12 Renovation Mistakes That Are Bringing Down Your Home's Value, According to Experts

Want to get top dollar for your home when you sell now or down the road? Tread carefully when you make renovations and updates—and consider whether or not these changes will actually increase that listing price. Some of your decisions could ultimately bring down the value of your home, even if you think you're adding on-trend appeal. You don't need to make every choice with a buyer in mind (especially if a sale is far off), but divisive renovation decisions can do more harm than good when it comes to your bottom line.

From opening up your house a little too much and opting for neutral colors that don't make enough of an impression to forgoing upscale finishes in lieu of saving a few dollars, here are 12 mistakes that interior designers and real estate experts say are bringing down your home value—and what to do instead.

Creating an Oversized Main Bedroom

The idea of a massive bedroom suite with a sitting area, celebrity-worthy walk-in closet, and spa-like bathroom may be tempting, but it's not always the best use of your renovation dollars. "Building a huge main suite can feel indulgent but if it's at the expense of another bedroom, then it could alienate buyers who need that extra space," says Stephanie Adickman, a real estate agent with Keller Williams in New Jersey.

For example, if you're in an area where you're up against an average of four bedrooms, you don't want to drop yourself down to three just to gain the square footage in the main one.

Removing Your Bathtub

When a property has more than one bedroom, buyers expect that at least one of the bathrooms will have a tub. "Potential buyers for a multiple bedroom home, even an urban condominium or cooperative apartment, may either have or plan to have children. Having only stall showers without tubs could hurt your resale value," says Ian Katz, a real estate broker with Compass in New York City.

He suggests including at least one tub during a bathroom renovation; position it in a hall or shared full bathroom. "Otherwise, your new buyer may want to demo your brand new bathroom and look for a discount to make up for that project," adds Katz.

Choosing Bold or Trendy Paint Colors

While bright paint colors can appeal to certain buyers, don't go too bold if you're planning to sell sooner rather than later. Trendy choices look dated quickly and cheapen a home's look. "Paint is typically an easy fix, but too bright of a paint color can easily make your home look and feel less expensive," says Meredith Owen of Meredith Owen Interiors.

But be warned: If you have paint colors that you want to cover up (especially bold ones), it's best to bring in a professional. "Be careful to not DIY your home if you are not sure what you are doing. Things can start to look very bad very quickly if you are not a contractor [or painter]," says Owen. 

Painting Every Room a Drastically Different Color

Speaking of color—while painting everything the same white or gray can strike some buyers as too monotonous, there's also a fine line between too little and too much. "Avoid painting every room a different color. Love green, red, and blue? Me too! But not all at once—and definitely not in every room of your house," says Bethany Adams of Bethany Adams Interiors.

Instead, choose a cohesive palette and design your home around it. However, if you must go with a vibrant color in every room, "at least paint hallways in a neutral so your potential buyers can rest their eyes between rooms," says Adams.

Going Too Neutral

It's also possible to go too neutral. "I see some sellers playing it super safe and avoiding smart, cheerful colors, textures, and patterns in design. The days of staying safe with china white and nothing else are over," says Katz. Some buyers are willing to pay a premium for move-in ready, expertly designed properties, he adds—so thoughtful paint matters.

"Tasteful and high-quality wallpapers on ceilings and walls as well as in playful rooms like the kitchen and powder room are now sought after," says Katz. "Monotone and overly neutral spaces are taking a back seat to these properties when it comes to resale."

Mismatched Materials

When you're renovating, don't go on a Pinterest deep dive—it's too easy to feel pulled in too many directions. Amy Pigliacampo of Amy Pigliacampo Interiors warns against mixing too many styles together; this could confuse buyers who aren't sure what type of house they're actually looking at.

She recommends letting your eclectic style choices shine through easy-to-swap pieces rather than major renovations. "Keep your permanent materials, like flooring, tile, cabinets, and lighting, mainly in one genre, whether that's modern, farmhouse, or rustic," says Pigliacampo.

Intricate Landscaping 

"Difficult to maintain plants could turn off some buyers," says Pigliacampo. Think of it this way: Some buyers will see a botanical garden-worthy yard and immediately start tallying up the potential landscaping bills. Instead, "make sure your landscaping mostly needs water and will grow back on its own the next year, she says. Look for easy-to-grow perennial plants that are drought-tolerant and hardy for your growing zone.

Removing Too Many Walls

Open concept has a limit—and Katz says it's a mistake to remove walls between legal bedrooms or a living room in order to create an open concept. "While this may suit the individual's entertaining needs or desire for wide-open sightlines from an open kitchen, it typically causes a direct, measurable, and immediate hit to one's property value," says Katz. Plus, as open floor plans fall out of fashion, buyers may immediately envision how they'll put walls back up.

Instead, open up with moderation. A kitchen to a dining room may make functional sense, while opening it all up to the living room creates a bowling alley effect.

Opting for Cheap Exterior Materials

"It can be tempting for an owner of the ubiquitous '50s craftsman, '60s center hall colonial, or '70s ranch to emulate the latest curb appeal trends, like modern farmhouse, with cheaper materials like generic vinyl siding and windows, but the devil is in the details," says Katz. This is particularly detrimental when you're trading in premium materials for cheaper variations on trends.

Instead, he suggests looking at higher end siding like shingle or premium HardiePlank®, upscale windows, and higher-end custom doors. "Cheap materials and workmanship will devalue your renovation and turn off buyers paying top-dollar," says Katz.

Selecting Construction Grade Finishes

The same rule applies indoors, as well. "If you're located in an upscale area, buyers will look for upgraded finishes like marble or quartzite," says Adickman. Buyers who see these short-term, construction grade finishes (like plywood or plastic), particularly in brand new kitchens, will immediately factor in renovation price when they put in an offer.

This is when spending some extra money is smart: Skip putting vinyl in your finished basement renovation or an insert in your shower and go for quality materials, instead. Doing so ensures that your home meets neighborhood standards and measures up when buyers start making comparisons.

Installing a Pool

A pool can either be a huge draw—or not. Some buyers, particularly post-2020, get excited at the prospect of at-home pool parties and poolside work-from-home life every day during the summer, while others will see maintenance costs and safety risks. However, there's also the aesthetic impact.  "A pool can take up both a lot of physical and visual space, making a yard feel smaller and less usable," says Adickman, who adds that above ground pools are particularly offputting to some buyers.

"Instead, I would focus on creating an outdoor entertaining space," says Adickman. "I recently had buyers interested in a house and the outdoor bar was a draw, while the pool seemed like more work than it was worth."

Opting for Large Recessed Lighting

"Recessed lighting can be a great update to your home—as long as you select the right kind," says Adams. She notes that most people think of large, 6-inch diameter can lights when they think of recessed lighting, and those can now look dated.

Instead, "opt for 2-inch architectural recessed lighting to match your ceiling color, and make sure the color temperature is set to 2700K to maintain a cozy feel," says Adams.