Home improvements that could devalue your property

Home improvements could freshen up a tired-looking property – but beware! Some home improvements could devalue your home. Rather than giving a property a fresh look, some DIY projects may mean you need to send out an SOS.

These tips should help you avoid making costly mistakes – saving you a lot of time in the process.

Unusual decor

Adding crazy wallpaper that’s to your taste might give others a headache!

Everyone loves a blank canvas because they can imagine living in your home more easily. If the walls need flowery paper stripping or dark colours removing, a potential buyer just sees it as needing extra money spending on it. And they’ll want to do it straight away.

This means they’ll be reluctant to pay the asking price because they’ll be thinking about funds for redecorating. They want simplicity and ease, so be careful with your decor choices and be as neutral and simple as possible.

Textured walls

Ceilings and walls with texture were the in thing for many years. Remember swirly Artex ceilings? They were trendy back then, but these days, we all want smooth and simple. It makes it much easier to personalise a room!

The prospect of plastering walls can seem too much for some buyers. If they can’t plaster, they’ll just see it all as a cost to shell out from day one! Also, there is the problem of waiting to get a plasterer in to help.

Adding solar panels

Installing solar panels can be costly, and research shows that when homeowners put their properties on the market the return on their investment is usually 0 per cent!

Now, that doesn’t mean to say solar panels are worthless. But you should definitely give serious thought to the reasons why you are installing them before you go ahead.

Some buyers can’t stand the look of them and will actively avoid homes with them in place. They can also worry about future maintenance costs. So, if you are thinking of shelling out on an eco-friendly improvement, remember solar panels are not always the brightest idea!

New kitchens

It’s said that kitchens sell houses – but that’s not always the case. Putting in a brand, spanking new kitchen with state of the art equipment sounds a no-brainer. But it’s not always cost effective.

Your new buyer might not want the same appliances as you, so think hard before you spend too much cash on a new kitchen – even if it does look beautiful to you! So spending a fortune on a fancy kitchen may mean you don’t see a return on that investment. Again, like decor, keep it simple. The more you depersonalise your home before selling, the better chance of a quick sale that meets the asking prices.

Removing a bedroom

Losing a bedroom can be one of the most expensive mistakes a homeowner makes. Think long and hard before going ahead with this one – it’s possibly the primary thing buyers are looking for, and if you lose a room, you could dramatically reduce your potential buyers.

Many people see bedrooms there you use as an office as being too small to be considered a bedroom. So buy a cheap bed for around £100 to demonstrate that it can accommodate a bed. It will be a wise investment. If your home has four bedrooms, you’re more likely to achieve the asking price than if it’s seen as a three-bedroom property with a small study!

The team at Jill Moore Select Properties is always on hand to offer advice. So contact us today for a no obligation chat.