Q. We are ready to downsize from our four-bedroom, two-story home, but a nagging issue demands a decision. Our 40-foot, two-car concrete driveway has more than a few cracks and dips in the pavement. Replacement would probably cost about $15,000. Would our home’s resale value be enhanced by that amount or should we forget it?
Robert Krajewski, Munster, Ind.
A. As you know, curb appeal can help sell a home faster, but it’s unlikely you’ll recoup the cost of replacing the driveway, said Laurie Vendramin, a Realtor with Prudential Preferred Properties in Chicago.
One option is to do the repair, and if money is a factor, negotiate with a contractor so that full payment is made at closing. Another option is to have a written estimate of the needed repairs available to potential buyers who make an issue of the driveway’s condition. You and the buyer may want to use the estimate to help negotiate a credit that would help cover the repair.
If you try to fill in the cracks and dips, those fixes will likely be temporary, said Terry Collins, a concrete construction engineer with Portland Cement Association. One possible approach is to apply a 4-inch unbonded overlay of concrete on top of the driveway. This tactic will work only where the elevation will allow for the additional layer of concrete, he said. You don’t want to create problems with the floor level of the garage or steps going into the home.
Read more about concrete repair at the association’s Web site, www.cement.org.
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