Think Before You Renovate: 5 Modifications that will Devalue Your Home

To help you avoid the pitfalls of renovation blunders, we look at the top 5 changes that will devalue your property…

1. Too Much Personalization

Customizing a home to satisfy your lifestyle ensures that you have everything to your liking. This could include painting the walls in the living room royal purple because you love the shade or a tiled mural in the kitchen of dolphins because it reminds you of a summer trip to the coast. Unfortunately, these unique changes are not to everyone’s liking and it wouldn’t be easy to change these things for buyers should you place your property on the market.

Personalization is wonderful for a home but avoid changing fixtures that would only cater to a very small market. Customization can also be achieved with accessories or inexpensive designs that a future buyer wouldn’t be hassled with changing.

2. Changing a Bedroom into a Wardrobe, Office, or Gym

Bedrooms are valued by buyers because it gives them options especially when it comes to raising a family or having guests over. Property research has shown that more people would prefer a smaller bedroom rather than sacrifice it for a large walk-in closet, office, or gym. This is important for 2 or 3 bedroom homes because these properties don’t offer extra space to add a bedroom unless a major renovation is undertaken. If the room can be easily changed back into a bedroom and buyers can see this, it will make your life easier without compromising the value of your property.

3. Updating Kitchen Appliances

This is a tricky one. While buyers are certainly impressed by new equipment in the kitchen, replacing every appliance prior to selling is costly and not always necessary. The items you purchase may not always be to the liking of buyers and it will cost you more than what your return would be. It is better to weigh the costs of redoing the kitchen yourself and whether your house will sell at the desired price, or you could sell it as is and allow buyers to perform their own upgrades.

4. Unusual Paint Colors

You love canary yellow, tangerine, or perhaps a black feature wall in the bedroom but these colors can certainly put buyers off! You may think, well if I have a nice house, the new people can paint in their choice of color; however, initial impressions when walking into a home are often lasting impressions. If buyers feel negative about the space simply because of an odd color on the walls, you’ll struggle to sell.

The best tip is to repaint the walls if you plan on selling your house. Change bright hues into neutral shades. This will make your home more appealing to a broader seller market.

5. Replacing the Bath with a Shower

Showers are convenient, modern, and save space but if you remove the bathroom and only install a shower, it could devalue the home. Buyers often include families and not having a single tub in the house could be a problem. The cost to install a bath for new buyers may not justify the purchase price and you may find you’d have to significantly drop the market price.

6. Ask an Expert

If you are thinking about selling your home but you aren’t sure how to maximize its value, speak to your local real estate agent. They can perform a walkthrough of the house and advise on what clients are looking for, where to add value, and how to get the best return for your property. Additions such as extra storage, easy maintenance, and open plan living are in demand. If you do have some odd décor and you want to sell your house, think about making some minor changes for the best price.