If you are planning on selling your home within the next few years, you probably want to know which home improvement projects you can invest in now to reap the biggest return when the house sells later. The most important thing to know is that exterior building projects are those that are often most important to potential buyers – and that makes them your best bets as far as the biggest return on your investment.

In fact, according to the 2011-12 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report, when you replace exterior elements on your home such as siding, windows and doors, you can expect to recoup up to 70 percent of the cost. The National Association of Realtors’ website, HouseLogic.com, lists seven out of the top 10 most cost-effective home improvement projects as those which target exterior building details.

And it’s impossible to put a price on curb appeal; without it, your home is likely to stay on the market for months or even years but with a pleasing exterior you can expect the house to sell much more quickly.

Siding is the #1 Home Improvement Project In Terms of ROI

The number one project that is best in regards to curb appeal and return on investment? Replacing your home’s current siding with fiber-cement siding. You can expect to recoup 78 percent of the cost of this project when the home sells (or even more if you opt for a quality product that Kay Supply has on sale).

Next on the list is replacing old siding with foam-backed vinyl siding and “upscale” vinyl siding (which brings back 69.6 percent and 69.5 of the cost at sale time, respectively).

Exterior Doors and Windows Are Next On the List

Not only does replacing the entry door with a sturdy, steel one result in a good ROI, it’s the least expensive improvement to the exterior of your home. Expect to pay about $1,200 for a steel entry door and recoup 73 percent of this cost.

Another door that makes a difference in curb appeal is the garage door. Buyers want to see an upscale garage door that transforms the entire appearance of the house. The cost for a good garage door has decreased in the last few years, and that means you can expect to gain more of that cost back when you sell the house.

Replacing the current windows in your home with an upscale vinyl product is also a good idea. While this type of project doesn’t necessarily make a difference as far as curb appeal, it can be the difference between a buyer selecting your home over another due to energy efficiency. When you add new vinyl windows to your home, you will likely recoup 69.1 percent of the cost.

While there are no guarantees that any of these exterior home improvement projects will always result in a positive ROI and you need to take into account other factors that influence the value of your home, you really can’t go wrong by making your home’s exterior look better. Come into Kay Supply and talk to us about the projects you’re considering. We can recommend the best products at the best prices when you wish to tackle installing new siding, doors, or windows.

Got a home improvement or building project on your plate but only have a small budget to complete it? Doing it yourself is the way to make your dollar stretch further. Here a few tips the DIYer can use to get an exterior home improvement project done without breaking the bank.

Save Money On Labor

Of course, any time you can do the physical work yourself you’ll save money. The more items you can fabricate yourself, the farther your budget will stretch. For instance, if you can pour concrete for a patio path, do the stonework on an outdoor barbecue pit, or build a gardening tool shed yourself you’ll not only save money, you’ll end up with a very unique exterior “room” that perfectly reflects your personality and needs.

But don’t get in over your head; if you’re not comfortable climbing up on the roof, for instance, don’t risk your safety and peace of mind. Hire someone to do the jobs you can’t do and save money by completing other projects without any help.

Save Money On Building Supplies

Is it necessary to sacrifice quality in order to get the job within budget? No – not if you stick with standard sizes and materials. For instance, it costs far less to buy prefab windows in standard sizes than it does to order a custom window in an odd shape or size.

When building a deck or patio, the same principle holds true: opt for readily available materials. If you wish to add a bit of interest in the form of a fountain, for instance, buy a standard kit but customize it with your own little touches that make it unique. A concrete path may be cheaper to form than one made of real stone yet look just as nice.

Replacing the roof on your home can be an expensive job. The type of roofing material you choose has a big impact on overall cost but no matter which type you prefer, come in to Kay Supply and ask about our current inventory. We often have overstock of shingles and sometimes even metal roofing panels that we pass along to our customers at blow out prices. If you want to add an element that will stand out from the neighborhood crowd, you might want to choose something like copper flashing as a highlight to your new metal roof.

When selecting siding for your home, it’s often more economical to go with vinyl siding that looks like wood – and it’s also easier to maintain.

What about doors? The exterior door should be high quality, thick and well insulated. On the interior, however, feel free to skimp a bit since these doors don’t have to do as big of a job as the entrance doors.

There are some things you might want to avoid if your goal is to complete an exterior building project within budget. Wrought iron, bronze and steel are all expensive materials. Exotic woods are always going to be more expensive than pine, redwood, or cedar.

