Home Improvements to Avoid When Selling

There are many home improvements you can make but which ones will pay off when it is time to sell your home? RealEstateJournal.com turns the question around, giving some tips on home improvements to avoid. Here is their list of the seven deadly sins of remodeling for resale.

1. Over-expanding
   You do not want to have a home that is conspicuously largest or nicer then every other home in the neighborhood. Most additions have a negative return on investment, returning a little over 80% of their cost

2. Making your home into something it’s not
   Keep the house in character. The general architecture of the home should not be changed and any renovations should blend with the existing structure.

3. Changing a room’s function
   The most popular change I see is garages changed into family rooms. It is usually done poorly, with the driveway still going right up to some mismatched siding on the home. The article mentions that creating an office in the home will only return about 73% of the cost of the renovation.

4. Doing it yourself — when you shouldn’t
   This recommendation I can heartily endorse! I don’t want to do it myself, and now I know (another reason) why. The article asks why we don’t feel comfortable fixing our own cars, so why would we want to fix the house?” Sloppy jobs done by amateurs are easily noticed.

5. Under-budgeting
   It always costs more than you planned and takes longer than you expected. Make sure the project is done before you have to start showing the home.

6. Making unneeded renovations
   Will the renovation attract more buyers or narrow your pool of potential buyers? Focus on projects that are going to have the high rate of return, renovations such as siding, windows, kitchens, and bathrooms. Even these will not return 100% of their cost, but an outdated kitchen will dissuade potential buyers from even considering your home.

7. Neglecting maintenance
   Maintenance cannot be ‘caught-up’ when it is time to sell. Proper upkeep of the home not only prevents problems that will detract from the value of the home but with proper records can be used as a selling point.