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There is nothing wrong with transforming your home to reflect your family’s style, however, if you plan to sell in the future, it is important to keep in mind that customizations do not always have a positive effect on the value of your home. In fact, the wrong move can even bring your property value down or make your home harder to sell.

Here are five renovation mistakes which likely won’t pay off when you go to sell your home:

1. Extravagant personal touches
2. Climate-inappropriate outdoor spaces
3. Changing a room’s original function
4. Installing a pool
5. Converting garage to a living space

1. Extravagant personal touches

Before choosing to install built-in aquariums, bold patterns in your flooring tiles or bright or busy marble countertops, remember that over-the-top personal touches can potentially decrease the value of your home and appeal to fewer buyers. This is especially true in the most critical rooms of the home: kitchen counter mistakes, backsplash mistakes, and overall renovation mistakes top the list.

2. Outdoor spaces for Southern California…in Canada

We Canadians can only use our backyards for about half the year, so additions like elaborate outdoor kitchens or tennis courts might be something to think twice about if getting your money back on resale is a consideration.

3. Changing a room’s function

Sometimes the easiest way to decrease the value of a home is to decrease the number of bedrooms. If you plan on changing a bedroom into a theatre room or home office, consider how difficult it may be for future homeowners to convert that room back to, or visualize it as a bedroom.

4. Installing a pool

This can be a tricky one. If having a pool will please your entire family and you’re planning on staying in the home long-term, then, by all means, get one. But bear in mind that a pool may not add monetary value to your home, especially if it takes up the whole backyard. Pools require maintenance and can be a safety concern for small children which are issues potential home buyers may not want to deal with.

5. Turning your garage into a “man cave”

There is no harm in turning your garage into an entertainment den but if you ever plan on moving, keep in mind that the majority of potential buyers will likely prefer a traditional garage to park their car in. You may want to consider converting your garage back to its original purpose before putting your home on the market.

Ultimately your home is your haven, but if you want to put it on the market one day, that indoor waterslide might hinder the value…but it sure would be fun!

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