foreign hey guys welcome to this episode of the Rachel Cruz show and today we're going to talk about home upgrades and improvements that are not worth the money now none of these are bad but these upgrades are not going to increase the value of your home so how long you're staying in your house is something you always want to consider when it comes to upgrades but before I get into upgrades that are not worth it here's just a general rule don't price yourself out of your neighborhood and I was counterintuitive but having the nicest house on the Block is not great for resale you can actually improve your home too much by putting money into improvements that will not increase your home's market value so how is this possible well because the values of the other homes in your neighborhood which may have the same square footage but not all have the expensive updates that yours does plays a big part in determining the market value in your neighborhood so in other words the homes that are similar to yours without the upgrades are going to bring the market value of your house down that's why high end upgrades don't usually bring a return on investment or an Roi when you go to sell so think upscale kitchens bathrooms or a master suite renovation so again I'm talking about major Renovations where you rip it all out and start over these will usually leave you holding the bag for about half the costs so here are eight upgrades that you're going to want to think twice about number one in general taking rooms away may not be the wisest decision I mean have you ever been tempted just to knock the wall in your bedroom out and go on to the next room so you can have a massive Master room with like a seating area where you can drink coffee in the morning yes me too I understand that but sadly it is not a great idea for resale most people need more bedrooms not bigger bedrooms number two murals and wallpaper paper guys wallpaper is a very personal choice I love some of it so I'm not mad at wallpaper but not everyone loves it and not everyone loves your choice of wallpaper so that actually could ding you with the thought of them having to remove it and the same is true with murals so one of our team members had a mural the previous owner painted in her basement the meadow and the Babbling Brook might have just been the trick to let this guy relax but it took her two coats of primer to cover it up so no thank you so one of the things I always hate thinking about what if something happens to me what if something happens to my husband Winston what's going to happen to the family there is a great solution you guys that really takes that part of worrying and stress and the not good feeling kind of puts it at ease and that is term life insurance and Winston and I personally use Xander insurance and they're the best they make the whole process you guys so easy you give them your information and they go and they shop the top rated companies for the best policy for you and your family's needs so no one should go without term life insurance so go check out Xander Insurance just go to xander.com to make sure that your family's future is taken care of [Music] number three not so great DIY projects all right listen I'm all about a good DIY project for you to save some money but when you're getting ready to sell I would call a professional buyers are going to notice craftsmanship and they're gonna have a good eye for things that are not done correctly number four converting your garage to a gym listen I think convenient physical fitness is great for those who use it but still most buyers are more interested in a place to park their cars not to lift weights number five wall to wall Carpeting and general Realtors do not recommend replacing your carpet in order to sell your home but if you're getting ready to sell have it cleaned but if you're staying put you could consider Hardwoods these will last decades longer and boost your home's value number six an upscale deck I know it's really tempting to think that a new upscale deck maintenance free with beautiful materials is going to be great and boost your home's value but no decks just come with the house no matter what they're made of and same with swimming pools so make these upgrades because you enjoy them but don't expect to recoup any cost for resale number seven solar panels listen I'm all for efficient energy but the data shows that solar panels will not boost the value of your home in fact they can be a deterrent to a buyer who does not like the look of them number eight fireplace mantles adding bookshelves on either side of your fireplace or adding a mantel will look really nice but it will not increase the value of your home if you're selling focus more on fixing cracks and making sure that your fireplace is in working order those things will come back to bite you in a home inspection so deep clean your fireplace brick that can really Spruce it up all right again none of these upgrades or improvements are bad you guys if you want to do them and you have the cash do it but what we're talking about here are the ones that will not increase the value of your home when you go to sell it so if you have a friend who's looking to put their house on the market and they just want to Spruce it up a bit make sure to share this video with them and remember you guys to take control of your money and create a life you love [Music]
