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Here are the top 10 home improvements that can make your home harder to sell:

1. Kitchen Renovation. Any renovation of a kitchen that is too taste-specific or extreme in design. For example, a kitchen equipped with a restaurant-level stove or multiple refrigerators may not appeal to the buyer who is a simple cook. You want to appeal to the broadest range of buyers when selling a home, and if a buyer thinks they need to spend money re-doing what you’ve done, they will offer less.

2. Bathroom Renovations. The same can be said for bathroom renovations. Any design that is over the top could detract from the value of the home. It’s best to avoid garish sinks, faucets, and tiles. And skip the heart-shaped bathtub!

3. Painting. Painting the walls is a great way to freshen up a space prior to putting your home on the market, but painting with bold colors such as red, orange, purple or even black (I’ve seen this) is a sure way to turn off a potential buyer. Buyers want to feel like they can move right in and not have to re-paint the walls to match their own tastes and their existing furniture. The same goes for painting the exterior of the home – no bright blues, yellows or greens please!

4. Water Features. Having an in-ground pool, hot tub, waterfall or pond can also devalue a home, as buyers may perceive these as extra maintenance expenses they don’t want to incur. Also, buyers with small children may be fearful of these as well. The only exception of an in-ground pool definitely adding value is if the home is an investment property in a resort area where renters find homes with a pool to be more desirable.

5. “Wasted” Square Footage. Taking valuable square footage in a house and using it for a specific, personalized purpose can make the house harder to sell and/or detract from its value, for example, turning a garage into a gym. Also, on the Bravo TV show, Nine By Design, the hosts of the show were trying to sell their NYC townhouse. The ground floor was taken up by a basketball/squash court because the owners liked to play these games. However, most buyers would see this as wasted space and an expensive project ahead to change.

6. Redecorating. Redecorating in a highly taste-specific style, such as Asian, country clutter or extreme modern can turn-off potential buyers. When selling your home, you want to appeal to the broadest range of buyers, so it’s important that the furniture and décor is neutral and broadly appealing.

7. Illegal home improvements. Decks, driveways, expansions, etc. not approved by the local town authorities can devalue the home as you will probably be forced to correct the situation prior to selling which could result in something as extreme as actually removing it.

8. Laminated Wood Flooring. Installing laminated wood flooring instead of solid wood in an upscale home can also cause a buyer to think “I’ve got to rip this out”! Better to refinish existing hardwood floors, if any, or cover floors with new but inexpensive wall-to-wall carpeting.

9. DIY Home Repairs. While needed repairs and maintenance should be done to a home before putting it on the market, doing these yourself could end up costing you money in the end as buyers perceive your shoddy workmanship as something they have to spend money correcting, and therefore offering you a lower price.

10. Gardens and Landscaping. A high-maintenance garden and landscaping could also lower the value of a home. If buyers are not avid gardeners or don’t want to spend money watering or on hiring someone to constantly weed, trim and rotate your plantings, this could be a real turn-off.

So, before you decide to make that improvement to your home, stop and ask yourself: “Will most buyers find this desirable so that they would be willing to pay for it, or is it just to satisfy my own needs and tastes?”.

This has been Reprinted from REALTOR® magazine (REALTOR.org/realtormag http://www.realtor.org/realtormag) with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

So whether you’ve been thinking about boosting your home’s value, its curb appeal, or just making your living space more comfortable for you and your family, the ideas below can help you cost-effectively achieve your goals in any market.

First Things First. Buyers often decide whether to look at your house before they even get out of the car. Before you spend a lot of time and money remodeling the inside, you may want to look at the outside. Washing windows, repainting trim, planting flowers, and fixing screens can make a big difference. For even more impact, you may want to consider replacing your siding or even adding a patio or deck. The added value for these bigger projects won’t yield as high of a return on investment, but may help your house stand out from the rest. So, weigh your options and ask your REALTOR® for advice before starting a big project.

