Most renovation projects and upgrades to a house will increase a home’s property value, and most people will do some amount of renovation to their home when deciding to sell their house. Broken windows and chipped or rotten wood will be repaired, new paint will be applied, kitchen upgrades and new appliances are just some of the common repairs made in hopes of enticing buyers to take a second look at their home. But did you know that some renovations can actually lower your home’s property value, and send buyers running in the opposite direction?
Here are five common mistakes home owners make each day that can really have an adverse affect to getting the best price on your home.
Converting a Bedroom to….Anything Besides a Bedroom
Let’s face it, when it comes down to what home buyers are looking for, one of the top factors is how many bedrooms the house has to offer. So if you are converting a bedroom to an office or home gym, then when you are ready to sell, convert that room back into a bedroom. When viewing your home, potential home buyers will have a hard time seeing your gym or office and imagining it to be a bedroom. The same goes for closets, never ever remove a closet from a bedroom, closets make rooms into bedrooms.
Adding a Permanent Hot Tub
While many potential home buyers may get pretty excited about the idea of having their own outdoor hot tub, the concept will turn a lot of people away. Having something that can be expensive to maintain, or the thought of using someone else’s hot tub will turn a lot of people off to many of the great things that your house has to offer.
Getting a Custom Paint Job
There are lots of beautiful colors palates out there, but unfortunately what one family may love, many others will be immediately turned off. While you may love the bright yellow walls in your home, there will be some that will take one look at your walls and walk away. So instead, turn your walls into a more neutral color, one that appeals to a greater number of people, and let your potential home buyers be inspired to create their own color scheme on the walls.
Also, many parents are tempted to paint their kids rooms special colors and with huge murals on the walls, and these types of paint jobs will typically not help a potential home buyer fall in love with your home, but instead think about how much work will go into painting over your choices.
Applying Some Crazy Textures
The same concept applies to textures on your walls. When you use something outlandish and so uncommon, everyone who sees your home is going to think about the sanding and work involved with changing the texture to something a little more mainstream. So, basically, if you’re thinking of creating a textured accent wall or applying an interesting and unique texture to an entire room, think twice and go with what people are used to seeing.
Doing Too Much Landscaping
Another thing you want to stay away from is over-landscaping your yard. When landscaping is done right, it can be beautiful and really shine, but if you go too far it can really detract from your home. Instead of seeing a beautiful, blooming yard and flower beds, potential owners will see something that can be impossible for them to maintain due to time restraints, or even because of a lack of interest. So be sure not to overdo it on your outdoor work, keep it simple.
If you’re wanting to stay in your house for a long time, then by all means do what makes you happy with your house. But if you’re looking to sell your home in the near future, keep some of these tips in mind to help your home get sold quickly, and for a price that makes both you and the buyers happy.
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