There is no doubt that Americans go a bit crazy when it comes to home renovation mistakes to avoid. In a way, the culture of DIY has become somewhat of a norm. Many people are still stuck at home on a daily basis due to COVID-19, meaning people are looking for projects that they can do at home to keep themselves busy. Since March of 2020, 3 out of 5 American homeowners have taken on home improvement projects, spending an average of $6,500.
However, just because you have improvement coming around the bend, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they will increase the value of your home or increase buyer interest. Before you ever renovate your home, you need to consider the ROI.
Here are the top home renovation mistakes to avoid if you are selling your home in Seattle.
Focusing Solely on Bathrooms or Kitchens
When a home is outdated, remodeling a bathroom or kitchen can have a huge impact. A bathroom remodel, on average, will set you back about $10,000, while a full-fledged kitchen remodel might cost you around $22,000. You may want to first start by looking at other rooms and outdoor spaces to see what needs fixing before you hit your bathroom and kitchen to make sure you don’t spend your entire budget on those two rooms.
When it comes to remodeling your bathroom or kitchen, you may want to scale back on extremely high-end furnishings or materials. Incredibly high-end remodels probably won’t give you the most bang for your buck in the long run.
Extensive Outdoor Landscaping
A rose garden, a koi pond, or a waterfall, are just a few examples of outdoor renovations that are sure to wow just about any buyer, though they won’t necessarily add any value to the sale of your home. In many ways, these renovations can backfire, scaring any prospective buyers due to the upkeep these things require.
We recommended keeping the landscaping minimal if you can. Consider the climate you live in. The local climate should dictate your ultimate design. A desert location, such as Nevada or Arizona, might require desert landscaping, as it wouldn’t be practical to put in a bunch of plants that require constant water.
Plus, people like to change landscaping once they live in a home, meaning it might be best for you to keep it simple in preparation for those changes.
Combining Rooms
Yes, people love open-floor plans these days. However, if you’re thinking of knocking down a wall to connect two rooms, know that it is probably not worth your effort or time to do so. This is especially true if you don’t plan on living in your home for a very long time.
A smaller bedroom can add a fair amount of value to a home. A home with one more room in it typically shoots up in value by 15%. If you change a four-bedroom to a three-bedroom home, for example, you can decrease the value of your home by a surprising amount.
Combining rooms also reduces the amount of buyers who look at your home. A potential buyer may search up four-bedroom homes while completely ignoring three-bedroom homes. A better idea would be for you to use strategic staging and lighter colors to give your home the impression of larger size.