By Kristyne E. Demske
C & G Staff Writer

Those looking to sell their home should start checking at the curb to make sure they stand out from the crowd.

“I think in the type of market that we’re in right now, the biggest issue is that there is so much competition, so you really want to stand out as being in the top five (of comparable homes in the area),” said Realtor Eva Morrow, with Max Broock Realtors in Birmingham.

Home repairs need to start from the ground up, including the cement around the home. Problems from cracked driveways and walkways to crumbling front porches can take away from a home’s appeal.

“With first impressions being so important … if the crack is significant, I would definitely recommend repairing it because then the buyer will get the impression that the whole house is well-maintained,” she said. “It always starts with the exterior.”

Julie Herman, another Realtor with Max Broock in Birmingham, said seeing a crumbling driveway or something else that needs improvement could also cause buyers to think the repair will be too expensive, and they could decide against the house.

“It depends on what the price range is and how they have their house priced within the market,” she said. “If their house is comparably priced right now and these things need to be done, then the buyers are going to see these things as a detriment.”

She said everything has to be weighed to make sure sellers will get the money they put out back in the sale, though.

“If there is a crack in the floor of the garage that’s not a major crack, that’s not going to affect the foundation, then I wouldn’t worry about it,” Herman said. “If the garage floor is just unsightly and the foundation is at risk, then I would probably do something.”

Even worse are cracks and heaving slabs that could cause an injury.

“You wouldn’t want somebody to slip or fall if they did approach the house,” Morrow said. “The key is, again, so that it’s not so detrimental that the buyer walks in and they’re totally focused on it.”

When having new concrete poured, the base is the most important, according to John Ventimiglia, owner of V&G Concrete in Ray Township. He said that’s paramount because of the fact that most homes are sitting on clay or topsoil, so a good base can ensure proper drainage and make sure the concrete won’t settle and crack  later.

He said the piece must also be properly sloped to make sure water runs away from the home and not toward it.

John Biondo, with Biondo Cement Company in Macomb Township, said homeowners really need to have the cement replaced if it’s heaving or has cracks because quick fixes usually don’t stand the test of time.

“There’s nothing really you can put in there that’s going to help the problem,” he said. “If they are uneven, there’s nothing we can do about that except replace it. There’s cement leveling, some places do cement leveling, (but) that’s not always 100 percent accurate.”

He said the piece usually ends up sinking or heaving right back to where it was before.

Replacing cement can run from $3.50 to $4 a square foot for 500 square feet or more, Biondo said. Smaller jobs will be more expensive, he warned, because of a smaller profit margin.

Because of the state of the economy and the current market for homes in the area, Ventimiglia said it’s better to fix what you have.

But, he warned, “the cheapest price around is not the best answer.”

To contact Max Broock Realtors in Birmingham, call (248) 644-6700.

To contact Biondo Cement Company in Macomb Township, call (586) 786-9686.

To contact V&G Concrete in Ray Township, call (586) 566-1116 or (586) 752-0022.

You can reach Staff Writer Kristyne E. Demske at kdemske@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1041.