Dirty, damaged gutters detract from your home’s value. Not only that, but they can cause major problems — like ice dams and foundation damage! Buyers expect gutters to be in good working condition, or they’ll pay less for your home when it comes time to sell.
Properly installed, clean gutters are essential to safeguard your home from damage. In fact, you can maximize your return on investment (ROI) when you have attractive gutters in good working condition.
Read on to discover how gutters impact your home’s value.
The Importance of Good Gutters
When gutters get filled with debris such as leaves, twigs, granules from your roofing, stray balls, or nests from critters, they don’t function as they should. The result? During the winter, water freezes, ice accumulates under your shingles, and you start seeing moisture penetrating your home interior in places like your attic and ceilings.
When gutters break, or downspouts go missing, and then it rains — water starts dumping onto your foundation rather than being channeled away from your home. The problem? You’ll negatively impact your foundation significantly if you don’t direct water away from your home (with gutters!).
Gutters in poor condition (or no gutters at all!) decrease your home value
You actually put your home at risk and compromise your foundation if you don’t have gutters, or if the gutters you have are broken, not properly attached, or super dirty. It may seem like no big deal, but you’re leaving your home open to other problems that will directly impact your home appraisal.
In some cases, missing or damaged gutters can thwart a home sale before it even begins. So if you’re planning on selling (and you eventually will), investing in new gutters will help your sale yield the best results. If you need gutters and don’t have them, you’ll lower your home’s value.
Without gutters in good working order, it adds another thing to the potential buyer’s “to do” list of repairs after buying the home, and that’s not good. Without them, you’ll also be communicating that you haven’t taken very good care of your home, which could cost you money when you sell your home.
Will gutters add value when my home sells?
While having gutters doesn’t tangibly add thousands of dollars to your home sale, it does make your home a candidate to be sold! So it will help you make the sale to have gutters in good working order!
What do homebuyers look for in gutters?
When it comes to color, gutters should match the trim of your home. The larger your gutter’s dimensions, the more water they can channel away from your home.
Seamless gutters are a must because when gutters have seams, that only leaves room for problems ahead. Seamless gutters look tidier and more appealing too. Lightweight aluminum gutters are popular, steel gutters add strength, and if you want a more distinct aesthetic, opt for copper gutters. Vinyl or plastic gutters are the weakest gutter material options and can discolor easily, so for added home value, install a different material.
Gutter guards can be attractive to homebuyers because they eliminate the possibility of debris clogging your gutter. And you won’t have to climb a ladder (and risk falling!) to clean your gutters. They’ll stay clean with gutter guards!
The importance of quality gutter installation
Gutter installation by an experienced team of professionals (like us!) ensures your gutters will function properly and won’t hinder your home’s value. Verify water is being diverted far enough away from your home so no damage occurs around your foundation or on your siding.
Gutters should be fastened to your home in such a way that no water is left pooling in them. If water sits idle in gutters (rather than moving through fluidly), it can attract unwanted mosquitoes or other pests, and cause dangerous ice dams (particularly in the Chicago area!). These situations could influence potential home buyers.
Protect Your Chicago Home’s Value with New Gutters
In Chicago, rain and snow are common, making gutters even more important to homeowners. Safeguarding your home from moisture damage and foundation problems is of utmost importance, so at LeafCo Gutters we only install the industry’s finest: 5” K-style Mastic Seamless Aluminum gutters. We also offer specialty gutters like copper, steel, and half-rounds.
Learn more about our gutter services today!
