????????Don’t Flush Your Money down the Drain on These Home Improvements

If you’re planning to renovate or upgrade your Haymarket VA home, know that not all remodeling will improve your home value.

This is especially important to note if you’re planning to make some updates with the goal of increasing your home’s resale value.

The internet is full of so many “must-do updates”, but the truth is not all of the improvements on the list can increase your home’s ROI. There are some items that are really must-do’s because your home needs to be in good condition before selling, but fixing them doesn’t really translate to additional value because these items are part of home maintenance.

Before you go redecorating your entire home, research well. If you already have some updates in mind, check if your planned improvements can boost the resale value of your home in Haymarket, or are they considered to be part of the home’s upkeep.

Thebalance.com provides you with a starter list of things that don’t do anything for your home’s value. As always, when it comes to home upgrades, consult your local Realtor®. He or she knows what buyers in your local market are looking for and can give you the best advice of top updates your home needs.

7 Things That Won’t Increase Your Home Value

Extensive Professional Landscaping

You can build an entire amusement park in your backyard and it won’t bring you big bucks upon resale. If you want to put in a waterfall that cascades down into a Koi pond, for example, do it because you enjoy the water feature, not because you’re hoping to recoup the investment. Landscaping choices are a personal preference, and all the hand-crafted bridges and unique pergolas in the world won’t dramatically boost your bottom line.

Upgrading the Utilities

Although you may have paid thousands of dollars to install copper plumbing or replace the sewer or upgrade the electrical wiring from aluminum to Romex, it’s unlikely to bring you more dollars. These types of improvements are considered maintenance – and your neighbors probably made them years before you. Of course, getting everything state-of-the-art isn’t a bad idea: In certain quarters, that’s considered standard and, without it, you could take a hit when it comes to selling. Just don’t think these upgrades let you mark up the price tag.

New Roof or HVAC

There are certainly buyers in the marketplace who appreciate a home that features a brand-new furnace or HVAC system, but they won’t pay extra for it. Ditto regarding a new roof: Replacing a roof past its average life expectancy of 30 years is considered a maintenance issue. It’s like expecting to get paid more because you swept off the front steps.

Swimming Pool and/or Personal Spa

The TV commercials for water-related improvements depict non-stop frolicking among kids in the pool (zero focus on drownings) or late-evening soirées in the hot tub sipping adult beverages. Sadly, though, the cost and expense of aquatic amenities never find its way back into your pocket. Many people will not buy a home with a swimming pool – they don’t want to deal with the upkeep or safety issues. In fact, as part of negotiations, a buyer might insist that you tear out the pool or whirlpool. If you want to install these things, do it because you will enjoy them.

Making Dated Decor Changes

You might like white appliances or white ceramic counters, for example, but young home buyers do not. Those are no longer “in.” Same thing with carpeting, unless it’s exotic and high-end – and don’t get me started on gold-toned bathroom fixtures and door hardware. Even 12-inch by 12-inch ceramic flooring has lost its appeal. The point is, don’t deliberately decorate in the latest style for resale reasons – fashion just changes too fast.

Painting Your House

Although painting is the single most cost-effective improvement you can make before selling your home, it won’t return any bang for your buck unless you do the painting yourself. Fresh coats on the exterior or interior certainly make any home more saleable, but an appraiser will not give you a credit boost because of them.

Solar Panels

Sure, the salespeople at the solar panel company tell you that installing them will enhance your home’s value, but that’s just not true. It may be an admirable thing for the environment, but solar panels do nothing for the residence’s selling price. On top of this, if you have financed the solar panels, you probably can’t sell the home without paying off the balance at closing, something that often is not disclosed.

It can be a bit devastating to find out from your realtor that the improvements you invested in, perhaps borrowed money for, not only does not improve the value of the property but, horrors, might actually detract from it. Fortunately, while most of these enhancements won’t help you turn a bigger profit, they won’t hurt, either – and they might make it easier to sell your home by giving the buyer peace of mind. Just don’t confuse peace of mind with an elevated price tag.

Read here: https://www.thebalance.com/things-dont-increase-home-value-4048933