Things to Know About 10 Risky Home Improvements

| March 2, 2013

Hot tub at Big White Ski Resort, Canada.

Constructing a fancy basement, installing hardwood floor, decorating your interior, these are some of the home improvements that most household do in order to “personalize” their home experience, and make it comfortable for them. However, will the upgrade be an asset, or a liability? If one decides to sell the house, will all the improvements made to the house be of value, or will it just deter potential buyers?

If you consider your home to be an investment, you should be mindful of all the improvements that you build to your house, so that its resale value should be high.

Improvements Purely For Hobbyists

A home improvement dedicated only to fulfill a person’s hobbies, is not an improvement at all. Not everyone extensively plays tennis, bowling, or other sports in their backyard, and not everyone certainly appreciates having a large aquarium on the walls of their future home. In general, avoid making these upgrades if you think that you won’t be admiring them in the future.

Backyard Pools & Tubs

A pool installation may be a good idea for house parties and such, but as an investment, it will only yield a poor return. Some buyers simply do not want a pool, or even a hot tub, in their house because of the costs of maintenance. Therefore, it’s best if you avoid them altogether.

DIY Repairs & Legality

All planned upgrades that the household intends to do, it should be done in a legal manner. Get a permit from your local Building Inspections Department, and get yourself some professional help, to ensure maximum safety and reliability of your improvements. Remember, your integrity to the future buyers is very important.

Being Unique Does Not Help

Don’t be too outrageous on your upgrades. Instead, keep it as minimal and sensible as possible. Most people don’t need a huge garage space, or a home office, for their house.

Minimalist Interior

Similarly, keep the interior design of the house to a minimum. Don’t install ornate chandeliers, patterned wallpapers, and fancy paneling. Instead, try to keep the inside of the house as neutral as possible.

Floor Plan Changes

Stick with the original design of the house. Any floor plan improvements that you have should be proportionate to the scale of the house, so that it should not look “forced”. For example, don’t convert a Master’s Bedroom into two separate rooms using a divider.

Follow the Standards

Always remember that whatever upgrade that you plan, you should always keep in mind the minimum standards that an average person expects. There’s no use remodeling the kitchen into something fancy, if an oven is not installed prior.

Fancy Countertops & Floors

There’s nothing wrong with changing the material of the floors and countertops to something fancy, like marble. Nevertheless, your neighbors probably don’t have those. It’s best that your improvements be in tune with your neighbors, so that it will be more attractive to future buyers.

Contrasting Styles

If your house looks simple, then your improvements should match the overall style of your house. A fancy granite countertop is not worth it if it makes the rest of the kitchen look inferior.

Recommendations

A recommended home improvement that is worth your money would be a proper remodeling of the kitchen and the bathroom, as it can yield a good investment return amount.

Adding decks to your household is also a good investment. Moreover, upgrades that focus on safety and energy efficiency, while still requiring low maintenance, are good ideas for home improvement.

Author Bio:

John Lewis is financial lead at “http://www.fundinggrants.com.au/”; Funding Grants is Private Funded Company, who provides grants Australia-Wide to both business and individuals. It specializes in fast finance lending mainly using online services which is faster easier and safer.

 

 

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Category: Home Improvements

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