Upgrades to Avoid if You Intend to Sell
If you are think you might sell your home at some point in the future, you may want to consider investing in renovations or additions to your home that will help you get a better price when you sell. But be cautious–sometimes real estate agents might make suggestions for improvements that won’t add value to your home like you think they would.
Upgrades to Avoid
Hot tubs, swimming pools, and fancy pizza ovens
The main thing is these features may only appeal to certain buyers, and it would be difficult to locate the exact buyer right at the moment when you want them. Morever, these additions take a lot of work and maintenance to keep working at their best, and the last thing a potential buyer wants to think about the extra hours they will spend every summer de-scumming the pool bottom.
Kitchens and bathrooms
These are two of the most expensive areas in your home that you could ever think about overhauling. Do not do this in advance of your move, because there is a high chance that you will not come anywhere close to recouping your costs when you sell. Instead, focus on tidying up, decluttering, and come up with inexpensive ways to make your spaces more attractive. For your bathroom, you can get a professional cleaner to tend to the shower glass and grout. You can replace the mirror and towel racks. You can bring in some new accessories and fixtures. For your kitchen, you can upgrade the flooring, replace the handles on the cupboards, and get a professional to deep clean the appliances and countertops.
Bright colored paint and fittings
Your idea of a pretty paint color may not be someone else’s cup of tea, and it is best to choose a neutral tone when you spruce up the walls. The same goes for the carpet. Instead of going whole hog and replacing the whole kit and caboodle, hire a professional carpet cleaning crew instead. Only replace the carpet if there is no hope of making it presentable enough for showing to a potential buyer.
DON’T TOUCH THE WALLS!
I mean, you can touch them to do the painting. We really mean don’t knock around on the walls, and don’t knock out the walls. By all means, feel free to point out the possibilities of alterations to your potential buyers, but leave the big decisions like that up to them.
Exterior impressions
Painting or re-shingling your roof might not be a great idea, because your buyers may think you are trying to hide something. And don’t touch the foliage! Many potential buyers love greenery; it makes a home look more home-y. Also, if you are blessed to have a garage, do not convert it to a secondary living area or studio apartment. Many buyers want to use the garage for its original, intended purpose; parking on the street is less of a perk, so leave the garage alone. Obviously, tidy up and straighten up the clutter, but don’t do anything drastic.
Basically, leave the big decisions for the new owners, and do lots of little things that won’t break the bank to make your home more attractive to buyers. Most importantly: do not stress! Breathe deep, and enjoy yourself when you can. You’re on to bigger and better things!