Clotheslines are making a comeback. Folks are realizing that there are big bucks to be saved by not using a dryer, and items like the sheets smells so much nicer when they are dried outdoors. Some people are merely trying to recapture a simpler time – to reset the dial back to 1975, 1965, or maybe even 1955. Others are recognizing the ecological benefits to us all if we use our dryers less and our clotheslines more. It is called “passive solar energy.”
For whatever the reason, more and more people are installing clotheslines. This means that a properly placed clothesline can help you when you go to sell your home and one that is poorly placed or looks tacky will hurt your resell chances.
Facts are facts: this is not 1955, 1965, or 1975. People are no longer willing to put up with those metal clotheslines that look somewhat like a television antennae. Those were great in their day – they were nice for saving space after all – but today people use their back yards for more than just sending the children outdoors to play. Now back yards are used for entertaining friends and guests much more than they used to be. In fact, today back yards are an extension of the house so much of the time. Look in home improvement catalogues and you’ll even see curtains for outdoors. These sheers dance in the breeze and are meant to function for not only beauty, but also for dividing areas, keeping out bugs, and keeping off the sun.
In any event, you can’t go sticking a clothesline up willy-nilly and not expect it to effect the resale value of your home. Like any other fixture, a clothesline must be planned and placed with care.
The best clothesline is retractable. This way it can be hidden when not in use. Mine is not only retractable, but it swivels flat up against the wall when not in use. Thus, no one really knows I even have a clothesline once I unhook it.
I have no intention of selling my home right now, but this is an uncertain world. We should always be conscious of potential resale problems when we make home improvements. By making the right decision when installing your clothesline, you can avoid problems later.
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