Preparing your Home for Sale by Installing
Exterior Vinyl Shutters
What to look for when Preparing to
Install Exterior Vinyl Shutters
By Shad Storhaug
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A common
mistake people make is to assume that their house is "ready for sale"
just because it is a livable, functional place that is not in need of
repair. This mistake can not only make your home take longer to sell,
but can also mean you will be accepting thousands or even tens of
thousands of dollars less for the home than the amount you can get
with a few smartly done improvements.
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As the old saying goes, "You never get a second chance to make a first
impression." When dealing with selling your home, this translates into creating
a better "curb appeal" to draw in potential buyers. Many things can be done to
improve "curb appeal", such as a fresh coat of paint, installing new siding,
doing some simple yard care and landscaping, and adding "finishing touches" to
the house. While the cost of such improvements can sometimes be prohibitive,
when doing them smartly yourself you can literally improve the value of your
home with little more than some elbow grease and a few hundred dollars.
Installing Exterior Vinyl Shutters
One of the best
ways to get the most bang for your buck is by installing exterior vinyl
shutters. Measuring for and installing exterior shutters can usually be done in
a few hours depending on how many windows face the street and will give
prospective buyers the "wow" effect you are hoping for.
There are 2 basic
types of Exterior Vinyl Shutters:
1. Custom-made
vinyl shutters
2. Prebuilt or
stock shutters (often called standard-sized shutters)
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Custom-made Vinyl Shutters
If measured correctly, custom shutters will always go from
the top to the bottom of the window frame within 1/4 quarter of an inch of
the actual height of the opening. Custom exterior shutters come in several
widths, usually starting around 6 inches wide and are available up to around
30 inches wide. Standard sized shutters usually only come in height
increments of 3 or 4 inches and are only available in 12 inch and 15 inch
widths.
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Installing
Exterior Vinyl Shutters - Stock Shutters
While custom
shutters will certainly look the best, it can cost 150%-250% more to buy custom
shutters than stock sizes. Another thing to consider is that custom made
shutters can take 2 weeks or longer to be built, while stock shutters are
prebuilt and ready to ship. This can be a major factor if you are in a hurry to
sell your house and are on a budget. Of course, custom shutters can be made
quicker and ship faster if you are willing to pay an additional shipping charge,
so be sure to ask the vendor if this is an option.
A good balance
between cost and good looks is to order standard shutters for windows that are
within an inch of one of the available heights, and order custom shutters for
the windows that need a more exact fit - especially the windows on the front of
the house on each side of the front door.
Installing Exterior
Vinyl Shutters - Color Choices
The color of the
vinyl shutters is also an important factor, since painting can only be done if
you order the paintable type of plastic. Black and white are the most popular
colors and therefore they are usually shipped the soonest because they are
typically stocked very well. Ordering the paintable type of plastic shutters is
also a way to receive them quickly, but of course will require you to put in
some more work to paint them before installing them.
If you have more
time, it is possible to order a vinyl shutter color sample kit before ordering
the shutters. This is a good way to get an exact match with your trim, or to get
the right color of paint if you have also decided to paint the house for the
sale. Color samples can be ordered for as little as $5 and most places give you
the cost of the sample back when you order the vinyl shutters. This is also a
good way to get some idea of what the exterior shutters will look like because
the samples are moulded from the same vinyl material as the actual shutters.
Once the shutters
arrive, installing them is just a matter of drilling a few holes and either
screwing them to the outside surface of your home or using shutter-loks, which
can be tapped in with a few strokes of a hammer. Of course, it is important to
download the instructions from the web site that you buy them from as different
shutter manufacturers recommend slightly different installation and doing the
installation incorrectly can result in a voided warranty.
Good luck with your
home makeover and sale!
About the
Author: Shad Storhaug is the founder
of ShutterContractor.com and is an expert in providing advice about selection,
measuring, and installation of
exterior window shutters. Additional measuring
and installation instructions can be found at ShutterContractor.com's
Exterior Shutters Store.
For information on
Installing a New Window, see the
Installing a New Window Ebook from
HomeAdditionPlus.com. The Installing a New Window Ebook provides
easy to understand, step-by-step instructions, on how to remove an old window
and install a new one. Pictures are included for every key step in the process.
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