In this installment on home improvements we will look deeper into improvements that homeowners make that add no value to their home. If a homeowner is thinking of selling in the next two to five years they should relay evaluate the reasoning for the following home improvements as they do not add any value to the equity of the home.

Homeowners want to believe by installing an in-ground pool they are increasing the value of their property. An in-ground pool is a pricy endeavor. You have to pay for the pool to be created, a safety fence installed and the maintenance to upkeep the pool throughout the season. Not to mention opening and closing the pool each year. Stay away from installing a pool if you can avoid it. A pool limits the marketability of your home. Think about it, most people with young children are fearful of pools for the fact that drowning is a top accident among young children. Seniors are really interested in the upkeep of a pool leaving your home to be marketed to families with pre-teens and teens. The money you put into the pool will never be recouped in the sale of your home. This improvement will always be at a loss to the homeowner.

Homes without a garage or a small garage your home is at a disadvantage when it comes to its sale. If you live in a condo or retirement home you can sometimes get away without a garage but a home in a neighborhood without at least a two car garage your home is far less appealing to sellers than one with a garage.

If the floor plan in your home has little rhyme or reason, it will be more difficult to sell your home. Large, open floor plans have an appeal to buyers. Home with small bathrooms and bedrooms along with a floor plan that requires you to access bedrooms or bathrooms through another room really detract most buyers. The flow of the home should be one that makes sense. The kitchen should connect to the dining room and if possible a laundry room should be off of this area as well. Living rooms should share a space with dens and studies. Bedrooms should have access to bathrooms and avoid being in the space near the living room, kitchen area or dining room.

Another major eye sore are homes that are overly personalized. Buyers are looking to see themselves and their belongings in the space. All realtors will ask sellers to remove the personal touches within their homes to increase the marketability of the home. If you love bright colors by all means paint and enjoy bright décor knowing that when it comes time to sell you will be investing in neutral paint and décor to stage your home.

Maintenance is another turn off to home buyers. It is important that your home is well maintained. The last thing that is appealing to home buyers is requiring a lot of work to be done before the home is livable. Keep up on your home. Fix light fixtures, maintain cleanliness and do general upkeep as needed. Keep your home fresh, updated and clean when you list it. A home that looks to be taken care of is far more attractive to buyers than a home that requires a tin of work just to move in. Plus it gives buyers the impression that they will run into issues as they go because of poor upkeep and a lack of maintenance.

All home improvements that are done to your home should be thoroughly considered before they are done. If you love color, by all means paint but do so knowing that is money that is wasted as you will need to repaint to attract most buyers and to get top dollar for your home. If you can’t live without a pool, install one. Be prepared however when going to market the home for sale that it is not necessarily a feature that home buyers will be thrilled about. They are purchasing a home that requires early maintenance throughout the summer. This is not appealing to all home buyers and could possibly be seen as a burden. This would decrease the appeal and therefore some buyers would actually offer a price far less than asking as they will either want to fill in the area of need to plan for the extra expense of maintenance.

Lady of the Lakes Real Estate is Livingston County’s premiere realtor; out of Pinckney, Michigan helping buyers buy and sellers sell homes that provide a recreational lifestyle including golf courses, lakes and the Huron river chain of lakes, throughout Brighton, Howell, Pinckney and the surrounding area. Find out more at http://www.ladyofthelakes.com.