Talk about hindsight being 20-20. Before you start knocking out walls and buying everything mid-century modern, consider the wisdom of realtors who have seen the renovations homeowners really regret.
Creating a great room
It’s rare to watch a home improvement show without seeing the crew tear down walls to create a huge great room. Sure, it’s trendy and the appeal of having an open and spacious living area is tempting, but you may regret it for reasons you didn’t think about, especially if a large island replaces the family dining table. “While the room may be very large, it doesn’t offer many options: It leaves the family with only one room to relax in, any mess is immediately visible and remains that way until tidied, there is no table where you can relax and enjoy a meal, and sometimes you don’t want to hear whatever the kids are watching on TV,” says realtor Michele Morrison.
Luxurious bath
A free-standing bath is a quintessential element in the coveted spa-like bathroom but this renovation may prove to be a renovation washout. They take up a lot of room and are difficult to keep clean and tidy. “These tubs take up a lot of space in the home, I don’t think they’re going to be used much, and, in fact, in drought-prone areas, they’re very unlikely to be used at all either now or in the future. Water conservation and large, single-use tubs are not a great combination,” says Morrison.
A bedroom converted to a walk-in closet
You never use the spare bedroom so why not make it into something more useful, like a walk-in closet with a dressing area? Before you get excited about slanted shoe shelving and a valet pole, you may want to consider the lost liveable area. “It’s wonderful for you and your clothes, but what happens when you decide to sell your home? You lost a bedroom when you created the closet. Your home also lost value, unless you convert the closet back to a bedroom,” says real estate broker Leneiva Head.
Customised tile and hardwood designs
You’re drooling over the gorgeous, artsy custom tiles you’ve seen in all the glossy home magazines – and that nautical inlay design on the hardwood floor you saw in the resort would be perfect for your entrance. Hit the pause button on your fantasies. “These can’t be changed as easily as an accessory,” notes Head. “What will you do when the ‘it’ colour or design isn’t ‘it’ anymore?” Is this just a passing phase? Or will you still love it years down the road?
Concrete benchtops
Granite and quartz countertops? C’mon. You’d rather embrace something a little hipper like the rustic meets industrial trend of concrete benchtops. Head admits it’s her favourite trend in benchtops at the moment, but she says, “You can’t just change that baby out when you tire of your glassware suffering a great fall.” Besides broken dishes, concrete surfaces are porous and have to be resealed regularly and they have a tendency to crack. Things like olive oil and red wine spills can mark the surface… or make a great patina in time. You decide…