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Does crown molding increase home value


Does Crown Molding Increase the Value of My Home?

Does Crown Molding Increase the Value of My Home?

Crown molding is a decorative architectural element installed where the wall meets the ceiling in a home. Crown Molding can lead to increased home value and a positive ROI depending on how much you have invested in the project.

Many homeowners want easy projects that will increase their resale price, and you can do that by adding crown molding. Including it in a room can make your paint color pop, and sometimes make the room look larger. Crown molding is especially desirable in older homes, where it can cover ceiling corners that crack over time. The elegance of crown molding makes it an excellent cover-all. 

You can put crown molding in any room. But if you only plan to incorporate it into a few rooms, choose rooms that could use an extra layer of detail. We suggest focusing on the: 

Adding crown molding to just a few rooms is sufficient to boost your home value. Small details make a difference when you sell your home, and crown molding is one of the little touches potential buyers look for.

Does Crown Molding Have a Positive ROI?

The return on investment for crown molding is usually positive, though it depends on how you use your money. If you hire a professional to install crown molding, your ROI may turn negative. Crown molding can be quite difficult to install, and professional installation can start at hundreds per room. Even if you add it to just three or four rooms, the project could cost thousands. 

Do-it-yourself options may help you avoid the cost of hiring a professional. If you want an easy DIY project to give your house more polish before putting it on the market, crown molding presents the perfect opportunity. While buying crown molding from a store and installing it with no guidance is difficult, you can purchase a kit that includes clip-on molding corners and connectors, such as ours. The installation is a snap.  

Crown molding functions like a fresh coat of paint — it gives a room new energy and life. Adding crown molding can make a world of difference for potential buyers entering your home for the first time. You will get the best return on investment if you install the molding yourself.

Increase Your Home's Value With Crown Molding

Take the first step to improving the value of your home by purchasing one of our DIY crown molding kits. Browse our online collection to find the crown molding that complements your home's design. 

Our crown molding kits are affordable and easy to install. They're completely do-it-yourself, so you won't need to pay anyone to assist you with the project. You will have fun transforming the appearance of your home and raising its value with your new crown molding. Buy your kits today! 

Details

How Much Home Value Does Crown Molding Add (If Any?)

“How can I add value to my home?” You ponder, wandering from room to room while refreshing your online banking app, confirming that while you have a bit of cash to play with, it’s not in the cards to finish the basement or overhaul the kitchen.

You pause just long enough to stretch, and as your head tilts back and your eyes sweep from wall to ceiling, it hits you: “What about crown molding?”

Source: (VH-studio / Shutterstock)

Crown molding 101

A decorative element usually made of wood or plaster, crown molding (or, if you prefer, crown moulding), is a cornice between the top of a wall and the ceiling. It’s also found above kitchen cabinets, doorways, or windows; effectively earning its reference to a crown.

While its function is mostly cosmetic and designs vary widely, crown molding has long been an admired architectural detail that adds depth, texture, and elegance to a room.

Despite its traditional connotations, crown molding can enhance a home of any architectural style. When properly executed with consideration to ceiling height and design rules for proportion, contour, and white space, crown molding suits in a wide array of rooms as well.

Common styles of crown molding include:

Crisp whites and shades of cream are common color choices for crown molding, though the right selection depends on your ceiling height and personal preference. When used as an accent feature above cabinets or windows, crown molding tends to look most cohesive when the color matches the cabinetry or window frame.

As with most aesthetic finishes, craftsmanship is key when it comes to crown molding. Shoddy installation or a slapdash paint job will not only look bad, it can make a potential buyer wonder what’s hiding underneath. If you’re thinking of adding crown molding to your home, the intent should be to enhance a room’s appearance, not to hide cracks, stains, or other wall or ceiling damage.

How much does crown molding cost?

Your walls are in good shape, and you’re curious to price out some crown molding options and see if it’s worth the investment. Where to start?

According to HomeGuide, the average cost for crown molding and installation in 2020 ranges from $7.00 to $16.00 per linear foot, depending on the material of the molding and the cost of labor in your area.

Wood molding tends to be more expensive due to the skilled carpentry required to cut and install. Altogether you can expect to pay between $2,000 and $4,000 to add crown molding throughout your home.

Naturally, less investment is required if you’re only installing in select rooms or using crown molding to accent cabinets or framing.

Does crown molding add value?

Crown molding is tricky in that it’s one of few home improvement endeavors where the cost of installation can exceed the cost of materials.

