Installing a new insulated garage door is a simple home improvement project that has many benefits. This simple change adds desirable curb appeal and increases the value of your Dallas home. The best part is, it also saves energy and tax credits are given to homeowners who install approved garage doors. 

There is a list of manufactures of approved insulated garage doors that make homeowners eligible for a federal tax credit, which is more valuable than a tax deduction. Homeowners who purchase and install one of the garage doors on their Dallas home in 2009 or 2010 could receive up to a $1,500 federal tax credit. However, this is not a new idea. The legislation to award homeowners for installing specific garage doors was originally passed in 2008. Then, the maximum amount possible for homeowners to receive from the tax credit was $500 or 10 percent of the product’s cost. The new federal stimulus plan put in to action in February 2009 made installing a new garage door even more worth while. The new legislation promises triple the amount the original legislation offered. The maximum federal tax credit is now 30 percent of the product’s cost, or up to a maximum of $1,500. 

Another way installing an insulated garage door can help pay for itself is through energy savings. More than often people find that rooms next to or above the garage are the coldest rooms of the house in the winter and the hottest in the summer. This is because old garage doors that are not insulated allow brisk winter and scorching summer air to flow in to the house. The inefficient garage doors can also allow heated and air conditioned air to escape, like money flying out a window. Installing a new qualified, insulated garage door will help reduce energy bills year round and make your Dallas home more comfortable. 

The new and improved garage doors are more attractive to the eye, which increases the curb appeal and value of your Dallas home. Garage doors take up a considerable amount of space on the front of a home. The front of the home is the first thing homeowners, guests, and people passing by get to see when approaching the house. A typical white or almond colored garage door can make a house look plain and boring. It also makes the home blend in with every other house on the street. New garage doors found on the approved list offer a variety of the latest styles, including a carriage house or country look, sleek and contemporary, steel doors with real wood grain panels. No matter what the style of your home, there is sure to be a garage door that compliments and completes the picture.

Learn more about Dallas home ownership at TexasHomeCentral.com.

What’s your Dallas home worth?

I read a recent survey that stressed the importance of curb appeal in the buying decision. I wish I could remember where I read that survey and spent over an hour trying to retrace my steps so I could quote and give credit to the right person but I have failed… failed miserably and I’m sorry. If you know who did the survey, please email me and let me know so I can give them credit.

According to this survey, 82 percent of real estate agents polled said that buyers unimpressed with the exterior of a home will not even want to look inside. The survey also found that 90 percent of those interviewed said a sale depended on the first impressions of the front entry and 91 percent said the exterior of the home is as important as what is inside the home.

I find this especially true for homes in the Dallas Texas Metroplex. So how can you improve your home’s curb appeal to sell better? Here are 5 ways to do just that.

Increase Curb Appeal To Sell Your Home

1. Yard and Landscaping- Potted plants and a few decorative (classy, not trashy) items will add character to your home’s exterior. Colorful flowerbeds with fresh mulch and neatly pruned landscaping will also give a very positive first impression. Grass that is embedded with weeds will not be appealing to potential homebuyers so take the time to pull the weeds and spread weed control over your lawn.

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