Remodeling: Home Owners' Seven Deadly Sins

Remodeling isn’t always a good idea, says Holly Slaughter, brand manager and consumer-experience expert for RealEstate.com.

Here are what she calls the seven deadly home-improvement sins to consider before committing to projects that may work against you and lessen your resale value.

1. Over expanding. Outdoing all the homes on the block is never a good idea because it makes the house more expensive than the others and therefore harder to sell.
   
2. Making your home into something it’s not. Changing the style or the architecture is usually a big mistake.
   
3. Changing the purpose of a room. Keep kitchens as kitchen and baths as baths. They were built that way for a reason.
   
4. Under budgeting. People routinely under budget 20 or 30 percent fewer dollars and underestimate even more in guessing the time the job will take.
   
5. Doing the job yourself. Unless you have first-rate skills, hire somebody who does.
   
6. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Don’t waste money on renovations that won’t pay off. Buyers won’t necessarily pay for what makes a seller happy. Siding, windows, kitchens and bathrooms are the home improvement winners, according to Remodeling magazine.
   
7. Neglecting regular upkeep. They may seem boring, but cleaning the gutters, keeping the house painted and trimming the shrubs are the most valuable home improvements.Source:

Marketwatch, Amy Hoak (07/30/2006)