Why clients fix their driveways (patios, pool deck, walkways, etc)
- The house is going on the market and they seek curb appeal
- Trip or other hazard
- Deferred maintenance is causing escalating problems
- Vanity – Keeping up with the Jones’
Background:
Curb appeal – one of the last things clients look to address right before they list their house for sale is what the driveway looks like. It’s easy to overlook when you’re focused on the kitchen and bathroom as RE professionals will tell you but it’s a biggee. The first thing potential buyers see when they come to view your home. And driveway problems will immediately lead potential buyers to suspect what other deferred maintenance might be lurking.
Trip hazard – driveways, walkways and any other cement surface can experience lifts over time where one slab is raised above another. This can be caused by growing tree roots, water intrusion, earthquakes and other movement. The first step is to address the underlying cause — sometimes it’s as easy as redirecting an irrigation head so that it sprays in a different direction. And remember that tree roots can continue to grow beneath the surface even when a tree has been removed above the surface (a great read in this regard is Peter Wohlleben, The Hidden Life of Trees).
Deferred maintenance – it probably cost a fortune to lay down your cement surface new and if you’re the one that did it, you don’t easily forget that type of expenditure. But just like preserving everything of value, maintenance is key. Regular sealing of joints and cement surfaces is key to protecting them from water damage and cracks.
If you’re like most homeowners, you think your house is the prettiest one on the block, right? Until your neighbor does something super fabulous with her driveway that makes you think, maybe not. There’s a lot of cool driveway beautification options available these days like, staining, resurfacing and even rubber resurfacing, which we happen to be an expert in. These improvements can bring new life to your home and increase valuations.