3 Renovation Mistakes That Decrease a Home’s Value

You want your flip house to be as impressive as possible to potential homebuyers. You want to pull out all of the stops—within budget, of course. However there are certain missteps in a renovation that can lessen the value of your home. Here are three to avoid.

Letting Your Personal Tastes Dominate the Design 

While you may have a good eye for creating cohesive designs among countertops, tile, flooring and paint in your flip, be careful not to venture from mass appeal to over-personalization.

Emerald green cabinets with gold hardware may be a beautiful and dramatic look for a kitchen, but this bold and very specific look may alienate a majority of buyers who don’t love the color—or even like it.

When it comes to elements like tile, patterned wallpaper, and carpet, avoid overly unique designs that will likely require an acquired taste to appreciate.

The bottom line is that when potential buyers tour your flip they want to be able to envision themselves living in the house, and not visit a property that’s already committed to a very specific vision. In that instance all they’ll see are dollar signs for all of the projects they’ll need to perform to make the home their own.

Taking On Projects You Can’t Handle

While there may be certain projects in a flip that you can perform yourself, be sure that you can do a thorough and polished job. Taking on more than you can handle may result in a shabby appearance that reads DIY, and is easily spotted by buyers. Once they see one sloppy job they’ll be suspicious of more–but can you blame them?   

And definitely avoid trying your hand at work that should be performed by a certified professional, like plumbing and electrical.

Overzealous Curb Appeal

Great curb appeal can make the difference between a potential buyer doing a rolling stop past your flip, and stopping to inquire further. While you want your curb appeal to impress buyers, do your best to avoid elaborate landscapes.

Intricate designs that require lots of maintenance can intimidate buyers who don’t have a green thumb. A clean and simple landscape is often the best way to go. A trimmed green lawn, fresh mulch, and well-placed flowers can let buyers know that the property is well cared for, and that there’s plenty of room to add their own personal touches.