According to Mack Strickland, a professional appraiser and real estate agent in Chester, Va., “If a house is in worn condition and shows a lack of preventative maintenance, the property could easily lose 10% of its appraised value. That could translate into a $15,000 or $20,000 adjustment.”

Aside from improving a property’s estimated economic age, according to a study by researchers at the University of Connecticut and Syracuse University, regular maintenance and investing on proactive home upkeep efforts increases the value of a house by one percent each year.

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