They say the home is where the heart is, and this is true for many families. It’s a source of pride and a place to enjoy quality time. But, it’s also an investment, which means any home improvements or home renovations should be well thought out. Consider if the changes will add value to the home or take away from it. Just because you think something is improving the home, a future buyer may feel a different way. Before starting any home renovations, here is a list with a few to avoid to ensure the value of your home remains high.  

Home renovations: odd paint choice or too much wallpaper

We’ve mentioned the pros and cons of paint and wallpaper choices, and how they can make or break the interior design. The choices you make for home improvements can also change the perceived value of the home. For example, wallpaper with its textures and patterns requires a very specific taste and might be overwhelming to buyers. Wallpaper is also hard to remove. Consider how long you will be living in the home before going all-in with the wallpaper. Similarly, some paints are harder to remove than others. Neutral colors are always classic choices and can easily painted over. Dark colors often need separate coats of paint.

Home renovations: elaborate light fixtures

Whether mounted outside the home or hanging from the dining room, don’t go too crazy with lavish light fixtures. You don’t need to pick the most exciting or extraordinary fixture in the lighting store. Sometimes a more subtle, yet functional piece better complements the overall appearance.  Remember that lightning trends come and go and can look very outdated very quickly. Try to keep it simple when it comes to these types of home renovations.

Home renovations: texture on the walls and ceilings

As with wallpaper, textures on walls and ceilings are often just fads and can be difficult to remove. Additionally, adding this style of home renovations to any room can be a time-consuming project that will eventually decrease the home’s value. Think twice about adding fancy textured painting or popcorn ceilings to your décor.

Home renovations: quirky or excess tiling

If you over personalize with your home renovations, they are going to be dear to you, but not so much to someone else. The effort and money that comes in replacing quirky tile, can decrease the value of your home. As we’ve mentioned, many buyers like to upgrade the floors throughout their home. Adding wood or tile are two such improvements, unless you’re the type of person that wants a 1950s diner look in your kitchen. Home décor such as that may look cool, but they effect the resale value of your home. Most buyers will see it is as something they will have to spend time and money to rip out.

Home renovations: Over carpeting your home

Surprisingly enough, new hardwoods can increase the value of your home by upwards of 2.5 percent. Unlike laminate or hardwood floors, carpet can show a great deal of damage. Additionally, carpet colors and texture are often very personal preferences.

Home renovations: knocking out or adding walls

While you may want to combine two small bedrooms to create a larger bedroom when the kids leave for college, it’s not a good idea. If you don’t plan on staying in the home forever, cutting out an entire room significantly lowers the price of your home. Similarly, adding a new wall or room or altering the number of bedrooms of the original home may not be appealing to new buyers. Instead opt for simple tricks to make the rooms look bigger. The same goes with removing closets to make a room bigger. Doing so can hurt the home’s resale value.

Home renovations: adding a swimming pool or hot tub

This may come as a surprise but adding a swimming pool or hot tub is not the best way to improve the value of your home. The problem with pools is that usually the only buyers that want them are families with children of a certain age range. Both a pool and a hot tub require a lot of work to maintain and some home buyers aren’t ready for the extra responsibility.

Home renovations: the wrong landscape

We’ve mentioned the best exterior flooring options, which should help you add value to your home the right way. But you’ll also want to consider the trees you plant, bushes, and anything decorating the outside of your home. Costly landscaping doesn’t always increase the value of your home, sometimes it decreases when it comes to appearance and the maintenance required.  Keep your gardens beautiful with simple decorations so they are easy to maintain or effortless to remove.

If you have any questions about home renovations or are ready to get started, give a Fairmarket contractor a call. Our professional and licensed contractors will help you make the right choices that increase the value of your home.