3 Redos that aren’t worth the money
Let’s face it – walking through a home improvement warehouse can inspire you to take your home projects to a whole new level. By the time you check out of the store, that simple kitchen redo can run well into $20,000 or more. How can you keep your house project from turning into a spending spree of epic proportions? Avoid these common make-over blunders (and save yourself some cash).
1. Gourmet kitchens
A chef quality kitchen is beautiful – the cabinetry is detailed and gleaming, the rows of high level appliances wait for a master’s touch and the long stone countertops are just begging to be covered in delicious dishes. Unfortunately, the average homeowner is not a top chef (much to their family’s dismay) and will not be likely to need the ultra-expensive materials put in the kitchen. In addition, the value of a gourmet kitchen isn’t usually consistent with the rest of the home. Unless you live in a very high end neighborhood, having a pair of refrigerators, a ten burner cooking surface and a dishwasher as well as a pot washer probably won’t be necessary. Stick with high quality appliances and design a useable kitchen that fits not only the house but the rest of the neighborhood.
2. Botanical gardens
It only seems reasonable – everyone wants their home to have curb appeal, right? Why not create a lavish and lush tropical paradise, complete with water features, brick paths, darling nooks with benches and a koi pond? Once a lawn moves beyond nicely landscaped to lush and lavish, chances are good it will require more time and effort that most people will want to put into up-keeping their lawn. Spending exorbitant amounts of money on planning, plants and other garden features will intimidate the typical homeowner who can barely keep the grass watered. Spend your money making sure the lawn has a working sprinkler system and Florida friendly native plants that can tolerate the heat and dry soil.
3. Limited focus
Your family may have a movie addiction and enjoy watching videos on a big screen. Converting the living room into a personal movie theater complete with sloped floor and stadium style seating may make perfect sense for your Friday night movie nights. The next owner of the home may not appreciate the built in concession stand or the extra-large theater sized speakers mounted on the walls, however. If you want to create an area that is specialized to something you enjoy, have at it! Just keep in mind that spending thousands of dollars on something not everyone will benefit from may be impossible to recoup. Consider making your personalized features removable so you can continue to enjoy them after you move, and the appeal of the home won’t be limited to the small number of people who may like what you’ve done.
Some renovations have absolutely no value to anyone outside of your family. If you have an obsession with wine collecting, for example, and want to build a wine cellar under the kitchen, there is no reason you can’t. Your home should reflect the needs and desires of the people who live there – not necessarily what makes it the best resale value. You decide what makes the most sense for your budget and your needs – then make it happen.