I’m a veteran. Of the many lessons my leaders drilled into us, one stands out in my mind: leave your place better than you found it [for the next person who fills your shoes]. This rule has been embedded in my mind and has made its way into my, now, civilian life. You see, we are all called to leave every space better than we found it—cleaner, more organized, upgraded—whether it be a military post, a guard shack, an office cubicle, or even a home. So, when it came time for me to begin preparing my home to be sold, I applied this lesson.
For years, I had been making small improvements all over the house here in Saratoga, CA. I had repainted and added trim. The patio door had been replaced and so had most of the flooring throughout the main level. My husband and I added a three-season porch off the kitchen into the backyard. Overall, the home was definitely better than it was the day we purchased in ten years ago.
But, there was still something nagging at me: the windows. They weren’t bad, but they weren’t great. They operated just fine, but they weren’t the most energy efficient and appeared a bit outdated in comparison to the rest of the house. Everything I have read about prepping for resale says to pay attention to big-ticket items that could run-off solid buyers. So, we made the decision to give The Screen Shop a call.
Years back, we had worked with the experts at The Screen Shop to re-screen all of our windows in Saratoga, CA (the previous owner only had a few windows screened, and they were low quality). Their team was wonderful and affordable then, so we had high expectations of them for a whole-home window replacement project. In the end, if I am being completely honest, the house looked so good we didn’t want to leave!
We did, though. Our family was growing and we needed more space. My point is that choosing to upgrade our home so it was better than it was when we “found” it was the best thing we could’ve done to sell our home and make a profit. Even though we invested a significant amount to have the windows replaced, the addition in the back, and all the little upgrades we’ve done throughout the years—we still came out on top when the time came to sell.
If I can give you any sound piece of advice before you sell, do what we did: upgrade your home. Do it slowly if you must—just make sure your home is nearly impossible to part with, and your selling price will be worth it.
And, of course, trust the experts at The Screen Shop with your windows and screens. Their team is amazing and their products are top-of-the-line. Good luck to you!
The Screen Shop | 601 Hamline St.| San Jose, CA 95110 | 408.295.7384 | contactus@thescreenshop.com