“The return on investment for crown molding is usually positive, though it depends on how you use your money,” says a representative from Focal Point Products, producers of polyurethane crown molding kits in Greenwood, Delaware. “Crown molding can be quite difficult to install, […] the project could cost thousands.”

If you’re the handy type or happen to have a carpenter in the family, you might be able to DIY the installation of your crown molding and save some cash that way. It’s worth reaching out to fellow homeowner friends or neighbors for their recommendations on local contractors. Most will offer free or low-cost consultations so you’ll know what you’re getting into before you commit to signing any checks.

As far as crown molding adding value to a home?

In Tampa, Florida, top real estate agent Christina Griffin does not see a big demand for crown molding from her clients. Aside from the occasional buyer who chooses crown molding as an add-on option in a new-construction property, the detail has never been the tipping point on a sale or valuation.

“I’ve done thousands of BPOs and when we adjust values and put houses right next to each other and an appraiser goes in, there isn’t much of an adjustment for crown molding,” says Griffin. “A fresh coat of paint would add more value than crown molding, in my opinion.”

Is crown molding worth installing?

While no one likes an answer of, “It depends!”, the reality is that crown molding tends to be a personal preference. Some folks love it; some don’t even notice the added grandeur.

“I think it goes to style,” says Pat Tasker, a top agent based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “I think it’s usually an indication of higher-quality build and more attention to detail.”

That said, Tasker would not advise a seller in her market to add crown molding to their home in hopes of increasing value prior to sale.

“I mean, [crown molding] is desirable, but it’s emotional value. It doesn’t add any financial value,” says Tasker.” [Homeowners] are better off putting in real hardwood floors than crown molding.”

Input from home appraiser Cody Bunch, of For What It’s Worth Appraisals in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, aligns with agent feedback. Crown molding theoretically can add value, but it’s not a given.

“Similar to [adding] a pool, the improvement has value, but the market in which it exists determines the effect,” says Bunch. “There is no clear answer. Crown molding, paint, updated flooring, updated fixtures, etc. can all be improvements which increase the marketability of a home and in turn provide an increase in value, but these improvements are usually not dollar for dollar. ”

Source: (John Wollwerth / Shutterstock)

So, what’s the verdict?

If you’ve fallen in love with the idea of crown molding and this hasn’t been the evaluation you were hoping for, don’t fret. Instead of making it a whole-house project, consider adding crown molding to just one or two rooms to play up the “wow” factor. A formal dining room or living room can be a great space to add decorative molding selectively.

Alternatively, you can use crown molding as an accent above prominent doorways or windows, or you might turn your attention to the kitchen.

“It is a nice finish to put on cabinets,” says Tasker. “Crown molding gives a really nice, finished touch versus just the raw square edges, and a homeowner could do that themselves.”

Finally, don’t hesitate to consult a real estate agent. Every housing market is different, and an expert in your area will be the best resource for advice on whether adding crown molding to your home would be a smart move before listing.

You can also explore more of HomeLight’s Seller Resource Center for lots more tips and ideas on home improvement projects that will help add value to your home and make it irresistible to buyers.

Header Image Source: (John Wollwerth / Shutterstock)

facade decorative stucco molding in house design

In this article we will talk about stucco decoration. Let's dive a little into the history of the use of stucco products for interior decoration. The use of elements of decorative moldings in the design of facades and interior design has been known to us since the Baroque era. The walls of the palaces of that time were decorated with all sorts of massive stucco garlands of flowers and fruits, as well as cupids and angels or cornices. Soft, wavy and semicircular lines of moldings smoothed out the straightness and external severity of walls and ceilings. And the matte surface of gypsum then created a unique three-dimensional effect and brightened up the strict walls of blue or cream, pink or mustard colors.

Façade wall design with stucco molding

In the period of classicism, waviness and smooth curves change with more symmetrical and laconic lines. And the framing of stucco paintings and mirrors, doorways and niches comes into fashion. It also creates the effect of solidity and the effect of static. And during the reign of the Empire style, the basis is a wall panel depicting a torch, weapons and battle scenes of ancient heroes in profile, laurel wreaths or very bulky chandeliers framing with stucco molding. Empire style is being replaced by Art Nouveau and slowly returning smoothness and ornateness, rounded lines, and then the stucco elements of the facade. The design is marked by a smooth transition of the ceiling into the walls, and the walls into the floor.

Now stucco decoration in the form of facade stucco molding or decorative stucco molding in the interior of living rooms is again relevant and fashionable. Modern stucco products harmonize perfectly with various building materials used in the design of our apartments: wood and stone, leather and glass, ceramics, nickel and plastic. Stucco molding, thanks to its diverse processing and courageous finds of designers, acquires more and more different shades, as well as large or smaller relief, they add gloss, gild it and artificially age it.

