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Home My WebLink AboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1973-03-22, Page 30PAGE 6B.,--GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1973 How -improvements increase resale value If you are a dedicated points out, most,people have home improver, you are made changes in the house probably in for a pleasant they bought in line with surprise whetn you come to1 their family's own needs sell your present home. Perhaps you will want more space because your family is,; larger. Or maybe you and your wife would like a smaller house to take care of once the children are grown and off on their own. Whatever reason you may have for putting your house on the market, the chances are when you do, you will find._i.t_.s wgrth considerably more today than when you originally purchased it. Just about anywhere in the country, a well main- tained home in an attractive neighborhood should fetch an appreciably higher price today than when it Was originally purchased. This holds true' even if you have Made no improve- ments on• either the house or the land since you pur- chased the property. How- ever, as Robert W. Johnson, president of J I. Kislak 'Mortgage Corporation, New carpet jnsures soft stepping Upstairs. Downstairs. In- doors and outdoors. Every- where there's a- carpet it needs a cushion to make it wear longer and to make it walk softer. Once 'there wasn't much choice. You bought a hair cushion. A jute cushion. A hair and jute combination. Or an underlay of sponge or w affie rubber. Now there's something new. A cushion that doesn't crush or crumble. Or -shrink, stretch or shred. Or mildew or have an odor if 'it gets v/et. That's why it can even be used below grade and still be guaranteed for the life of your carpet some- thing to think about no matter what the price or fiber of the carpet you're installing as a home im- .provement project this year. What is this wonder prod- uct? •It's called Omalon, and it's referred to by its manufacturer, Olin Corpo- ration, as a carpet founda- tion because it is of a differ- ent new breed. A new -generation carpet protector -preserver made.of polymeric foam that is clean, firm and easily installed because, for one thing' it's lightweight. A new carpet is a sizeable investment; one it pays to protect with a proper foun- dation. Ask your dealer about patented -process Omalon; he'll show you the different densities and thicknesses recommended -for whatever amount of traffic that ,new carpet will bear. TAPE IT: When painting windows ° and doors, use masking tape to keep paint off glass and walls. Any accidents should be wiped off quickly to make clean-up easier CARPET CURIO Adhesive backed carpet tiles can do more than sit on a floor. Use them on window sills, on the back of a curio cabinet, as protective spots on doors that come into contact with furniture. and, quite .often, these im- provements also add to the value of the house when it is placed 9n the market. The Kislak executive's view is. worth noting since the company he heads is one of the nation's largest mort- gage bankers and a leader in arranging for FHA and VA home mortgage° loans. (.autithnn yeller At the same time, John- son cautions the prospective home seller against expect- ing a dollar -for -dollar re- turn on every improvement which. has been made. For example, changes that you made to add to the conveni- ence or comfort of your fancily may not be so highly thought of by every pros- pective buyer. A recreat_ ion room con- verted from basement space, however, or a family room added on to the original house represents ars impor- tant addition and the home- owner who has made this improvement should expect that 7.0r to $0( of his cost can be recovered in the selling price. Regiollal difference will also affect the "return" value of the improvement. A case in point is the out- door patio, practically taken for granted in southern statps where the climate makes it a useful addition to family living space nearly all year long. In contrast, a patio area in New England, Michigan or .Minnesota, even though it may enhance the overall appearance of the plot and setting of the house, can only be put to full use from late spring to early fall. In this case, perhaps no more than half the cost can be added the`a`sking price of the he. Additions which the Kis- lak executive points out as having a high percentage of recovery are: a second bathroom in a three or four bedroom house, a lavatory addition on the ground floor of a two-story house, the addition of a third bedroom to what was formerly a two bedroom house (if the third bedroom is of comparable size to the others) and a fully modernized kitchen. But don't expect to re- capture vtt _..much ofs-the cost of landscaping and other cosmetic changes, - Johnson warns. Tastes dif- fer, and the flocked _wall- paper for which your paid $17 a roll may strike an- other person as a' terrible waste of money. Other pros- pects may not be impressed by wall-to-wall carpeting and the same may be true of expensive and unusual lighting fixtures. A new ex- terior paint job may make the house look more attrac- tive to prospects but the cost should bt' considered a nor- mal maintenance expense. improvefor family Is this any reason to hold back On home improve- ments? "Certainly not!" says the Kislak Mortgage executive. "After all," he says, "the main purpose of buying a house is not to sell it later on' for a profit but to provide a goo& place to live based on your own in- dividual life style. "It is always possible, of 'course, to ovefiinprove a property in terms of the value of neighboring homes," he added, "but gen- erally the changes and ad- ditions you have made to make your house more sat- isfying have paid for them- selves if they 'acct this. The dollar value the time comes a'� want to sell the that pleasant extra." iii Indoor‘, outdoors, above grade, below grade —. Ontalon, the patented-proce,. carpet foundation b. !Olin can go amMhert beeanr a i1 t' heat, moiau} a and ruilde% rr•i•tant. polimerle foam underlay cushion- a carpo 1 1114 make, ind,Ke and outdoor roomy one. LIMITED TIME ONLY PAINT SPEOAL Homogenised SPRED SATIN For the freshly painted look that lasts till you want to change colors Buy Spred Satin latex wall paint. The only wall paint -guaranteed 5 ways in writing. Gives you the results you demand, or your money back! GUARANTEED -Y hot to 1 lea • On • on C w°hi ren gle' car Yet wh side 001 re the ad` V int bec as_ de( COS doe sta dei bei SERVICE DOMINION HARDWARE 30 VICTORIA ST. NORTH 524-8581 Godericit 'Yu' SPRING IMPROVEMENi We Carry... - PAINTS - 18th- CENTURY FURNITURE REFINISHER - OLD .MASTERS ANTIQUING - SUNWORTHY WALLPAPER - CARPETS WE ALSO HAVE CUSTOM MADE DRAPERIES McArthur 1rt Reilly Ltd. 36 WEST ST. PHONE 524-8532 GODERICH