooked in your home investment. This is relatively inexpensive, and can save you thousands in damages that could result from a chimney fire. (Top Hat Chimney Sweeper in Opelika came to the rescue… they even wear top hats! Email Jeff for more info)

Jump the gun and have a home inspection done - If you’re not sure what needs fixing, hire a state-licensed inspector who can give you a complete report on repairs and possible improvements for your home. Work from this list to address any of the plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems as you can. If you are planning to sell in the near future, you will most likely be responsible for these repairs anyway, so you can do some planning for this now. And the sooner you can repair anything related to these systems (leaky pipes, dripping faucets, electrical shorts, low water pressure, always running out of hot water, etc.) the sooner you should see savings on water and power bills. Just remember that little problems are always easier to repair before they become complete disasters, and a Home Inspector can give you the facts and ultimately, peace of mind.

© Copyright 2009 - This posting and the contents written here, except where noted, and all photos are the property of Mara Hawks, All Rights Reserved

Active in Alabama, Mara Hawks, REALTOR with FIRST REALTY of Auburn, AL, #1 Real Estate Team in Lee County, THE LEADER in professional real estate services in Auburn, Opelika & Lee County for over 3 decades! Committed to INTEGRITY, KNOWLEDGE & SERVICE.

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