Asheville Real Estate

Whether you're putting your home on the market or simply remodeling for your own pleasure, nothing makes a stronger statement than the exterior of your home. Recent studies indicate that most homebuyers decide whether or not to view a home's interior based on its curb appeal-the attractiveness of a home when viewed from the street. In fact, according to the National Association of Realtors, 70 percent of homebuyers now view a home for the first time on the Internet, making curb appeal an even more critical part of selling a home.

One sure-fire way to increase the curb appeal of your home is to incorporate more color in its exterior. The use of bold, high-definition colors can produce visually striking effects that make a home unique, and, with the growing variety of exterior color options today, you can pick a new hue for the roof and then find a vast selection of siding, trim, fence, deck and railing colors to coordinate.

Choosing the right exterior colors for your home is a difficult decision, but it is getting easier, thanks to companies like CertainTeed Corporation, a leader in color science, which is broadening the color palette for everything from the roof on down to the deck, to provide homeowners more ways to customize a home and bring life to a neighborhood.

For example, several high-contrast colors have been added to the CertainTeed Landmark Series shingle line, and the company's composite decking now includes vibrant shades of chestnut, cedar and redwood. CertainTeed has also expanded color options for its Cedar Impressions cedar-style polymer siding and increased its fence offering to include clay, a natural tone that coordinates well with popular siding, window and trim colors for even more options in exterior design.

Furthermore, while remodeling can be a daunting task, it's also an investment. So, if you want to play it safe and see how your home would look with new exterior products before buying them, CertainTeed offers a simple solution:"Picture My Home Makeover" - a Web-based tool that can give your home a virtual makeover within minutes.

 

For more information on color options for roofing, siding, fence, railing and deck call 800-782-8777 or visit www.certainteed.com.

When a prospective buyer drives up to the home you're selling, the first impression is going to be a lasting one. Long before he sees the inside of the house, the exterior makes a statement about the property - one that's going to play a role in several decisions that buyer is about to make.

First will be the question of whether or not he wants the house based on its appearance, and second will be the issue of the home's value.

The impression of your home when the buyer first arrives correlates directly to property value. Homeowners could see a return on investment of 100 percent or more resulting from attractive, high-quality landscaping, according to the National Concrete Masonry Association.

Concrete segmental retaining walls are one popular landscaping option because they not only provide pleasing aesthetics but also boast a variety of attributes that may attract buyers:

* Durability. Unlike timber products used in landscaping, concrete segmental retaining walls are resistant to rotting and infestation by rodents or insects.

* Ease of maintenance. Unlike wood, segmental retaining wall units do not need to be stained or treated.

* Design flexibility. The variety of segmental retaining wall unit sizes and placement options enable creative and unique designs to set your home apart. For example, the wall units may have a split-face, rugged, natural or tumbled surface appearance. With such a variety of designs, concrete segmental retaining walls can satisfy nearly any taste and provide natural, enhanced beauty to many different yard layouts.

* Environmental friendliness. Concrete segmental retaining wall units are made of all-natural materials. Unlike wood treated with chromated copper arsenate, a popular landscaping material that was phased out of use in 2003, concrete segmental retaining wall units do not pose a threat to the environment or a health hazard to your family.