A Solid Long-Term Investment

Decorative concrete provides a surface with long-term appeal, and we’re not just talking about the way it looks. As an investment, it could pay off handsomely down the track, thanks to its durability and value adding qualities.

A prime example of how decorative concrete can add value is the driveway. A great looking driveway is seen as a major street appeal enhancer, and this can raise home values accordingly. Given that a driveway is such an unmissable feature at the front of the home, it should be obvious that an investment in its visual appeal is a very smart one. Smarter still when you use the same material on an accompanying walkway, another prominent feature that can add lots of street appeal.

The trend towards using decorative concrete in other parts of the house further reflects the demand of potential home buyers who want surfaces that combine practicality with visual appeal; concrete pool surrounds not only provide a seamless exterior flow, they’re skid and UV resistant. Honed internal floors in wet areas such as laundries and bathrooms are a big selling point as they might be considered to be safer surfaces in family homes thanks to their skid resistance.

One of concrete’s greatest strengths is just that – strength. It can be a hard-wearing, long-lasting feature when installed properly and, with an eye to the future, this is another of its benefits. A lower maintenance surface, and one that will stay low-maintenance for a long period of time, is attractive to all parties: home owners and home buyers. At the same time, a strong and durable surface – a driveway for example – that looks as though it won’t need repairing or replacing any time soon is yet another example of value-adding street appeal.

More and more of us, as homebuyers, are looking for something other than labour-intensive and time-consuming homes requiring a regular dose of maintenance. While there is still a market for properties that need doing up, a growing percentage of the population just want to move in and start living. Time spent on working on a home is time not spent doing the things we enjoy. Therefore, investing in home improvements, that fit that low-maintenance, easy lifestyle ethos, are good for you as an owner and, one day, as a potential vendor. Using something as durable and as strong as decorative concrete is a big step in that direction, simply because it can be applied in so many areas: driveways, walkways, patios, pool decks, external floors, and internal floors in both living areas and wet areas. That’s a whole lot of lower maintenance in one home!

Whether you intend to stay in your home for life, or whether you want to improve it with an eye to the market, decorative concrete appeals as a good long-term investment. It can save time and money, and add value and downtime. As an investment, it’s hard to beat those sorts of dividends.