Home Renovations to Avoid Before Selling, According to Real Estate Experts

Key Points

• Reducing bedrooms, closets, or garage space can narrow the buyer pool and weaken offers.

• Expensive personal upgrades may not pay off because buyers can view them as added upkeep, financing, or outdated design.

• Repairs and neutral updates that make a home feel clean and move-in ready tend to be the safer bet.

Before putting a home on the market, many sellers look for upgrades that might boost the sale price. But not every project adds value. Some expensive changes can actually hurt resale by turning buyers away.

To learn which improvements sellers should avoid, we asked real estate professionals for the kinds of upgrades that can backfire.

Meet the Expert

Converting or Merging Bedrooms

Turning a bedroom into a walk-in closet or combining two smaller bedrooms into one larger suite lowers the total bedroom count. Since buyers often search by number of bedrooms, that can reduce interest, limit offers, and lengthen the time a home sits on the market.

“A bigger bedroom may excite you, but not potential buyers,” says Dell Jeanty, Northern Virginia Realtor and Founder of Dell Residential Group. “Combining bedrooms into bigger rooms and reducing the number of bedrooms can significantly decrease your home’s value and reduce the potential buyer pool.”

Adding a Pool or Hot Tub

A pricey improvement is not always one buyers will value the same way. Highly specific features can shrink the pool of interested buyers, and overbuilding relative to the neighborhood can make it hard to recoup the cost.

A swimming pool or hot tub may be attractive to you and your family, but many buyers see it as another major expense they will inherit after purchase.

“Unless you live in a hot climate, a swimming pool can deter potential buyers because of maintenance, upkeep costs, safety concerns, and personal preferences,” Jeanty says. “It reduces the buyer pool and can be a potential safety hazard for families with young children.”

Solar Panels

Many average buyers are not eager to take on a separate loan for solar panels, and sellers often end up paying off the balance at closing, which cuts into profits.

There can also be complications if the solar company is no longer in business, leaving sellers to sort out service or ownership questions. Homeowners associations may also complicate the installation process.

“Some buyers love to see these panels on a home but for others, solar panels indicate future replacement costs and potential hassle with companies that may not even exist in five years,” says Christina Rordam, Orlando Real Estate Agent at Florida Realty Investments. “Especially if you are selling a home in a price point that is more the median for the area you live in, sellers are losing money at close due to paying off the full balance of the panels.”

Removing Bathtubs

Families with young children often prefer a bathtub because it is easier and safer for bathing babies and toddlers than a shower. Taking one out can hurt resale value.

“Removing a bathtub to build a massive walk-in spa shower will hurt your bottom line later,” Jeanty says.

Instead of tailoring the house too closely to personal taste, focus on changes buyers will notice immediately. Condition matters more than flashy upgrades. Clean bathrooms and kitchens, along with smaller fixes such as hardware and baseboards, can make a strong impression.

Shiplap and Tile Accent Walls

One of the biggest mistakes sellers make is renovating for their own preferences instead of for the market. Before spending heavily, it helps to know what buyers in the area want and what similar homes are selling for.

“I’ve seen homeowners add vinyl and tile flooring to walls to create an accent moment, but for many it comes across low budget and chintzy,” Rordam says. “Let’s add shiplap to the list while we’re at it. Shiplap can feel dated and dull, so it’s better to keep it more neutral, stick to paint or wall paper or material designed for interior walls.”

Wall-to-Wall Carpeting

Wall-to-wall carpeting is often viewed as hard to keep clean, less attractive, and potentially dated. It can also make a home feel less fresh.

“Wall-to-wall carpeting is a huge turn from my experience as a listing agent,” Jeanty says. “If you want to sell your home for a lower list price and let it linger on the market, wall-to-wall carpeting is your friend.”

Focus instead on updates that make the home feel clean, practical, and ready to move into. Neutral paint, better lighting, refreshed landscaping, small kitchen and bathroom updates, and needed repairs can go a long way without requiring a major budget.

Giving Up Closets, Garages, or Other Storage

Storage matters to buyers. People need space for lawn tools, holiday decorations, and seasonal items, so removing storage can drive interest down.

“I know some people don’t want storage spaces, but eliminating closets and storage spaces can hurt your home’s value by reducing convenience and functionality, which can turn buyers off,” Jeanty says.

The extra square footage may look appealing, but someone still has to park cars and keep belongings somewhere. Before converting a garage or making another major change, check whether buyers in that market would prefer the additional room or the storage.

If the local market favors the extra room, a conversion can work as long as it is completed properly and all required permits are in place.