Quick Home Improvement Tips: Do Gutters Increase Home Value?
On any given day, you can find gutters on most homes; but do gutters increase home value? While you'll rarely ever hear a homeowner raving about how exceptional of a job the gutters are doing, the structural integrity of your home is at risk without them.
The Importance of Gutters
Did you know a staggering 14,000 homeowners deal with water emergencies, while 37% suffer claimed losses because of water on an annual basis. At the same time, insurance companies across the nation pay out a whopping $2.5 billion each year in losses from water damage.
What's standing between your home, roof leaks, and foundation erosion? Your gutters! So, while your gutters may not essentially increase the value of your home, they are truly the unsung heroes. Continue reading to learn more about whether gutters will add value to your home.
Do Gutters Increase Home Value?
First and foremost, if you add gutters to your home, it's probably not going to cause the appraised value of the property to increase. Functioning gutters are like the tires on a vehicle: everyone expects for you to have them in good working order — or they will expect to pay less for the vehicle. It's the same with gutters. It should be noted however, that homes with copper, zinc or other specialty gutters may see an addition to value as a result of having these specific materials on the home. The same holds true for standard gutters that are equuipped with a good gutter protection system.
Can Not Having Gutters Devalue Your Property?
While good functioning gutters on your home may not add to the value of your property, if you don't have gutters or have malfunctioning gutters, it will negatively affect the value of your home. Whether the gutters you have are dirty, improperly attached, broken, or you don't have gutters at all; you're compromising the integrity and longevity of your home. And these easily identifiable problems can, and often do, have an affect on the appraisal.
Dirty Gutters Can Turn Potential Buyers Away
If your gutters have discolored tiger stripes, are dirty, or have foliage growing from them, it can communicate volumes about how well you've kept and maintained your home. Any potential buyer will quickly see the unsightly appearance of your gutters well before they can experience your newly remodeled kitchen, marble countertops, or immaculate hardwood floors. Although gutters may not increase the value of your home, dirty unkempt gutters can quickly turn potential buyers away.
Make Sure Your Gutters Are Properly Installed
It's critical to have professional installation and not some DIY weekend gutter installation project. Properly installed gutters will effectively ensure water is being taken away from your home to prevent damage to the siding, garden and foundation. They will also make sure there is no water left to pool up inside of the gutters, which can attract mosquitoes, rodents, birds, and other bugs.
At the same time, gutters with pooled water will cause ice dams to form in the winter. While a DIY gutter installation may pass the eye test to the average home buyer, a professional home inspector can quickly determine the gutters were not installed properly.
Coordinate Your Gutters to Your Home
Similar to any other part of your property, it's important the size and color of your gutters are suitable for your home. The color of your gutters should be the same as your outdoor trim or a complimentary white.
When it comes to choosing the best size gutters, it's critical to select gutters based on the size of the structure and several other factors including roof material, roof pitch, tree canopy, etc. A professional installation expert will make sure the gutters do not look gaudy and out of place. In addition, a professional installation expert will make sure you have sufficient downspouts throughout the gutter system.
Seamless Gutters vs Regular Gutters
Most homeowners will agree that seamless gutters are much more visually appealing. These gutters have a professional appearance and look tidier. You can choose from a range of different materials and colors, and it's important to choose a material that will compliment the structure of your home. Some of the most common types of gutters are made from:
Gutter Guards Are an Investment Worth Making
Gutter guards or gutter protection are innovative solutions designed to protect your gutters from debris and gunk building up inside of them. Gutter guards can be your first line of defense if you have a lot of trees around your home or live in a heavily wooded area. They work to prevent sticks and leaves from getting in your gutters.
The most effective types of gutter guards also prevent squirrels from hiding seeds, which is the reason you may see sunflowers or other vegetation growing on the edge of your roof. While gutters may not increase the value of your home, gutter guards could add value to your appraisal.
In fact, gutter guards can offer up to an 83% return on investment. At Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning of Long Island, our favorite is the MicroGuard Gutter Screen system that is proven to reduce or eliminate the number of required cleanings.
Contact Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning of Long Island
Whether you need a new gutter installation, gutter repair, gutter cleaning, roof cleaning, or any other home maintenance service, Ned Stevens Gutter Cleaning of Long Island can help.
