Many builders and homeowners will resist installing custom staircases thinking that the cost is prohibitive, but is that really the case? While it’s true that it may cost a builder more up front to install a custom designed stairway that cost will be quickly recouped once the house is sold. The same can be said for custom stairways installed during a renovation. Should the home ever hit the market down the line that custom stairway will be a strong selling point for real estate agents to focus in on and result in a better resale price than if a standard stairway were present.
Beyond Resale: The Intangible Value of Custom Staircases
While a custom stairway can and will add value to your home and help you sell it faster at a better price there are other benefits a custom stairway provides that have little to do with the bottom line and everything to do with quality of life.
- Heightened Experience – A bland, default staircase may provide safe passage between floors. But one-of-a-kind custom wood stairs can provide a heightened sense of wonder along with an appreciation for fine materials and craftsmanship that many people find lacking in today’s prefab, glass-and-plastic world. That elevated sense of wonder is often what separates a house from a home and should never be discounted as irrelevant or unimportant.
- Brag-ability – Let’s face it. Everyone wants to be able to crow a little about their home and what’s wrong with that? Pride of place is one of those intangibles that adds immensely to quality of life and is often the driving force behind renovation or remodeling jobs. Being able to wow friends and other visitors with your new custom designed and built stairway is harmless fun and a sure way to generate good conversation and maybe even some friendly competition.
- Ease of Maintenance – Custom staircases are typically built of higher quality materials than standard, default cookie-cutter stairs. Over time these materials will not only retain a greater value than cheaper materials, they’ll also do their job better and be less prone to creaking, warping, cracking or coming loose.
A standard L-shaped or U-shaped single or double landing staircase will, like the bus, get you where you want to go. And, like the bus, what it won’t do is provide you with any sort of memorable experience or add much to the overall quality of your life. If the bus is all you feel you need then that’s fine. But if you want something more from the experience of living in your home you’ll want to consider installing custom wood stairs during your build, renovation or remodeling project.
Custom staircases are not intended to simply elevate your body from one floor to the next they’re intended to elevate your spirit above the everyday and enrich the experience of your home for you, your family and your guests. It just so happens that they’ll also significantly improve the bottom line value of your home as well and that can be reason enough for many people to install custom staircases in their home.
