Good windows. "People are looking at exposures and windows," says Phipps. "It's been a cold winter for most of the country and energy efficiency is very important."
Insulated windows are always a plus, says Strong. "Typically, they pay for themselves in five years," he says. The cost: for an average 2,600-square-foot home, estimate about $10,000 for new windows, he says.
Well-placed skylights are also a good touch to add value, says Phipps.
Landscaping. Mature trees "are worth $1,000," says Strong.
And having outdoor spaces with touches such as pergolas and Victorian garden swings "can be very helpful," says Phipps.
Appraiser John Bredemeyer remembers one $250,000 home in Omaha that had no landscaping at all. "It was stark," says Bredemeyer, national chair of government relations for the Appraisal Institute, a professional group for real estate appraisers. "It just stood out as unappealing."
Conversely, you don't have to spend a fortune on plants, either. Just keep it "typical with the neighborhood," he says.