Make Yourself at Home. Making a cozy first impression is critical. To make sure your entryway is inviting, try adding a fresh coat of paint to your foyer or a wicker chair and table outside the door. For even more impact, replace those old light fixtures and update the floor in your entryway.

Sparkle up that Old Bathroom. Remodeling an old bathroom can make a big impact. For very little money, you can add a new faucet to your sink, a new medicine cabinet on the wall, and even new paint or wallpaper. For a little more oomph, you can update the bathtub, add a double sink, or re-tile the floor.

Even Better: Add a Second Bathroom. Perhaps no improvement makes a bigger impact on your family’s comfort and your house’s appeal than adding a second bathroom. The number of bathrooms is always a big sticking point for potential buyers, especially families with two or three children. Although adding a bathroom costs more than simply fixing up your old one, it also increases the value of your house more. Plus, having that second bathroom may help you sell your house faster than if it only has one…an important point to consider in any market.

Make it Hot in the Kitchen. Renovating an outdated kitchen is a great way to improve your home and its value. Plus, you don’t have to splurge on extravagant items like hand-painted Italian tile or built-in espresso machines. Focus on the basics: installing new flooring, adding a backsplash and a new coat of paint, re-facing existing cabinets, installing new counter tops, and possibly installing new appliances. These go a long way to making you, or a potential buyer, feel right at home.

Remember, start small, work your way up, and always plan ahead. You don’t want to get halfway into a renovation only to find that you have to update your entire electrical system, or that you forgot to apply for a permit. So, check your local zoning codes before starting any remodeling project.

Renovating your home doesn’t have to mean huge and expensive changes. You can make your house more comfortable and valuable with very little time and money.
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Because air conditioning works hard to remove moisture from the air and reduce humidity inside your home, turn off A/C, or program your thermostat to a higher temperature, when not at home
Minimize mid-day washing and drying of clothes, showering and cooking
Turn on ventilating fans, but turn them off when not required so they don’t extract cooled air from the house
Set the temperature a little higher (around 78-80°F) to help save 6-8% of your cooling costs for each degree above 78° while remaining comfortable
Shade your home from direct sunlight – use shades, drapes and awnings to block the sun from heating your home
Posted By: Chrissy Doremus, U.S. Inspect Blog

But if you do some of the basic things such as clearing clutter, creating light, bright, and open space, adding curb appeal, removing personal items (family photos, trinkets), fresh paint, and clean or new carpet — you’ll be on your way to attracting serious buyers.

Let’s look at specific areas that create widespread appeal inside the home.

Here are some of the top areas to improve: countertops, flooring, built-in furniture, and old-style attached fixtures such as those big sheet mirrors in the bathroom. However, when making these improvements, there’s one important consideration.

Functionality is the greatest concern cited by homeowners, according to the latest poll conducted by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI).

“The functionality of a home is very important, especially over the long term, as many homeowners in this economy have opted for remodeling over moving to new homes,” says NARI National President Paul Zuch, CR, president of Capital Improvements.

So let’s explore the areas I mentioned earlier and see how improving these items can lead to greater interest in your home. Countertops are fixtures in homes. So making sure that you select the best material to endure the daily wear and tear is important. If we’re talking about the kitchen, for instance, there are many options: granite, tile, recycled glass (for a green option), solid steel, composite stone, butcher block, laminate, and even concrete. Yes, that last one sounds surprising but concrete is being used for countertops and laminate isn’t necessarily trying to mimic other materials anymore. Instead, homeowners are embracing laminate’s own unique high-tech look. The popular trend is a mixing of several styles creating a blended custom look for the kitchen. But in the end, functionality will rate highest for potential buyers. All of the countertop materials mentioned above have advantages and disadvantages when it comes to maintenance and usage; make sure you completely research the material before selecting it for your home.

