When we were house hunting, we looked at a handful of houses that had been partially renovated. Many sellers renovate prior to putting the home on the market because they hope to be able to get more for the house.
My preference as a buyer would be for the current owner to NOT renovate the house, and knock a bit off of the price. Frankly, I don’t want to live in a house that reflects the sellers tastes and preferences, and if it’s going to be renovated, I would like to be able to choose the finishes.
But I understand that I’m not necessarily the norm, and many people want turn-key homes.
Here are my top pet peeves when somebody renovates a home (and some that exist in our own home):
Skimping on Finishes
This is definitely number one on my list. Yes, cheap finishes are less expensive, but the last thing I want to do when I move in is pull out a brand new, laminate counter top and replace it with a real, granite counter top. It’s wasteful. So I won’t do it until the laminate counter is old and worn out, which will be much sooner than the durable granite or quartz. I’m all for quality in a home, and not quantity. You’ll have to purchase 4 of these counters to make them last as long as a granite or quartz counter.
If you are too broke to put in the real thing, then don’t do it at all.
Then again, the renovators aren’t going to have to live with it.
DIY When You Don’t Know How To DIY
Home owners: If you do not know how to install crown molding, why are you doing it? Crown molding that is improperly installed looks horrible. If you can’t paint a wall for your life, don’t even try.
I know you are just trying to get the house move-in ready and ready to show, but if you don’t know how to do the task, don’t do it. It ends up looking worse and needing to be fixed, which pulls it away from that “turn key” status. This includes painting (which most people can do, but take your time and don’t be sloppy), your roof (there’s no warranty if a weekend warrior went at it with a nailing gun), and any number of things around the home that will cause the new home owners a lot of grief and work.
Laminate Floors
Having flooring installed is incredibly easy for even the most clueless of home buyers. Pay somebody to do it! So there is no excuse, whatsoever that you should install laminate flooring in the home you are preparing to sell (well, except money, of course).
This also goes back to skimping on finishes .Yes, I know laminate is cheap. It looks cheap, too. And it sounds cheap. Just say no to laminate. If you have old, grungy carpet that you want to get rid of and can’t afford hardwood or new carpet, give the buyers a concession to put a bit toward new floors. If they want to install laminate, fine, but don’t do it for them.
Now, I’m not the norm here either. I know that. Some people love laminate. I just can’t stand it. Our house has laminate and so it will stay, because I’m not going to spend money on new floors when these ones are perfectly functional. But I don’t like them.
Putting Up Walls
We actually viewed a house when house hunting wherein the sellers actually put a wall up between the kitchen and dining rooms. Unless between bedrooms and bathrooms, walls are rarely coveted in this day and age, as open floor plans tend to be desired.
Save your money and don’t put up a wall right before selling your house!
We saw a lot more that made us cringe, from ugly wallpaper to really ridiculous fixtures (think fork and knife handles on the cupboards in the kitchen), but these things are easy to fix and it would be short-sighted of us to screen a home out based on the wallpaper. We’re very happy with our house, and the price we paid for it, but we couldn’t help but laugh at some of the things the previous owner did.
Have you made any renovation mistakes?
The realtor usually suggests improving the house for a sale!!
I’m not into decor at all, and have to admit I’d rather do less work on a house! Not opposed to doing some do-up work, though, and given the market in our city that’s going to be the most likely course.
Also, could you fix the headline for the sake of my nerdy grammar freak heart (‘you’re selling your’)? Chur.
LOL. I can’t believe I did that. Can you tell I was up late?
Haha I saw that and knew that it’d be fixed before I came to visit and read the article 🙂
This is where we’re stuck. I’m seeing a lot of houses that we like, but I’d prefer to renovate it myself so that I can get what I like instead of hating something that they just updated and then me having to pay for it!
It definitely does not pay to add quirky finishes that you like to a house right before you sell it. If any renovating is done – make sure it will appeal to the masses, not just you!
Another one I’ve seen is using shoddy paint around the walls!!
This always would just make me shake my head when we were house shopping…especially the DIY that obviously couldn’t. If I would see something like that then the house was usually out of consideration right away for me.
Do you have laminate hardwood floors?
I would also prefer to do my own remodeling rather than have the buyer do it.
I’m all about the DIY. With youtube and the internet, you don’t really have an excuse for doing a horrible job. But I do agree, if you’re not confident, don’t do it, especially if you’re rushed. Also, think about hiring a professional stager, even if just for online pics. REALLY does make a difference.
When we were looking I saw so many houses where the homeowner did DIY projects and just messed them up. They were using those renos as a selling point. In the end we went with a house that no one touched so I can go in and get it done the right way. Call in the professionals when you should, and don’t scrimp. Great tips.
Daisy, you are spot on with these tips. Doing a major renovation to SELL a home is just as likely to drive a potential buyer away as it is to draw new ones. Unless a homeowner is renovating to stay there and enjoy it for a while, they should keep renovations to a minimum. The other thing I would add is that any painting they do should be kept to light, neutral colors and if they have any any wild colors, they nshould primie it and paint it with something soft.
Poor craftsmanship from the DYI community is also a horrible mistake. When I redid our kitchen I sub’d out two things, getting rid of a wall (I’m with you on wide open spaces) and hanging the cabinets and crown molding. Could I have done it? Probably, but the contractor did a heck of a better job than I could have. BTW, I went with granite Tile Counter tops 😀
Good tips. Some things you really shouldn’t DIY, especially when you’re trying to sell a home. We recently purchased our first place and man there were a lot of bad DIY projects. Fortunately our place was beautifully finished and move in ready. We couldn’t be more happy. The previous owner really did a nice job and didn’t cut any corners.
We always prefer to do our own remodeling. That way, we can get what we want. Good tips for sellers:)
Generally, “lighten and brighten” (new paint) and declutter are your best choices – not doing any of the other stuff!
I used to think that that way, that you would sell your home faster if you renovate it first. Boy, I have never been so wrong.
When planning to sell a house, you surely want to impress potential buyers. Which is why you need to invest a little to make the house presentable.
I agree that in order to sell the house we have to do some renovations or improvements, but I think what needs to be done are the essential ones only like replacing broken tiles, leaking faucet and the likes. Never go overboard because the prospective buyer might not like your style and it will turn them off.