56 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • JUNE 2019
PRESS HOME
ADDING VALUE TO YOUR HOME IN UNEXPECTED PLACES
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While kitchens and bathrooms may
be numero uno, reno-wise, as it turns
out, they’re not all that, value-wise.
Unexpected spaces that have lots of
potential and are just waiting to be
discovered can be cool options. And
they cost less to transform.
“You could spend $30,000 renovating
a kitchen only to turn off some potential
buyers," Pendleton says.
When reimagining a space, consider
whether changing it will enhance its
functionality and affect the home’s
value. Pendleton points out that
creating a family room not only adds
square footage and usable living
space, but it suddenly opens up your
home to a whole new set of buyers —
the largest set of new home buyers in
the market right now — millennials
(42 percent of all buyers).
“Family rooms also don’t typically
have a lot of custom features or personalization
that could turn off potential
buyers, like a kitchen could,”
she adds. “Nationally, the median cost
of a family room addition is $10,000,
which is a relatively low investment
for a highly desirable space and a
larger footprint.”
Another option: new windows that
save money on heating/cooling bills
and signal to a potential buyer that
this home has been well cared for.
“But don’t go overboard,” she warns.
“Investing in a stained-glass fresco
is not going to increase the value of
your home at the same rate.”
Don’t forget about the garage.
“Garage conversions are a great way
to add living space to your home,”
says Project Coordinator Evan Lewitas
of Center Island Contracting, Inc.
in Farmingdale. “As the space is both
aboveground and already constructed,
it is typically an inexpensive
addition.”
His tip: Many families utilize a onecar
garage for creating an additional
bedroom and/or bathroom, or, create
a hotel-room sized suite with cabinets,
a sink, and minifridge (in a two-car
garage). Carpeting or laminate flooring
are commonly used.
Need extra storage for coats, accessories,
household stuff, vacuums, and
more? Though not glamorous, mudrooms
are au courant, and can add
a little value as well. Some designer
mudrooms include custom cubbies
and closets for storage
“Another unexpected feature that
buyers are loving are chalk walls
in the playrooms or children’s
bedrooms,” says Melanie Mazzeo
of Douglas Elliman Real Estate in
Huntington. “I have seen them in
kitchens too.”
Scott McGillivray, HGTV Canada’s
real estate expert, suggests: If it’s in
the budget, put in custom storage and
heated tile floors in a mudroom.
Additional tips:
For living rooms: Hardwood floors,
large windows and practical built-in
bookcases, cabinetry can help add
value.
For dining rooms: Simple, inexpensive
architectural details, like a chair
rail, will help. Also, recessed lighting
combined with a center fixture, and
nice flooring.
Homeowners are discovering that all
these surprising places can become
stylish, functional spaces. While it’s
hard to measure return on investment,
they do add some value while
enhancing a family’s enjoyment factor.
And isn’t that what truly matters?
"Go for changes that have broad appeal,”
says Zillow Lifestyle Expert Amanda Pendleton.
Distinguished Service Professor Earns
Experiential Education Leadership Award
Dr. Laura Anker, a distinguished service
professor of American Studies at SUNY Old
Westbury and director of the College’s Office
of First-Year Experience, has been selected to
receive the National Society for Experiential
Education’s 2019 Outstanding Leader in
Higher Education award.
The experiential education award is
presented to an individual in postsecondary
education who has demonstrated innovative
uses of experiential learning at their
institution. Dr. Anker will be given the
award at the organization’s 48th annual
conference to be held in September 2019
in St. Petersburg Beach, Fla.
“Dr. Anker earned this acknowledgement for
her unwavering commitment to experiential
learning pedagogy and her leadership in this
area,” stated Acting Associate Provost Dr.
Duncan Quarless, who nominated Anker
for the award. “During the last decade her
leadership has involved substantial impacts
locally within the campus and Long Island
region, and statewide across the SUNY system.”
A member of the SUNY Old Westbury
faculty since 1978, Dr. Anker is a founder
and currently director of the College’s
Community Action, Learning and Leadership
Program. Since its inception over a decade
ago, the CALL program, in partnership with
60 local community civic-minded partner
organizations, has generated more than
250,000 hours of community engagement
opportunities by more than 4,000 students.
The success of the program earned the
College a place on the U.S. President’s
Higher Education Community Service
Honor Roll for nine consecutive years.
Along with her work on campus, Dr. Anker
serves on various boards and committees
including the Eleanor Whitmore Early
Childhood Center in East Hampton, the East
Hampton Group for Good Government, Long
Island Wins, and All for the East End-Long
Island Community Foundation.
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