Home Renovations You May Regret

When it comes to renovations, we all tend to picture the life we’ll live in that newly upgraded space. But, there are some pricey renovations that will not bring you much in value when it comes time to sell and that you probably won’t end up using. There are some very common ones that homeowners think will be beneficial and end up being a waste of money.

While it may not be true for absolutely everyone, the most common renovations that go unappreciated in both usefulness and added value include:

1. Kitchen nook/desk
   Most of the time this little space goes unused and just collects mail and to-do lists. It becomes clutter central. Most people do not end up accomplishing work in this little nook that faces a wall and feels confining. Skip it.

2. Home gyms
   Despite your good intentions and belief that you will work out diligently if you don’t need to travel to the gym, your interest and dedication will probably taper off and the space will go unused. It also makes it hard for buyers to picture the room as, say, a guest bedroom when it looks like a storage space for unused gym equipment.

3. Wet bars
   With today’s open floor plans your family space typically merges with your kitchen space. How many sinks does one really need? The expense is simply not worth the amount of use a wet bar will get, unless it is in a finished basement, which saves a trip upstairs to the kitchen.

4. An industrial sized chef’s range
   Unless you cook often and have a big family with multiple children still living at home with you, gigantic appliances are visually impressive but a huge waste of money. At best, they may only be useful at the holidays. Typical families do not need an industrial sized range unless you fancy yourself a chef and love to spend hours in front of it.

5. Big Jacuzzi tubs
   You probably picture yourself relaxing there with a glass of wine each evening, but most homeowners end up not using them very often. They are noisy, which isn’t that relaxing, and hard to keep clean of gunk. Like the home gym, your use will taper off, and it probably won’t get you more at resale.

When it comes to renovating a home, people often picture themselves appreciating things that, in reality, they will not often use. Invest your renovation dollars in upgrades – large decks, a redesigned kitchen that fits your lifestyle, larger closets, added storage or a finished basement – that add value and will be put to good use while you are living in the home.