How can a fence decrease a home’s value?
Have you ever seen a beautiful framed photo but the frame had a scratch in it, or a brand new car with a crack in the windshield? Just like those small issues can detract from the beauty of a picture or appeal of a car, an old or outdated fence can do the same for a home.
If there’s a beautiful, remodeled Victorian house for sale but it’s surrounded by a rusty, chain-link fence, or a picturesque suburban home has a rotted, wood fence rather than a white, picket fence, then the home isn’t going to be as appealing as it would if it had the proper or updated enclosures.
Here are some things to think about when evaluating if your fence is bringing down your home’s value.
The style is out-of-date for your neighborhood.
Chain-link fences used to be pretty standard for many houses and properties. So did plain, wooden post fences. But how often do you see a new housing development with homes surrounded by metal fences or a fence with no style in mind?
There is a reason these fences aren’t used as often when it comes to homes. Even if your house is renovated, a out-of-date style for your fence could make the house seem older than it is, or make some of the renovations or fixtures irrelevant.
Although chain link fences are great enclosures for pets, the fence surrounding your home should be easy on the eyes, well-built and designed to fit your family’s style or to fit in with the rest of the neighborhood. Not only will an out-of-date fence make your home’s value go down, making it unattractive to buyers, it will also be a sore sight for neighbors.
The fence is nice but doesn’t match the home.
You may have a beautiful fence surrounding your property, but does the fence design match your actual home style? Wood fences can be beautiful, detailed and classy, but surrounding a historic brick home with a natural wood picket fence probably won’t look as good as surrounding the home with a wrought iron or ornamental fence. The same goes for surrounding a sleek modern home with a ornate wood fence - a high stockade wood fence likely will match better.
Make sure to match the home with a fence that is in similar taste but still is fits your functional needs so that you can increase your home value.
The height of your fence isn’t functional.
One reason to have a fence surrounding your Colorado Springs home, especially in neighborhoods where the houses are on main roads or aren’t set far apart from other homes, is for privacy.
For the most part, privacy fences range from four to nine feet tall, depending on the needs of the homeowner. If you have a fence but it isn’t tall enough to keep your dog in, or you built a privacy fence that is so tall you can’t even see the mountains from your kitchen window, your fence may not be functional for you anymore. If this is the case, talking to a fencing contractor can help you weigh your options, but for the most part, a fence with a wacky height could lower your home value greatly as it isn’t serving its main purpose.
The placement is off.
If you bought a home with a fence already enclosing your property, or you built a fence when you first moved in, it’s always a possibility that the perimeters of the fence surrounding your home are no longer what they should be.
Think about any home improvements or changes you’ve made that affect the layout of your property - adding a driveway, building onto the existing home, buying a shed; all of these things can make how the fence is built around your house look strange.
Maybe you want to expand the backyard. By improving the placement of the fence around your home you’ll be able to increase the home’s value.
Potential buyers of a house don’t want a driveway with a fence cutting through it, or a side of the house that jets into the fence. This could be as easy as having someone move one side of the fence, or could mean getting a whole replacement, but once you have the fence where you want it, it’ll look better and become more functional.
The material of your fence isn’t worth the investment.
Although the look and function tend to be the most important part of investing a fence for most people, the material of the fence can play a role in your home’s worth.
While certain materials aren’t going to make your house worth an extreme amount of money, it can still contribute. Choosing materials that need to constantly be maintained or repaired is going to be costly, and choosing materials that look cheap bring down the home’s curb appeal. Try to choose materials like solid wood fence or even iron, which can be easy to maintain and still look nice.
Increase your home’s value with a new fence.
If you know your fence needs replacing and you continue to put it off, it could cost you more money and if you’re selling your house, a possible offer. Contact a Colorado Springs fencing contractor to evaluate your fence and help you with any fence repairs you might need. If anything, you could always consider having them remove the fence completely if it no longer fits your needs - but a bad fence isn’t helping to increase your home’s value or make your neighbors happy.
