Many people believe that renovating your home will add value to your property. As lovely as the changes may look, experts claim certain upgrades can actually do the opposite to your home’s worth.
A lot of home renovations are done to suite people’s individual tastes, which means they don’t always add value when your selling your property.
This can affect the amount of people who are interested in viewing your home as well as the pricer buyers are willing to pay for it.
An industry expert has now told of the specific design trends that ‘don’t add value at all’.
Thomas Goodman from MyJobQuote.co.uk has compiled a list of DIY jobs homeowners should steer clear of, reports the Express.
1. Creating an open-plan living space
The allure of open-plan living spaces in UK homes has lessened, and they no longer represent the most effective means of boosting house value. The specialist points out that converting to an open-plan layout “won’t add much value, if anything” and “can actually devalue it.”
Such layouts can also complicate the need for privacy, especially for families with children or pets. Open-plan designs can also amplify noise levels, potentially putting off prospective purchasers.
Thomas notes: “This can be a turn-off for potential buyers, who may prefer separate rooms for different activities.”
2. Opting for an all-white colour scheme
Choosing an all-white paint scheme for your home might seem like a smart move, as it can brighten up the space and create a clean, fresh look. However, painting your entire home white “won’t add value to your home” and could even “reduce the value” if the colour doesn’t appeal to potential buyers.
Some buyers may prefer a more traditional colour palette, such as beige or brown, which could significantly influence how they perceive the space, says Thomas.
3. Adding in a walk-in wardrobe
Transforming a spare room into a fitted walk-in wardrobe might be your idea of heaven, but not everyone shares that dream. Many potential buyers would rather see the room as a blank canvas, free to adapt it to their needs, instead of being limited by a permanent fixture.
Walk-in wardrobes are not only expensive to install, but you’re also unlikely to recoup the cost when selling. They take up valuable space that could be used differently, which Thomas says can be “a real turn-off for buyers” who might view the lack of flexibility negatively.
4. Using expensive wallpaper
While some homeowners believe that adding expensive wallpaper can enhance the attractiveness of their home and its value, this is often not the case. Thomas points out that, regrettably adding expensive wallpaper “won’t add value to the home”.
He elaborated: “For starters, wallpaper is often chosen for its personal appeal, and while it may seem appealing to you, it may not be to the taste of everyone.
“Expensive wallpaper will also be subject to what is trending. This means that it could become outdated very quickly. If your wallpaper is no longer in style, this could even reduce the value of your property.”
Wallpaper can also be quite challenging to remove. This can make it costly to remove or change in the future, and, for this reason, “potential buyers may be put off” as they won’t want to put in extra effort to take off the wallpaper.
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