5 Home Upgrades That Can Hurt Your Home’s Value, According to Experts
Written by
G. Brian Davis
Edited by
Jenna Klaverweiden
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One owner’s home improvement is often another owner’s headache.
Modifications that shrink the potential buyer pool or create extra work for future owners tend to reduce the value of your home. Watch out for these home “upgrades” that can actually hurt your home’s resale value.
1. Over-Personalization
Your daughter may have squealed with delight when she saw the new bubblegum pink paint in her room, but homebuyers won’t.
“Most buyers just see the cost of undoing over-personalizations such as bold themed rooms, ultra-specific designs or specialty materials,” explained general contractor Jeri Goodkin Dausey of SBCFL.com.
2. High-Maintenance Features
Any modifications that add recurring work or maintenance can turn off buyers. If it adds to the cost or headaches of owning the home, buyers discount their offer price to compensate.
“Elaborate landscaping, oversized decks, hot tubs or pools in the wrong market segment can all turn off buyers,” Dausey said.
3. Reduction in Bedrooms
Buyers pay for bedroom and bathroom count. Converting a bedroom into a walk-in closet might suit your shoe collection, but it certainly won’t help your home’s resale price.
Irena Martincevic analyzes real estate trends for Fixr.com and highlighted this mistake in particular. “Expanding a primary suite by removing a bedroom is one of the most costly mistakes a homeowner can make. It significantly reduces the pool of potential buyers and, as a result, the property’s overall value,” she said.
4. Garage Conversions
Some homeowners convert their garage into a bonus room or gym, thinking every other buyer will share their enthusiasm for it. They may be in for a rude awakening when it comes time to sell.
“Garage storage ranks among buyers’ top priorities, so when the space loses its original function — particularly if the door is removed — you lose one of the home’s most practical and widely valued features,” Martincevic said.
5. Wall-to-Wall Carpeting
Likewise, some homeowners install wall-to-wall carpeting under the assumption that it helps the home’s value. It often does the opposite.
Carpet traps allergens and odors, even after repeated cleaning. “In our experience, homes with carpet sell for 1%-3% lower than comparable homes with hard flooring finishes,” explained Richie David, CEO of Totally Home Furniture. “Even new neutral carpet can make buyers wonder if the homeowner is trying to hide damage to the subflooring or other issues.”
Buyers want to make homes their own. Think twice before any home upgrades that many buyers will want to simply redo in their own taste.
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