Projects That Will Ruin the Value of Your Home

Beware of these projects that could kill the value of your home! Contact Reilly Painting, your Home Mechanics, that handle all areas of home repair.

Be careful when converting rooms

Renovating your basement, attic or garage into an additional room? That man cave or spare bedroom may fit your lifestyle, but buyers may lament the lack of storage space and place to park their car. A basement or dormer apartment may run contrary to local zoning and be a red flag during a home inspection. Converting a bedroom into an office may appeal to a work-at-home buyer, but eliminating that bedroom in the eyes of local assessors will decrease your home’s value.

External additions can be problematic if your bigger and better house is out of character with the surrounding neighborhood in size and style. It can be even worse if your do-it-yourself project lacks professional polish. Even more modest improvements — such as doors, windows or awnings — can hurt if they don’t match your home’s architectural style.

The National Association of Realtors and Remodeling magazine publisher Hanley Wood surveys remodeling and exterior replacement projects as part of its annual Remodeling Cost vs. Value report.

Overall, the 2011-12 report estimates that homeowners would recoup an average of 57.7 percent of their investment in 35 different improvement projects, down from an average of 60 percent last year.