9 Renovation Decisions That Rarely Pay Off In The Long Run
Have you ever seen a trendy renovation idea and thought, “That would be perfect for my home”, only to realize later it didn’t add much value?
While some upgrades boost comfort and resale potential, others can cost more than they’re worth in the long run. Knowing which projects to think twice about can save you money, time, and regret down the road.
In this article, we’ll look at nine renovation decisions that rarely pay off and what to consider instead. Renovation outcomes vary based on location, market trends, and individual home conditions.
1. Luxurious Swimming Pools
Ever dreamed of hosting poolside parties in your backyard oasis? The reality often involves thousands in maintenance costs and only partial value recovery at sale time.
Swimming pools typically return just 7% of their installation cost when you sell your home. Plus, many buyers see them as maintenance nightmares rather than luxuries, especially in regions with shorter swim seasons.
2. Overly Customized Kitchens
How tempting to design that ultra-specialized kitchen with the built-in espresso station and wine refrigerator! Your personal touches might actually turn away potential buyers.
Kitchen renovations should focus on universal appeal rather than niche preferences. Those purple cabinets and industrial-grade appliances might bring you joy, but they’ll likely become renovation targets for new owners who don’t share your culinary obsessions.
3. Home Office Conversions
Working from home might justify converting that spare bedroom into a sleek office space. However, permanently removing a bedroom reduces your home’s marketability instantly.
Home offices rank among the poorest returning renovations, recovering only about 45% of their cost. Most buyers would rather have the flexibility of an extra bedroom they can use however they choose, not your built-in desk systems and custom shelving.
4. Garage Conversions
Where will you put that extra family room? Converting your garage might seem like easy square footage, but it’s a renovation that typically returns less than 60% of its cost.
Garage conversions remove something most buyers consider essential, protected parking and storage space. In many markets, homes without garages sell for significantly less than comparable properties with intact garage space, making this a particularly poor investment.
5. High-End Bathroom Fixtures
Are those gold-plated faucets and steam showers calling your name? Bathroom renovations with luxury fixtures typically recover only about 50-60% of their installation costs.
Bathroom upgrades should focus on clean, modern aesthetics rather than extravagance. Most buyers won’t pay extra for your rainfall showerhead that required special plumbing or that whirlpool tub that’s expensive to operate and maintain.
6. Built-In Electronics
Though that integrated home theater system with built-in speakers throughout the house sounds amazing, technology becomes outdated faster than almost anything else in your home.
Built-in electronics typically recover less than 30% of their installation cost. What seems cutting-edge today will look dated in five years.
Buyers generally prefer to install their own updated systems rather than inheriting your obsolete technology, no matter how expensive it was initially.
7. DIY Structural Changes
When watching renovation shows makes knocking down walls look easy, amateur structural changes can create expensive nightmares. DIY structural modifications often fail inspections and scare away potential buyers.
Structural renovations need professional engineering and proper permits. Those load-bearing walls you removed without consultation or that bedroom addition built without permits become serious liabilities during home inspections, potentially derailing sales or forcing significant price reductions.
8. Sunroom Additions
This glass-enclosed retreat sounds magical for enjoying nature year-round. Unfortunately, sunrooms typically recoup less than 50% of their considerable construction costs when selling.
Sunrooms often become energy efficiency nightmares, causing heating and cooling bills to skyrocket. They’re also frequently built with lesser quality materials than the main house, leading to maintenance headaches and potential moisture problems that savvy buyers immediately recognize.
9. Elaborate Landscaping
Though a perfectly manicured English garden or koi pond might bring you joy, most buyers see high-maintenance landscaping and immediately calculate the upkeep costs.
Elaborate landscaping typically recovers only about 35% of its installation cost. Those exotic plants requiring special care and water features needing constant maintenance become liabilities rather than assets.
Buyers generally prefer simple, attractive landscaping they can easily maintain.
