Bad Home Improvements That Hurt Your Home's Value
Value add is key
So, is it finally time to renovate and remodel your entire home, and give it a new look? Or, are you looking for simple ways to refresh your living area? Well, if you expected to get a bunch of advice on how to embellish your house, you are in the wrong place! Instead, what I am about to do is talk about bad home improvements that hurt your home's values. Pay attention and let me save you a small fortune that you could otherwise spend in a more productive manner.
Bad Home Improvements - how to recognize them
If you are not a natural-born decorator and don't know much about how to make small but useful changes around the house, you will not recognize a bad home improvement when you see one. Nevertheless, do not be discouraged, even those who are savvy in this section can make mistakes. What is crucial is to learn from them.
With that in mind, here is how you will know what bad home improvements are. You should avoid anything that:
costs too much
does not blend with your home's theme
if the color doesn't match your home's palette
occupies too much space
prevents natural light
is tricky to replace
is impossible to maintain
Think hard about these categories, you might discover that you already have some items around the house that might fit the description. Furthermore, it is also essential to avoid these mistakes if you wish to set the right price when selling your house.
Think from the perspective of a buyer
If you wish to attract buyers, you must make your home appealing. The key points, from a staging perspective, are open space, natural light, simplicity, style, and consistency in terms of colors, furniture, and appliances.
Buyers are experienced and educated, and they know what things to look for when viewing a property. Everything that pushes you in the opposite direction is to be avoided at all costs!
With that in mind, let us see what those bad home improvements that hurt your home's value are!
Expensive and extravagant lighting fixtures
Do you live in a castle? If the answer is yes, then lucky you. However, for all of us living in a regular-sized home, lavish lighting fixtures are not a necessity. You don't need an expensive and huge chandelier or a lamp that just doesn't go with the rest of your furniture. When you enter a lighting store, you will get the urge to buy pretty stuff that you probably don't need. Resist it and focus on simple and useful products.
Say NO to wallpapers
They might look colorful and refreshing, but in most cases, wallpapers are just the opposite. They are hard to remove, and a matter of taste, so not everyone will like the same pattern. If your goal is to raise the value of your home, you should stick to neutral colors and fresh paint. It is best to have a move-in ready home, people will not buy a place that requires too much maintenance.
Wall and ceiling textures
When we are on the subject of wall decorations, wall and ceiling textures are a perfect example of bad home improvements that hurt your home's value. Avoid doing a Spanish wall texture, also known as a skip trowel or Santa Fe. It might look interesting, but it will take you a huge amount of time and money to finish. On another hand, if you decide to take it down, it will be messy and staggeringly difficult.
Tiling and carpeting
Tiles are fine if done with taste. However, if you pick the wrong ones, you will regret it. Taking off tiles is a difficult and tedious process, and it will repel many buyers if not done the right way.
When it comes to carpeting, place them with care. Have in mind that they are hard to clean, and they collect dust. It is much better to have hardwood floors instead. If you have a lot of carpets and wish to sell the house, try selling them instead. Removing them will open space, and you might even earn some cash on the side.
High-end kitchen and bathroom
We may look at the kitchen and bathroom as the alpha and omega of every home. It's where you eat and take care of your hygiene. However, it is easy to get carried away and mess up everything by investing too much
Buying expensive kitchen appliances results in higher maintenance costs. Furthermore, the reseller value of a remodeled kitchen is almost 50% less then what you invested in.
When it comes to bathrooms, avoid hot tubs and too personalized add-ons. Majority of people like a simple, clean bathroom with a walk-in shower.
Large furniture purchases
Replacing a small couch with a larger one is an expense that you don't need. It takes more space, and it is harder to clean. Also, you should think about relocation when shopping for furniture. If you resist the temptation to buy large pieces, you will save money on furniture transportation when the time comes.
Removing closets to make more space
If you, for some reason, thought of removing closets to make more space, please change your mind. Closets are useful, and people need them. We often have more clothes than space for them. The number of closets will actually raise the value of your home!
Luxurious upgrades
Do you want a swimming pool in the front yard? A large aquarium in the living room? Or a billiard table in the basement? While I like shooting pool, I don't recommend it as a useful purchase for your home. For those who already own it and don't know what to do with it, do not despair. If you need your billiard table relocated, there are simple ways to do it. Or, you can always consider selling it. All these costly features will not raise the value of your home. Instead, they will make it harder to sell!
Put your money to good use!
I hope that this small, but useful guide gave you an insight into bad home improvements that hurt your home's value. Instead, put your money to good use, give buyers what they want, and the payoff will be substantial! Good luck!
