Selling your home is no small undertaking. Aside from the obvious cleaning and purging of unwanted or unused personal belongings, there are generally a few upgrades to be made in order to get the best price for your property. But it’s important to not go overboard, so we’ve put together a list of which seven updates that are not worth the investment, as follows:
1. Pools: Both expensive to put in and to maintain. Pools aren’t for everyone and can be a turn off to some buyers.
2. Specialty rooms: Skip the creation of a yoga, baby or game room and keep it neutral. Turning a bedroom to a specialized room makes it harder for buyers to imagine it as their own.
3. Personal Style: Style is subjective, so don’t spend on tiles, wallpaper or paint colours with loud patterns. Let the buyer soak in a blank canvas which they can personalize to their tastes.
4. Carpet: With allergies running rampant, most homebuyers prefer solid flooring, especially as carpets tend to look dirty fast and come with hygiene concerns.
5. Roofing: This does not increase the asking price, so don’t replace it unless you need to.
6. Sunrooms: According to Money Crashers, “A sunroom only recoups $486 for every $1,000 spent on construction,” making it a poor investment. Plus with limited insulation it increases heating and cooling costs.
7. High-end Appliances: Stay on par with your neighbourhood or you’ll end up with the most expensive house on the block and never recoup those costs. Keep it modern, simple and clean.
