Wood can make your home stand out in today’s real estate market

The residential housing market is heating up, but before you post that for-sale sign, consider making upgrades that add style and value to your home. With many buyers seeking wood floors, upgraded kitchen and other add-ons, it’s important for homeowners to highlight these features so their property stands out from the competition in today’s market.

“It all comes down to dollars and ‘sense,’“said Linda Jovanovich of the American Hardwood Information Center.

“In addition to warmth, beauty and durability, hardwood features increase your home’s resale value,” she said. “Even with a modest budget, if you take the time and price your options, updating worn floors, dated cabinetry, and lackluster walls will make a significant difference. And it’s easier and less expensive than you think.”

HARDWOOD FLOORS SELL When it’s time to sell, hardwood floors not only add good looks, but they also increase the value of your home. According to a nationwide survey of real estate agents, commissioned by the National Wood Flooring Association last year, 99 percent of respondents agreed that homes with hardwood floors are easier to sell. In addition, 90 percent of Realtors said homes with hardwood floors sell for more money.

“[This is] absolutely true,” said Bob Strader, a real estate agent in Atlanta. “Between two similar properties, buyers will gravitate toward the home with hardwood floors, and that home will sell in half the time.”

Debbie Gartner, known as “The Flooring Girl” by customers at her New York-based flooring store, agrees and adds that quality increases value.

“Hardwood sells,” said Gartner, adding that you’re in luck if you already have a hardwood floor under a carpet.

“Clients are shocked when I tell them it’s almost always less expensive to refinish a hardwood floor than it is to re-carpet a room,” she said. KITCHEN UPGRADES HAVE IMPACT As a real estate agent, Strader said he advises sellers to “upgrade their kitchens prior to going on the market because buyers see kitchen upgrades as being rather expensive.”

“Homes without updated kitchens will take longer to sell, and will sell for less,” he said.

Gerry Henley, president of Kitchen Solvers, a national kitchen and bath remodeling franchise, suggests investing in simple cabinetry updates that won’t break the bank — but will result in a higher return on your investment. Hardwood products offer plenty of options for cabinet upgrades.

“Many homeowners overlook the low cost and high impact of re-facing their existing kitchen cabinets,” Henley said.

“By swapping outdated doors and drawer pulls, a homeowner can get the look of a newly updated kitchen and save up to 50 percent of the cost of a complete overhaul,” he said. “Cabinet re-facing is a quick-moving project and the kitchen remains functional throughout installation.”

DETAILS ADD VALUE Architectural details — such as hardwood crown molding, baseboards and other millwork — add depth and character and provide a finished look. In fact, trimwork is such a large factor when changing “lackluster” to “extraordinary” that, according to the 2012 National Association of Home Builders’ “What Home Buyers Really Want” study, crown molding ranks higher than other luxury features like as fireplaces, kitchen seating and window seats.

“From my experience, millwork adds the ‘wow’ factor that stays in a buyer’s mind,” Strader said. “And most sellers are unaware that a custom look can be obtained relatively inexpensively with off-the-shelf molding patterns available at home improvement stores.”

The American Hardwood Information Center offers some additional tips to keep costs low. For crown and other decorative ceiling moldings, consider using a less expensive species such as poplar. Where durability is a must, such as baseboards, door casings and chair rails, consider a harder species, like white oak.

MAKE IT A WIN-WIN Upgrade with American Hardwoods to maximize your home’s value. Visit the American Hardwoods Information Center, www.

HardwoodInfo.com, or visit American Hardwoods’ Pinterest page to browse budget-friendly ideas on updating with American Hardwoods flooring, cabinetry and millwork.

— Courtesy of Brandpoint