Modern stucco has become much cheaper due to the simplification of production methods and has become more accessible, and therefore more common. Stucco elements are now made from artificial materials, and this significantly reduces the mass of stucco and simplifies fastening, and increases its resistance to abrasion. As a rule, today designers use gypsum and polyurethane or polystyrene stucco.

What materials are stucco decorations made of today?

Gypsum is the most natural mineral material for stucco production. The powder solution is poured into special molds made of wood or clay, and from time to time large compositions or smaller relief details are created. In a short time, the soft material hardens and can be easily processed, and it is attached to each base: be it wood or steel, paper, concrete or glass. Now on the market, manufacturers present us with a considerable variety of stucco moldings: these are arches and tiles, stripes and columns, baseboards, and so on. Gypsum material is completely harmless and environmentally friendly, it does not burn and is not subject to excessively high temperatures, and is also durable and easy to process or paint.

At the same time, gypsum stucco is an expensive pleasure and requires a really masterful, exclusive, painstaking and laborious work.

Polyurethane is a chemical material with a rather dense structure, it exactly copies gypsum in creating volume. Although, unlike gypsum, it is light in weight and does not absorb moisture, and therefore can also be used in outdoor design. Polyurethane is durable and does not crumble, it does not break and does not change color precisely due to factory matting, it also does not require painting, and it is also cheap and easily glued to the main base.

Polystyrene is the cheapest material for stucco production. Flexible and light, but at the same time it is not strong enough and resilient, and is also flammable, and therefore rarely used in ordinary living rooms.

Arkhitek recommends EPS decor!

When using stucco decor in design, one cannot do without baguettes and cornices, skirting boards and ceiling or floor moldings. There is one more direction of stucco molding - this is ceiling and wall decor. The walls and ceiling are decorated with plants and flowers, branches and rosettes for sconces, ceiling rosettes of various diameters and styles, while giving them solemnity and originality.

Aesthetic and gustatory tastes of modern people have practically not changed for many centuries, and only the production technologies and materials of stucco products have changed. And stucco elements have remained a favorite technique for interior decoration among the best designers.

Buy stucco decoration and decorative moldings only from specialists and trusted companies that have proven themselves on the positive side of the market. And then the new look of your house will not leave indifferent passers-by, your guests and residents of the house. Still stucco molding can always be made to order according to the individual parameters and wishes of the customer. Remember this! Our company is fully responsible for the quality of the goods and services we offer. We are always glad to cooperation and new customers. Contact us and we will definitely help you!

How to restore and preserve stucco in an old house. Advice from American designers and real estate professionals from Brownstoner Daily

Stuccoed walls, ceilings, doors and windows give a home character. They should not be replaced with lower quality materials without good reason. Such decor should be protected, as it significantly increases the value of the building.

Gypsum stucco is a sign of status

Gypsum is an ancient material that dates back to antiquity. Its feature is the ability to dry quickly and last almost forever with proper care.

Stucco decoration is applied to flat plastered walls and ceilings. Moldings and plinths on the walls, gypsum medallions and rosettes on the ceiling, fancy floral decorations on the walls of the lobbies look beautiful. The most elaborate stucco decoration is usually used in the living room.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, stucco was a means of expressing social status. The more decorative the decoration was, the richer its owner was considered. This trend continues to this day.

Advantages of plaster. Why stucco molding cannot be replaced with drywall

A few years ago, experts recommended that worn-out moldings be covered with drywall and other modern materials. Now, when the individuality of the design of the premises has again acquired a sign of status, not a single designer will give such a recommendation.

Closing the stucco is like exchanging jewelry for cheap bijouterie. Facing reduces space and spoils the appearance of neighboring parts - moldings, door and window frames. As a result, the decoration of the room looks very budget.

Plaster has many advantages over drywall:

Therefore, the lucky ones who got a house with plaster decor should take all measures to preserve such a finish. Lost and damaged elements can be replaced with new ones by contacting a plaster jewelry workshop.

How to care for gypsum stucco

Photo: source

Is it worth trying to repair damaged moldings on your own

There are many videos and tips on the Internet on how to restore damaged moldings. In fact, this is a rather complicated and painstaking work, which not everyone can do.

Expensive antique moldings should be treated like antiques. It would never occur to anyone to restore a painting or sculpture on their own. In the situation with stucco, everything happens the same way: