Even in the area of 
home improvements, there can be too much of a good thing. If your goal is to increase the value of your home, then some improvements are better than others. Keep these tips for home improvements in mind when you’re remodeling:
Choose popular but conservative projects.
The home improvements most valued by buyers are those made to the kitchen and the bathroom. In these rooms, you may want to:
- Upgrade the look
- Replace appliances with the latest energy-efficient models
- Add another bathroom for enhanced convenience for residents and guests
- Add functional living space (turn the attic or basement into new rooms)
- Replace windows
- Take care of basic cosmetic, structural and mechanical issues.
- Don’t price yourself out of your neighborhood.
There are also some renovations you likely will want to avoid. Don’t use unusual paint colors or add extra-fancy features. They may turn people off, and cause them view your home as a less attractive option.
What feature is definitely too much? A swimming pool. Unless you live in Florida, most buyers see a pool as too much maintenance and too much liability. Elaborate landscaping can discourage a sale, too.
Your neighborhood is a good yardstick for determining the standard. It’s not a good idea to keep making improvements until the effective value of your home outpaces the median price for the neighborhood. Homes that appear to be overpriced – even if they really aren’t – are a tougher sell.
Be prepared for one more fact of remodeling: in most cases, the return on your improvement investment will not always be the amount you put into the project. A $10,000 kitchen upgrade, for example, does not always mean that the value of your home has increased by $10,000.
Renovating a home can be an exciting process. These home improvement tips will make your projects successful. Want to learn more about financing a remodeling project? Visit Horizon Bank’s Mortgage Center.