What Not to Fix When Selling Your Home: Save Time and Money

When preparing to sell your home, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking you need to renovate and update everything to get the best price. However, our experience at Team Keogh shows that some renovations simply aren't worth the time, stress, or money. Here's our expert guide on what you can safely skip when preparing your home for sale.

Don't Update Your Kitchen

Many homeowners believe renovating their kitchen is a must before selling. The truth? It's often unnecessary and can be counterproductive. Here's why:

• Buyers often have their own vision for the space and may plan to renovate regardless
• Kitchen renovations rarely stay within budget and create unnecessary stress
• The new owners might have completely different preferences and needs
• You likely won't recoup the full renovation costs in your selling price

Instead of spending $30,000-$50,000 on a kitchen renovation, leave it as is (assuming it's functional) and let the new owners create their dream kitchen. They'll appreciate having a blank canvas for their own design ideas.

Don't Repaint Everything White

While extremely bold or unusual colors might benefit from repainting, don't feel pressured to paint every wall white. If your home already has neutral, safe colors, leave them be.

A blank canvas allows potential buyers to envision their own color preferences, but completely stripping your home of character isn't necessary. There's a difference between creating a neutral palette and removing all personality from your space.

Think Twice About Finishing Your Basement

If your basement is already finished, ensure it's functional with properly sized rooms (and ideally a bathroom). However, if your basement is unfinished, consider leaving it that way.

Why? The next owners might have specific plans for the space that don't align with how you would finish it. You could spend thousands adding bedrooms and a rec room, only for the new owners to prefer an open-concept entertainment area or home gym.

An unfinished basement gives buyers flexibility to create exactly what they need. If your basement is already finished, focus on making it as functional as possible rather than completely renovating it.

Don't Remove Unique Features

Does your home have character-defining elements like exposed brick, unique architectural details, or distinct features that make it stand out? Keep them!

These unique aspects often become selling points rather than deterrents. Don't listen to advice about whitewashing brick walls or removing distinctive elements just to make your home look like every other property on the market.

Buyers often fall in love with homes precisely because of these special features. There's a significant difference between creating a neutral canvas and stripping away all character.

Don't Replace Working Appliances

If your appliances are functioning properly, there's usually no need to replace them before selling. Even if they're not the newest models, working appliances are perfectly acceptable.

Two exceptions to consider:

• Extremely outdated appliances (like avocado-colored refrigerators from decades past)
• Mismatched appliance finishes (like a stainless steel range hood with a white stove)

Otherwise, save yourself the expense. Most buyers understand that appliances are often replaced during ownership anyway, and functioning appliances won't significantly impact your sale price.

Final Thoughts: Focus on What Matters

When selling your home, focus on repairs and improvements that truly impact functionality and first impressions. Clean thoroughly, ensure everything works properly, and make the space feel welcoming. Beyond that, many cosmetic updates and major renovations simply aren't necessary.

By avoiding these unnecessary fixes, you'll save money, reduce stress, and potentially even sell your home faster by giving buyers the freedom to envision their own improvements.