Home Reno 101
Thinking of starting a renovation project your home and wondering if you will recoup that money when you go to list it on the market? Here are a few that will either make or break the bank:
Liberace Light Fixtures
Switching out builder grade light fixtures is literally the first thing I want to do in any property I set foot in. That being said, a very unique light fixture or grandiose statement piece has greater odds of turning off a buyer than turning them on. If you are still in love with your grand light fixtures, pack them up for your next home and find something that will appeal to a broader pool of potential buyers.
Wallpaper Here, Wallpaper There, Wallpaper Everywhere
Look, I love wallpaper. I have it in my own house. I love that it’s making a comeback but, as with all décor, less is more. A tasteful or fun powder room is one thing, wallpaper in 50% of the house is another. If a buyer’s taste does not match yours, they are immediately imagining the process of having to remove it once they move in. Never fun and a definite turn off.
Ah, to bask in the sun.
I love sunrooms. It reminds me of my sister’s home and lazy mornings. Would I build one myself? Not in a hundred years. If built well, they are expensive and can only truly serve one purpose; thereby, narrowing the potential pool of buyers for your home. In 6 years of being in this business I can honestly say I have only had one buyer to place “sunroom” on their top 5 things they had to have in a home. My sister.
Popcorn is great at the movies and that’s about it.
I’ve removed popcorn ceilings. It is 10% satisfying to scrape off, 90% miserable to clean up and 100% WORTH IT. Popcorn ceilings or textured walls automatically date your home and are just not attractive. There are vendors who do this for a living with large triceps and weird stilts. Call them.
Bold, Bright and not so Beautiful
Your daughter had to have a hot pink room. You painted your dining room a deep Merlot in the 90’s and just never got around to changing out the paint or décor. Whatever the case, paint is the easiest and most cost effective way to update your home. It doesn’t need to be a boring grey but it does need to appeal to a broader pool of potential buyers. (See the theme?)
Uber Expensive Baths and Kitchens Renos
Update them. Make them cute. JUST DON’T GO CRAZY. Strategic reno’s will get you nearly every penny back but over the top renovations will more than likely have you eating a chunk of that investment.
Converting is for PDFs, not Bedrooms or Garages.
One huge mistake I see sellers doing is taking a perfectly good bedroom or garage and converting it to a mancave, office, or hobby room.
My stager lives and dies by this statement: “Stage a room the way Builder Bob intended and let a potential buyer figure out how they would need to use it.”
3 thoughts on conversions: 1) confusing a buyer is tantamount to killing a deal. If they walk into a bedroom that is now an office they will be instantly confused until they realize it is a bedroom and then disappointed that it is not an additional office space; 2) they will realize that the house has no room to grow into if they, do in fact, need that extra bedroom; and 3) very rarely does a converted room or garage look better than it's intended purpose.
To pool or not to pool…that is the question.
If Hell truly exists, I am fairly sure that any southerner would feel immediately at home in the heat and humidity. Our hair would look exactly the same. This is why I typically get 3-5 calls mid-summer from families that are looking for a reliable vendor to install a pool or want to find a new home with one. The return of investment on a pool is always a mix bag. Some regions quote 7% ROI, some 58%....never have I seen a 65% or higher ROI. My thoughts? If you want it and can afford it…install it…but know that it's for your own enjoyment, not to get your money back down the road or drastically increase your home’s value.
Thinking of selling in the future? Let's talk! jvantiegham@gmail.com