No matter how small your budget, Kay Supply can help you get your exterior building projects done. We invite you to stop in and see us at either of our showrooms in Taylor and Pinetop and find out how we’ll exceed your expectations in regard to service AND price.

When it comes to the type of exterior cladding product you install on your home, you’ve got several choices. You could opt for a very traditional brick or stucco finish. Or you could go with the newer fiber cement or vinyl siding. If you choose vinyl siding for your exterior home improvement project, then you agree with the majority of Americans and Canadians. That’s right, vinyl siding is the top choice in North America, followed by brick in second place, stucco as the third most popular choice, and fiber cement in the fourth position.

Why Vinyl Siding is #1

There are many good reasons to opt for vinyl siding over other types of materials when it comes to the beauty and durability of your home. The top four reasons vinyl siding is number one in popularity are:

1. Low Maintenance. Not only does it cost less in terms of money and time to install vinyl siding, it’s also one of the easiest exterior cladding materials to maintain over its lifetime. Other products must be repainted, restained, or power washed. Vinyl siding looks good and performs even better with only an occasional cleaning and spot removal of any mold or mildew.

2. Safe Installation. Other materials such as fiber cement and even brick can be dangerous to your health when installing them. There’s nothing risky about vinyl siding, which goes up easily and safely.

3. Looks. It’s hard to beat vinyl siding in terms of beauty, durability and sustainability. It’s good for your home and good for the environment. Today’s vinyl siding comes in a wide range of colors and sizes as well as styles that mimic more costly and less eco-friendly wood shingles, bricks and other materials.

4. Lifetime Warranty. Kay Supply sells the highest quality vinyl siding on the market today, which comes with a limited lifetime warranty for your peace of mind. There’s no need to worry about your siding fading or otherwise not performing up to standards.

If you’re considering replacing the siding on your home this year, why not go along with the crowd for once and choose vinyl siding? It’s cost effective, durable, safe, eco-friendly and backed by a superior warranty because it performs so well. Come in to Kay Supply today and ask about our specials; we’ll do our best to help you replace your home’s siding so it looks beautiful and stands up to White Mountains weather - all while staying in your budget.

If you’ve ever installed a metal roof on a customer’s home and gotten a call from that customer some time later complaining that the roof is “sweating”, do a bit of detective work before you rush out to assess the damage from your installation. For one thing, metal simply can’t sweat. Chances are the so-called leak in the ceiling of the home is due to condensation.

Technically speaking, condensation is “the process by which matter transitions from a gas (or vapor) phase into a liquid phase”, in physics terms. Metal roofs do get cold and when moisture in the attic space comes into contact with that cold (a temperature below the dew point) surface, condensation is the end result.

Fixing the Problem

The problem is the presence of moisture. This could be due to a deficiency in the moisture barrier in the attic. Then again, the culprit could be improperly installed light fixtures, vent pipes, or ceiling fans – all of which could allow moisture to bypass an installed barrier. Sealing these fixtures could solve the problem quite simply.

If the moisture in the attic space is coming from a bathroom or kitchen, the exhaust fans or even a dryer vent could be allowing the seepage. The best solution to this type of problem is rerouting the vents so air is pulled to the outside of the home rather than accumulating under the roof.

Then again, the trouble may be a bit more severe. If the condensation isn’t due to unwanted moisture seeping into the attic space, then the problem might be caused by inadequate ventilation. The ideal situation is to ensure air is distributed evenly between the ridge and the eave as well as providing an unobstructed path for air to enter at the soffit and then disperse after following the ridge. Sometimes it’s difficult to provide the right amount of ventilation and in this case, a power vent or gable vent might do the trick.

Installing a Metal Roof the Right Way

The best offense is a good defense. The next time you install a metal roof, be sure that it is placed over a solid deck with a high quality synthetic underlayment. This is the best way to ensure that moisture doesn’t ever contact the metal roofing directly – and condensation doesn’t ever occur.

If the installation of the new metal roof is going over the top of an existing roof, it’s still best to lay down a good underlayment first. This also helps when the roof gets hot; the underlayment will hold up nicely and ensure the integrity of the roof.

At Kay Supply, we’re here to help. If you ever encounter a problem that you can’t find a solution for, just ask us and we’ll be happy to share our experience and expertise.