Fixtures are an important area to improve. “People know a lot more about design,” Laura Kirar from Larua Kirar-TRU Design told the Alexandria Times. These days, quirky, eclectic styles from international trends are becoming more prevalent in the United States. However, push the envelope too far with quirkiness and you just might lose a potential buyer. What’s important to know is that buyers are paying attention to fixtures. If you have damaged or worn out faucets or lighting, it’s best to replace them before showing your home. Also, replacing those big, nothing-special sheet mirrors with some framed mirrors can add a unique look without costing very much. While you don’t want to have to spend a lot just before you sell your home, remember that these seemingly small items can have a great impact on improving buyers’ interest in your home.

Flooring is a big interest for buyers. Wood floors are still very popular. Many Realtors say buyers are looking for hardwood floors. That’s partly because they endure and don’t go out of style. However, if they’re damaged it can be a drawback because buyers may focus on how much work it will take and cost to do the repairs.

Built-in furniture can improve a home. Built-in bookcases and entertainment centers can save space and help make the room look larger. However, there’s a downside. Built-in furniture isn’t easily movable. So, potential buyers will have to really find the furniture useful and suitable for their needs. “It’s all about personalization—homeowners want to know that their space can be converted easily into a different space in the future,” Zuch said in a press statement by NARI. And that’s what buyers want as well—the ability to make your home theirs when the sale closes.

Written by Phoebe Chongchua
Courtesy of Realty Times

http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/109967/10-home-repairs-that-will-save-you-money?mod=realestate-homeimprove

For sellers still live in the home, the kitchen is the nightmare room.

The expectation of the buyer is that the kitchen counters are clean and clear at all times and the sink is shiny and water spot free at all times. Any one w ho has children big or little knows what a dilemma this is. There is always somebody, who goes off and leaves a dish in the sink! Kitchens no doubt about it can be challenging.

That is why you need a kitchen vignette for your counter that is only for the house showing. Say what?

Just like many people have towels in the bathroom that no one ever uses, they are for show. I didn’t really believe that people did this, because I never did until I accidentally used one of my daughters rolled towels, I just thought she picked up rolling towels from her staging mom and any towel was a good towel. WRONG I WAS! My faux paus! I thought at least giving birth to the sweet girl gave me enough status to use a rolled towel. But I was wrong!

Back to the kitchen vignette ideas. What makes a kitchen vignette is something that one would really use in a kitchen, but of course you are not going too, after all the house is for sale, remember! To prepare the vignette, select 2-3 items to fill in a corner or break up a very long counter. For example a small plant, a candle and a book could be arranged as a vignette. Vignette is a term used in the theatre meaning a small scene.

Here are some of my favorite items to use, a pretty cookbook with big food photos and flip to a page with a luscious dessert, a pretty plate on a stand to coordinate the color scheme of the kitchen or the breakfast area, a stainless steel bowl with shiny red apples, a stainless steel teakettle, candles, green ivy plant, live or silk.

Things you don’t need in the kitchen, I promise for staging anyway, magnets on the refrigerator, presciption bottles on top of the refrigerator, a tea towel hanging over every bar and hook, trash cans in view anywhere in the kitchen. any loved and tattered cookbooks on the counters or shelves, an overstuffed recipe box, collections of roosters, pigs, chickens, frogs, fat men, etc. I am telling you the kitchen is easy to stage. If I can see it on the counter, the odds are pretty good, I don’t want to see it on the counter for staging that is, nothing personal.

Now if you live in the home while it is for sale, use fresh fruit, just buy plenty, because those red apples sitting out will get eaten more quickly, just the nature of staging, but they look so good, I took a couple with me for my snack at work, kind of thing.

For vacant home I think fake fruit is just fine. There’s no chance that the fake stuff will rot and get smelly, That would not be good for the stager’s reputation! I have fake lemons and fake pears, and fake red apples.

