5 Home Improvements You Can Skip When Selling Your Home

Red for sale sign in front of house with palm trees

Posted: October 3rd, 2023

Not All Home Upgrades Are Worth the Hassle

Let’s say you’re preparing to sell your home. What’s the first step you’ll take toward that process? If you said “making my home as attractive to buyers as possible,” you’re in the majority. The way your home looks plays a critical role in the success of your home sale. If your home is clean and well-maintained with great curb appeal, it’s bound to capture potential buyers’ attention both in-person and online. But before you pick up your paintbrush and power tools, you may want to consider editing your home improvement to-do list.

While you should ensure your home is clean, well-kept, and in working order before you list it, some upgrades simply won’t give you a return on your investment. But how can you determine which home improvement tasks to skip?

How to Determine Which Tasks to Skip

As a rule of thumb, you can forego any tasks that fall under the following criteria:

It won’t affect buyers’ quality of life. If it’s not a major functional issue, and it’s not a glaring area of damage or wear and tear, you can set the task aside in favor of more pressing fixes.
You won’t recoup your expenses upon the sale of your home. If the project is a long, expensive makeover, it might not be the best project to take on right before you sell.
The project will push back your selling date significantly. If you’re on a strict timeline to get your home sold, stick to the basic repairs and upgrades. We all know that home improvement projects can quickly get out of hand in regards to both time and budget.
The project will price you out of your neighborhood. While major upgrades will assuredly increase the value of your home, boosting that number too high can make your home seem too expensive compared to others in the area.

Take a Pass on These Improvements

It’s important to note that each home is unique, so you can take on or overlook these tasks based on your home’s quirks and features. It’s a great idea to talk to a Palm Bay real estate professional to determine which improvements will give you the best ROI on your home sale. In general, however, you can probably skip the following tasks.

Major Kitchen or Bathroom Remodels

This first one may come as a surprise–after all, kitchens and bathrooms are among the most-used spaces in the home. However, today’s homebuyer is more inclined to want the opportunity to customize a kitchen to their exact specifications. What’s more, kitchen and bathroom remodeling are among the most expensive projects you can undertake. While they will improve the value of your home, you may find that you don’t totally recoup your costs through your home sale. Instead, you should make sure your appliances are in good working order, surfaces are clean and intact, and everything is fully functional and ready to use for a new homeowner.

There is an exception to this rule, however. If many of the homes in your neighborhood have completed kitchen and bathroom upgrades in recent years, leaving your kitchen outdated may mean you don’t get top dollar for your home sale, and you will need to adjust your list price accordingly. Your real estate partner can give you market insights to help you determine the best course of action.

Significant Cosmetic Upgrades

Your home doesn’t have to look like it belongs in Better Homes and Gardens to sell successfully. Sure, newer fixtures and finishes can look attractive to buyers, but they may also wind up leaving your personal aesthetic touch on the space. Potential buyers want to be able to envision their lives in this space, so try to keep things as neutral as possible. The home’s new owners can choose their own light fixtures, cabinet pulls, and switch plates to match the decor they’re bringing with them.

Lots of Landscaping

Curb appeal is important when selling your home, but that doesn’t mean you need to entirely redo your front lawn. Neatly cut grass and weed-free planters can go a long way in making your home look inviting. Don’t bother planting new trees or shrubs unless you need to replace any dead ones when you’re preparing for listing photos. Many homeowners look forward to customizing their outdoor living spaces to suit their families and lifestyles, so give them the opportunity to visualize what they want on a blank slate.

Cutting-Edge Technology

Smart home technology continues to develop at breathtaking speeds, with new systems and devices hitting the market every day. A smart home system can pique potential buyers’ interest, but there’s a good chance that an improved version of your device will be released in a year or two at most. If you haven’t already established a smart home system in your home, don’t worry about setting one up right before you sell.

Garage Conversions

You may think that additional functional space would appeal universally to buyers, but in truth, most buyers prefer to use garages for their original purposes. In fact, a garage conversion is more likely to harm your resale value, since most homeowners need a place to secure their cars and their equipment more than they need a workshop or playroom. What’s more, garage conversions can be expensive, especially if you’re trying to weatherproof and climate control your garage in Central Florida.

Stick to Basic Maintenance and Repairs

A common theme among these skippable home upgrades is the fact that they’re all extravagant. Instead of shelling out lots of cash to dazzle potential buyers, it’s best to keep it simple by repairing significant issues and making your home look presentable as it is. If you’re ready to sell your home in Palm Bay, one of Ellingson Properties team members can help you determine the best projects to help you get top dollar for your home. To learn more, call 321-750-7050 today.