The Real Estate Conundrum: Why Spending More On The Front-End Saves Money Long-Term

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This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.

It’s no secret by now that we live in a culture where convenience is a priority. Between the rise of fast-food chains, high-speed internet connectivity, and social media, our culture is more “on-demand” than it has ever been before. Even though the pandemic made us slow down in the physical sense, it increased our dependence on this immediate gratification concept as well. Mobile ordering apps like Instacart or DoorDash rose in popularity alongside an increase in Amazon Prime usage. But with all of this convenience readily at our fingertips, are we actually saving as much time and money as we think we are? 

One area we’ve seen Americans play out this on-demand mindset is in the housing and building materials industries. Americans went on a record-breaking home-buying spree during the pandemic, even in the midst of such uncertain times. This, in turn, affected the way many new homes were built. The pressure was on for suppliers alike to provide materials at record speed amidst a historic backlog of construction projects due to the ongoing supply chain crisis. This meant many of the goods being provided needed to be developed at a record pace as inexpensively as possible. So what impact does this sense of expediency, and at times urgency, have on a homeowner’s investment portfolio? More than you might think.

The Financial Upside of Investing in Quality Materials 

While many are focused on building and moving into homes as quickly as possible, this can have a negative impact on the overall quality and long-term value of your investment. Anyone investing a significant sum on a piece of property should consider the value of each piece of their investment — from the foundation itself to the appliances in the kitchen. What will you keep, what will be replaced, and what can be repaired or preserved so that it doesn’t need to be replaced in the coming years?

Long-term, you might waste more money than you think by having to replace costly items in your home. Take your countertops, for example. Granite is an extremely porous material, easy to scratch and stain, and acid-sensitive stones like marble, limestone, travertine, and onyx are prone to etching. At roughly $40 to $60 per square foot (and sometimes more), premiere materials are also a significant long-term investment in your home. If they are easily damaged, why do we consider these materials premiere over quartz and laminates that are cheaper and seemingly more resilient? Beyond the look and feel and how they add to the overall design, these materials can be incredibly resilient — if they are cared for properly, and having well cared-for premiere materials increases resell value in a way that laminate can’t. Emerging technologies, like AntiEtch™ sealant, offer ways to protect your countertops from permanent damage, increasing the value of your investment and reducing costs that arise from repairs or replacements.

While it can be difficult to spend more upfront to protect your purchases, doing so prevents you from more expenses down the road. This is a lesson well known in the B2B world, but in the consumer space, thinking of ownership as a form of long-term investment is counterintuitive to our real-time culture. 

For many, big purchases, like a home, could become your most valuable investment and retirement vehicle. Smart decisions at the front-end can payout over time. While small steps like sealing your marble countertops might seem trivial at first, it is important to think critically about the money it will save and the money it could accrue in resell. Prioritizing longevity should be top of mind with all of your investments — real estate or otherwise.

This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.