Beverly Carlson

As a seller, you may find yourself at home when a buyer is looking at your home. In most cases, it’s smart to leave during the showing. If you are at home and the buyer or his/her agent asks a question, tread carefully. Here are five things to never tell a buyer.

1. Where is the property line?
It’s easy to point to the fence and say that’s where the property line is. The correct answer to this question is, “I don’t know where the exact property line is. If you want the exact location, you will need a survey.”

I remember selling a property where my client’s brick fence was encroaching on a 2-inch-by-2-inch part of the property next door. My buyers didn’t learn of the issue until they decided to add a room to the house. They hired a surveyor who discovered the problem. It cost almost $2,000 and a considerable amount of hassle to obtain an easement (i.e., permission to use) this tiny piece of land. Part of the expense was due to having to re-record the deeds for both parties as well as obtaining a written approval from each of the lenders.

In a different case, the sellers represented that the property line was located at the fence. The fence was actually encroaching on the neighbor’s property by 1 foot. The property line on that side was 220 feet long. Due to the prime location of the property, the value of the land as awarded by the court was more than $200,000.

2. Do any ______ live in this neighborhood?
If a buyer asks you a question that references race, ethnicity or religion, it is a violation of the fair-housing laws to answer the question. A better response would be to say either “I don’t know” or “federal law prohibits me from discussing race, ethnicity or the religion of my neighbors. If you would like to know more about the general characteristics of this area, you can check the U.S. Census data.”

3. Is this a safe neighborhood?
While you might be tempted to say, “We have never had any problems,” that’s not a good idea. You may not have had any problems, but what about the neighbor on the next block who had her car stolen or who was burglarized? You may not be aware of the problems, but your representation of the safety of the neighborhood could come back to haunt you.

A better response is to say, “If you are concerned, please check the crime statistics for this area either online or at the local police department.” Some resources include NeighborhoodScout or SpotCrime.

One particularly important point to note is the issue of sexual predators. CrimeReports.com allows you to enter your address to locate crime statistics plus identify whether registered sexual predators are living nearby. Please note that unless your local policing authority is reporting crimes to these online sources, there may not be accurate or complete data.

4. Is there anything wrong with the roof (or any other major system in this house)?
Your roof may have been watertight all last winter, but it may have developed a leak over the summer. There is no way to know the exact condition of the roof, even if you climb up and look at it. In fact, when roofers climb on your roof to make repairs, it can be extremely difficult to pinpoint where a leak originates. About the only way to tell for sure is to be on the roof when it is raining. Even then, the roof may leak when the wind is out of the south and not leak when it is blowing from other directions.

Most states will require you to disclose in writing the conditions about which you are aware. To protect yourself, it’s smart to have your own inspector go through the property and to note where he or she found problems. You can give prospective buyers a copy of the report. There’s one important caveat: Be sure to note on the report that the buyers should obtain their own inspections to verify the condition of the property at the time of sale.

5. Why are these floors so uneven?
Buyers often ask about the condition of the property. It could be a stain on the ceiling or a crack in the wall. It’s important that you avoid diagnosing what the problem is. Settling could cause the uneven floors, but there could also be a foundation problem. The stain on the ceiling could be a roof leak, but it could also be honey from a beehive in the attic. Again, advise the buyers to obtain their own inspections to determine the exact condition of the property.

To minimize your exposure, avoid being at home during showings. If you must be at home, avoid volunteering verbal information to the buyer. Instead, obtain your own inspection report prior to listing the property and make that available to any buyers who view your home.

Second, fill out any required disclosure statements as completely as possible. Third, encourage the buyers to seek their own inspections regarding any concerns that they may have. Finally, place a home warranty policy on your home that covers the major systems on your property during the listing period as well as for the first year the new buyer owns the home.

Bernice Ross, CEO of RealEstateCoach.com, is a national speaker, trainer and author of “Real Estate Dough: Your Recipe for Real Estate Success” and other books. You can reach her at Bernice@RealEstateCoach.com and find her on Twitter: @bross