Everyone I've talked too knows that finishing an attic, upgrading a bathroom, remodeling a kitchen or re-landscaping your yard can increase the value of your home. But very few know the ins and outs of capital improvements when it comes to lowering your tax bill when you sell their home.
As it stands now, rules will let you add capital improvement expenses to the cost basis of your home. Simply put, costs associated with improvements (whatever they may be) lowers total profit. Or as the IRS puts it, taxable income.
The best thing to do is to get in touch with your accountant and Realtor prior to putting your home on the market and have a firm strategy for netting the most profit (and paying the fewest taxes) as possible.
Here's a link to an article that sheds even more light on the tax saving opportunities that improving your home may provide when you decide to sell: http://bit.ly/9ohY3p Labels: Belmont Heights, Belmont Shore, California, capital gains, home improvements, Long Beach, Real Estate
# posted by
Dave Harbison @ 3:46 PM
I always say, a well placed investment of time a money are worth a lot when it comes to selling your home... One of the biggest hurdles to overcome to a successful sale is a old or bad roof. In today's buyer's market, it is even more important than ever to go into into your home sale knowing exactly what you are willing to do about your roof. Here are some tips worth considering:
First, Have all the paperwork available showing when your roof was put on and if the warranty is still in tact.
Second, have up to 2 roofing contractors come over and evaluate your roof -- The condition of your wood shingles, composition, tile, slate or stone. Have them also the flashing to see that they were done correctly and that all the plumbing pipes and vents are sealed with caulk. Again, ask them if it was done correctly and professionally. You'd be surprised how many roofers don't take the time to
do the job right!
Third, have the contractors go into the attic and evaluate the condition of the wood framing, sheathing and drywall for dry rot or termite damage. This will effect the estimate -- especially if there have been slow leaks that have effected the wood.
Forth, have them explain the material they plan on using, the life of the roof, who the manufacturer is and how long the warranty is in effect for materials and labor.
In today's real estate marketplace, it is highly unlikely that buyers will overlook the challenges that are presented for a property with roofing problems. Handle them up front and diffuse any questions they may have with logically, confident answers -- like you are in control. It is ultimately up to the buyer, however, it has been my experience that they will be less inclined to cancel or hardball a seller if they are presented a clear picture of the facts up front.
Labels: Belmont Heights, California, Homes, Houses, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Real Estate, roof
# posted by
Dave Harbison @ 4:32 PM
