5 Projects to Avoid When Selling

by Robby Monk for Exovations

Photo courtesy of Exovations

When it comes to home improvement, every homeowner wants their home to look good, function well and add value.  If just one of the three listed isn’t accomplished, then you could be left with a home improvement project that fails to live up to the intended result.  Below are five home improvement projects you may want to reconsider. Turning your garage into a family room We have all seen it.  A buyer walks into a beautiful home and everything inside the home meets their specific need – except for not having a garage.  One of the biggest mistake homeowners make is turning their garage into a family room.  Garages are often expected.  If you remove the garage, then your pool of buyers drops significantly.  Even if you aren’t looking to sell anytime soon, the time will come and you will be left with a great deal of regret from having made this costly decision. Excessive landscaping Curb appeal is important.  A well landscaped yard can often lead to greater interest in a home that is on the market than a similar home with no landscaping.  However it is important to remember that “less is often times, more”.  Excessive landscaping to potential buyers can look like too much maintenance. Although landscaping is important, it just as important to know when to stop and maintain what you have. Converting a bedroom Unlike landscaping, when it comes to bedrooms, “more is more”.  Understandably there are times when a bedroom can be turned into either a home office or even a closet, but when a homeowner is looking to sell, the best thing they can do is turn the bedroom back into its intended use – a bedroom.  Buyers don’t want to envision too much.  They want to see a home for what it was intended for. Adding a swimming pool Swimming pools can be fun.  They can also require a ton of cost and maintenance.  Swimming pools are considered more of a liability than an asset for buyers. Being too personal Extreme design tastes, although pleasing for certain individuals, don’t always translate to buyers.  It is perfectly acceptable to turn your home into a theme of your choice, but know that when your home is on the market and prospective buyers are looking, they don’t want to necessarily see your infatuation with Morocco and the marble tile you have put down throughout the home.  Instead, invest in making your home more neutral.  Prospective buyers don’t like surprises and want to visualize how their furniture will fit into the home.  If they can’t get past your extreme design flair, then they buyer may be thinking about the next home before they even leave yours. Robby Monk works with Exovations, an award-winning home improvement and remodeling contractor that specializes in home siding, windows and decks to name a few.  Learn more by visiting Exovations at www.exovations.com.