As a homeowner, one of the biggest responsibilities you have is to keep your home updated and always increasing in value. However, there are some renovations that can be too over the top, actually causing you to lose value in your home. Here are some of the renovations you should avoid (or proceed with caution on!) during homeownership.
- Bold cabinets: Painting your cabinets a bold color, such as yellow or even red, can potentially hurt the space’s value. Not every home buyer wants to walk into a kitchen and see bright, bold cabinets. If you’re considering upgrading your cabinets, be sure to install kitchen cabinets that will last for years. It’s best to have cabinets that are a simple, crisp color that the potential buyers can envision themselves using. If they’re inclined to paint the cabinets another color, let them – but they should make that decision after purchasing your home.
- High end appliances: While having high end appliances might seem appealing at first, a moderate home probably isn’t going to need a professional oven or a huge freezer. Most people aren’t professional chefs, or they don’t have one cooking for them regularly. You can still do an upgrade, though. Choose some mid-grade appliances that have a few fun features, such as an auto ice maker or a central griddle.
- Odd backsplash: Too much quirkiness can be a bad thing. If a potential buyer feels they’ll need to change a variety of aspects of the home before buying it, they’re much less likely to give you top dollar for your home. An odd backsplash that doesn’t really go well with the rest of the kitchen (but might have been a splurge of yours during renovation) could potentially cause you to lose value in your kitchen.
- An in-house theater: Thinking of converting an unused bedroom into a theater space? Think again. A bedroom is valuable real estate for potential buyers, especially those who either have large families or entertain frequently. An extra bedroom means they can entertain overnight guests, such as family, on important holidays. No need spending all that extra money on fancy electronics just to have a room that really hasn’t been popular since MTV’s Cribs.
- A pergola: Pergolas are meant to provide shade, but sometimes they can take up too much space. Nix the pergola idea and instead get a simple patio set with a large umbrella. It’s much easier for the next homeowners to put in their own patio furniture without having to take down an additional structure.
- Too much carpeting: Carpet is a great way to soundproof an area, but it can be a little too much sometimes. It’s a bit more to maintain compared to vinyl or laminate, and hardwood just makes a home feel so much more expensive than carpeting. Consider putting carpeting in the bedrooms, but use tile in the bathrooms and kitchen and then put hardwood in the living room and other entertaining areas.
- Adding a sunroom: Sunrooms are great, in theory, but they’re not really used as often as you’d think. Avoid spending the thousands of dollars it takes to put a sunroom together and, instead, put it towards paying off your mortgage faster or adding luxury details to other spaces you’re renovating.
- Painting the bathroom walls pink or green. While avocado and salmon bathrooms were popular in the 1950s, some home buyers are immediately turned off when they see bathrooms of this color. If you want to return your bathroom to all its vintage glory, consider adding those colors as accents with fun, modern finishes. Use lighting, hardware and plumbing to incorporate modern feels without sacrificing the vintage look. There’s a way to do vintage without making it look cheesy or over the top – and accenting is the perfect way to do that.
- Adding a hot tub. While a hot tub might seem like a lot of fun, they’re quite expensive and not for everyone. Just like with a pool, they sometimes require a lot of upkeep and don’t always suit everyone’s lifestyle. If you feel that you can’t continue living in your home without one, consider getting a portable hot tub that you can easily take with you when you move, or the new homeowners can have removed to make way for something else in the space. You’ll want to consider the safety risk, as well. Hot tubs carry with them a huge risk for children.
- Overdoing the bathroom renovation. Floor to ceiling matching tile? A rainfall showerhead? Heated floors? Clawfoot tub? There are lots of features you can add to your bathroom, but sometimes adding all the features you can will feel like you overdid it. And, some homeowners want a home they can add things to themselves. If you add too much, they might feel weird about getting rid of some of the features they don’t need. Keep it simple by upgrading to quality cabinets in the bathroom, installing a new light fixture and a new showerhead. If your bathroom hasn’t been renovated in over 15 years, then maybe you can consider replacing the tub or shower, especially if you have the budget for it.
- A home gym. Much like with everything else, you’ll need to consider how much someone else will use the space. If you put in permanent fixtures, such as gym-style flooring or even knocking down walls to accommodate your in-home gym, then you potentially take away the opportunity for the new homeowners to make the space their own. If you really feel the need to create a home gym, make sure you use items that aren’t permanent. That way, when you get ready to sell the home, you can easily remove all those items so the new homeowners can make way for their own things. Avoid knocking down walls or combining rooms.
- Downsizing the closets. Closets are great storage solutions. Many people have things they need but don’t want others to see, such as cleaning products or seasonal decor. Avoid downsizing any closets to ensure your space maximizes the storage available.