Home Renovations to Skip If You Plan to Sell

July 13th, 2008 • Related • Filed Under • by tisha

While most people dread the thought of moving, the reality is that at some renovations point there is a likelihood you will sell your house at some point due to lifestyle changes, job changes, or for downsizing purposes. Whatever the reason, you will always want to be prepared should that day come, especially if you plan on doing a bit of home improvements.

There are certain jobs you may want to skip over during your renovation process or you may have to undo what you have done before selling your home. Here is a look at some of the things to avoid during a remodeling project.

Dump the In Ground Pool

Any project that requires long-term maintenance isn’t a good idea. While it may serve its purpose for your own family, potential buyers may not enjoy the expense of upkeep and maintenance, unless you are located in a typically hot climate where the maintenance costs would be worthwhile. Other such projects to avoid might be a garden waterfall, fish pond, or outrageous landscaping projects.

Too Much You

While it is perfectly okay to express your own tastes in your own home, try to stick to some basic color schemes. Buyers may not want to invest in a house they have to repaint from top to bottom, especially if each room is painted in a different and dark, primary color. It would take a lot of extra paint to cover over dramatic wall colors. The same is true with wallpaper and the usage of textured paints and such.

Too Much Everything

Remodeling a kitchen, bathroom, or any other room with the latest trend in home fashions is also never a good idea. Trends and fads fade quickly. What may be popular one day can certainly be considered gaudy the next.

Be Careful of Conversions

While many families can find extra space more useful, a new buyer may not. A lot of homeowner’s make the mistake of converting a garage they never use into an office, gym, or even a extra bedroom which the buyer may not find useful. If you are planning to make an addition or subtraction on a space or room that is featured on every other home on the block, you may want to reconsider.

While there are many home improvement projects that will certainly add value to your home and to potential buyers, there are many that should be left alone if you plan to sell your house for your preferred asking price. If you have gone all out on any of the above renovations, you may find yourself having to reduce your selling price to compensate for the costs of removing or redoing what you have done.