Renovations That Could Hurt Your Property Value in Pittsburgh

There are certain home renovations that could hurt your property value in Pittsburgh instead of boosting it. While home renovations often aim to enhance the appearance, safety, and functionality of a property, they can sometimes backfire. Homeowners who undertake various renovations with the expectation of increasing their property’s value may find themselves disappointed

Read on to help you understand why some home renovations could hurt your property value in Pittsburgh. We would also discuss what to avoid when updating your home.

Common Home Renovations That Could Hurt Your Property Value In Pittsburgh

In this section, we will discuss the common home renovations that could hurt your property value in Pittsburgh.

Overly Personalized Renovations

Avoid bad home renovations such as overly personalized renovations. This is because it may not meet the preferences of every potential buyer, especially if you plan to sell your property later. For instance, if you used certain colors and patterns to update the rooms in your property, some potential buyers may not find them attractive. Why? Some potential buyers may like a simple theme with neutral colors. To be on the safer side, stick to a simple earth-tone color pallet. This would allow potential buyers to make any personalized upgrades after they’ve purchased the property.

High-Maintenance Landscaping

We all love a beautiful home with modern features, but the fact is that maintaining it can be tasking, which could deter potential buyers. Some potential buyers may not want to mow, weed, or water a large lawn.

If you have elaborate gardens, high-maintenance plants, or water features, but most of your potential buyers are busy individuals, they may not have the time to do frequent maintenance, and won’t be interested in buying the property. Rather than setting up a high-maintenance landscape, set up one that doesn’t require a lot of maintenance.

DIY Projects Gone Wrong

Most DIY home renovations are not done to an efficient level. If you are trying to fix problems in your kitchen, bathroom, or anywhere else that you’re not an expert in, it could result in a DIY project gone wrong. 

So rather than doing a DIY renovation, hire skilled professionals to fix any repairs in your home. As a homeowner, you want to boost the value of your property, not reduce it. If DIY projects fail, they can hurt your property value when potential buyers see your home with faulty repairs. You likely won’t get a fair offer for your home, rather most potential buyers would only want to buy the property at a discounted rate if they are interested.

If you take the risk of doing the renovations yourself and it ends up poorly executed, it could cost more to fix. Also, there are certain building codes and legal requirements guarding home renovations. If you don’t follow these requirements, you can face legal consequences. You may think you can bypass it but realize that most buyers have property appraisers who would discover the noncompliance during an assessment.

If you don’t have experience with home renovations, leave it for the professionals to handle so you don’t hurt your property value.

Renovating Using Inferior Materials

Some homeowners think using inferior materials to renovate their property would help them save funds for the project. This can be possible to an extent, but it may also leave them with expensive repair costs later when more repairs would be required due to the subpar renovation.

Imagine installing a low-quality HVAC system thinking it would boost your property value, only to break down a few months after installation. This would require additional repair, leading to more expenses. If low-quality materials are used for the flooring in your home, they might appear unattractive, become outdated quickly, or wear out easily. Opting for higher quality materials during renovations will ensure your property remains in excellent condition for a longer period.

Renovations That Are Too Extravagant

You might think that using luxurious materials to enhance your home’s appearance would attract potential buyers, but this isn’t always the case. Some buyers prefer a home with a simple design and may not appreciate extravagant lighting, themed rooms, bright colors, or wallpaper.

If most houses in your neighborhood lack elaborate features, potential buyers looking in that area likely won’t be interested in a property with overly lavish details.

Quick Fading Renovation Trends

Quick fading renovation trends could hurt your property value. You may decide to go for a trendy interior design, but what if it becomes outdated and no longer appeals to most potential buyers? This would hurt your property value since most potential buyers would likely not go for houses with outdated designs.

If you have an interior design in mind, consult a professional interior design company to help you determine if an interior design trend will still be trendy for years to come or fade out quickly. They can also give suggestions to help you create a great design that would last for a longer time, which would boost your home’s value.

Converting Bedrooms into Specialized Spaces

If you’re planning to use your bedroom space for something else like a gym, know that it may not be suitable for buyers planning to move in with their family or for a family residence. Every change you plan to make should appeal to the preferences of most potential buyers. Most buyers look for homes with enough rooms especially if they have a big family. If anything you want to add additional bedrooms, bathrooms, and open kitchen designs when possible. 

Removing Essential Features

If you want your home to look modern and updated, value its essential features like the garage and bathtub.

Most buyers would prefer a house with at least one bathtub and a garage. We like the idea of a bathtub in a home. With a bathtub, your potential buyers can visualize using it to relax and cool off after a stressful day.

Avoid repurposing your garage for other uses as not all buyers appreciate converting a garage into a living space. While it might seem like a unique and interesting idea it may not appeal to most potential buyers who likely need a garage for their vehicles and storage. The aim is to preserve the modern appeal of your home while maintaining its essential features

Know your Market as there are Renovations That Could Hurt Your Property Value

In short, home renovations should provide a return on investment (ROI). For example, if you spend $100,000 on hardscaping and a swimming pool, will it increase your home’s value? Similarly, will a $30,000 kitchen upgrade boost its future sale price? It’s great if you’re renovating for personal enjoyment, keep in mind that some custom changes might need to be reversed before selling your property

Home Renovations That Could Hurt Your Property Value in Pittsburgh – What To Do Today

If you’re thinking of renovating your home, think of the bigger picture. Know whether the renovations you plan to execute will boost your property value now and in years to come.

Ask around to know if certain big updates or upgrades are ideal for houses in your town. If they aren’t, they likely won’t be ideal for your property, since most buyers there won’t be looking for that kind of upgrade. We would also advise that you use good quality materials to upgrade your property and avoid doing repairs that you’re not an expert in. Hire professionals to take care of them properly.

Want to sell your home without renovating it? Contact Buys Houses today! As real estate investors, we buy houses in any condition in a fast and hassle-free process.