Put down the sledgehammer and the blueprints! The truth is that most pre-sale home improvements don’t do much more than chip away at the profit margin.
DIY Disasters
These days, thanks to Pinterest and HGTV, everyone thinks they’re a DIY expert. Unfortunately, many DIYers end up causing more problems than they fix. If you’re not an expert plumber, painter, or carpenter, now is not the time to try out your skills.
Sellers should definitely avoid taking on DIY pre-sale home improvements just to save a few bucks. The math never works out in their favor.
High-Tech Mistakes
Not everyone wants a smart home. And if they do, they probably have their own brands of automation already in mind. Paying big bucks to install smart appliances and features almost never pays off. For one thing, many home buyers just aren’t interested. And for another, buy the time the sale closes, some of the tech might be obsolete!
Unnecessary Additions
When your client decides to sell their home, it’s not the best time to start thinking about add-ons and additions. Maybe they saw a TV show about turning a pool house into an income-generating guest suite. They spend thousands getting it set up, with the hopes that a buyer will share their vision. Or maybe they decide that a finished basement or attic is the cherry on top that will help them sell in record time.
Unfortunately, these harebrained pre-sale home improvements almost never pan out. If the seller is that keen to have a basement rec room or a rental property on site, they can build it at their next house. For now, leave well enough alone.
Trend Overload
When it comes to pre-sale home improvements, going too trendy is one of the worst missteps a seller can make. In fact, it’s more likely to be a waste of time and money than a selling point for potential buyers.
Installing shiplap in the bedroom or a pasta-filling tap over the stove might seem like it’d have great ROI, but sellers should stick to the motto “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Head-to-Toe Reno
The funny thing about pre-sale home improvements is that they tend to cascade. Fixing one issue uncovers another issue, which in turn leads to a third repair or update getting added to the list.
Is the home sound enough to pass inspection? Are the basic features, such as cabinets or light fixtures, in good shape and less than a decade or two old? Then the seller would be better off leaving the property as-is. Costly and time-intensive pre-sale home improvements are usually more trouble (and expense) than they’re worth.
