4 Home Upgrades To Avoid and 5 That Are Worth It, According to Rachel Cruze
Written by
Angela Mae Watson
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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Owning a house already comes with a great many expenses, including upgrades. You might want to expand your kitchen or install new bathroom tile. You might even be thinking about putting in an in-ground swimming pool.
Home upgrades can cost some serious money. According to a YouTube video by money expert Rachel Cruze, some are worth it. Others? Not so much. Before you do anything, make sure it’s worth the trouble (and money).
4 Home Upgrades To Avoid
According to Cruze, these are four home upgrades you should avoid.
- Over-customization: If you plan to sell one day, avoid adding too many big, loud touches to your home. This includes things like unique wall paintings or murals, highly intricate tile, funky light features and bold paint colors.
- Removing a bedroom: Adding a bedroom has up to a 75% ROI, but getting rid of one can decrease your home’s value. Reconsider before knocking down a wall to make two smaller bedrooms into one big one.
- Removing multiple bathroom types: Adding a bathroom comes with up to a 67% ROI. But getting rid of one or limiting your home to one type (say, full baths only), can lead to buyer disinterest. That’s because many people like the variety — for themselves, their kids and their guests.
- Swimming pool addition: You might love the idea of having a swimming pool, but be prepared not to get your money’s worth. A new in-ground pool costs an average of $65,500, but the average ROI is only 7% to 8%. Cruze calls this a “money pit.”
5 Home Upgrades Worth Investing In
Cruze also mentioned these five cost-effective home upgrades that might be worth investing in.
- Kitchen and bath: These are major areas in the home, so even updating your flooring or appliances can increase your home’s value. The average ROI for a full remodel is 96% (kitchen) or 72.7% (bath).
- Neutral tile and hardwood floors: If you want to increase your home’s value, update your floors. The average ROI on new wood floors is 118%, with refinished hardwood floors having an ROI closer to 147%.
- New carpet: If new flooring is too expensive but you want to sell, consider swapping out the old carpet for something new. It’ll likely attract more prospects.
- New garage door: Installing a new garage door might not be first on your list of remodeling projects, but it can seriously increase your home’s value. The average ROI is 194%.
- Landscaping: Curb appeal is key when attracting new buyers, so spend a little money on updating your landscaping. If you don’t have a huge budget, you can do this yourself. Pull some weeds, splash on a new coat of paint, fill in any dead grassy patches and keep the exterior looking clean. Typical ROIs for home exterior projects are 40% to 150%.
Editor’s note: Any return on investment (ROI) amounts were sourced from Angi data.
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