Many homeowners believe the money they spend on home improvements will always make their property worth more. There are plenty of projects that will do exactly that, enhancing your enjoyment of your home and making it more valuable. However, there are renovations and remodels that can work against you when you’re ready to sell and may actually make your home less desirable.

Outbuilding the Neighborhood

Building an addition to your home could make it more appealing, but avoid turning your house into the most expensive one on the block. If your addition is a large, expensive project, such as adding multiple bedrooms and a bathroom, the cost could price you too far above the neighborhood’s average homes. Potential buyers looking for a $200,000 home will likely look in $200,000 neighborhoods. Your $375,000 house will be overlooked by buyers in your price range and ignored by the others. You’ll find the money you spent on your addition difficult to recoup.

Installing Luxury Room Renovations

• High-End Kitchens – Gutting the kitchen and installing a high-end remodel is a very expensive project. Many people save up for their dream kitchen though, and pay five or six figures to get it. The addition to your home’s resale value will always be less than the price of the kitchen upgrade. Instead of a completely new kitchen, replace the parts that are worn or outdated and choose mid-priced appliances instead of the most pricey ones.
• Bathrooms – Bathrooms renovations can be a great way to add value to your home. Just try to choose upgrades that will appeal to a wide variety of tastes. Fireplaces, waterfall showers, or deep soaker tubs probably shouldn’t be on your list. Whirlpool baths are not as popular as they have been in the past. If you have a tub in another bathroom in the house, consider a large walk-in shower for the master.
• Sunroom – The Remodeling website’s statistics show that adding a sunroom to your house gives very little return on your investment. It is another high dollar remodel and has the most appeal only in areas with warm weather year round. A sunroom has far less value in the Midwest and Northern states and, unless it is heated, it doesn’t count when calculating your home’s square footage.

Overdoing the “Personal Touch”

There are a lot of decorating choices that help make a home reflect your personality. Just be aware that some of these changes might need to be neutralized before you put your home on the market. Too much wallpaper or brilliantly colored paint can make buyers move on to the next home on their list. Painting wooden trim any color other than white won’t appeal to the majority of buyers. Lavish light fixtures are another possible turn-off. So are rooms with themes, such as a jungle family room or a fairy tale bedroom. If you can’t live without any of these things, go ahead and invest in them during your years in the home. But, plan to make changes when you are ready to sell and do not expect to get your money back for the expense.

Making Unwise Flooring Choices

Buyers used to want carpeting throughout a home, but current trends favor hard floors. Installing hardwood floors can increase the value of your home. Save the carpet for bedrooms, maybe, but don’t put it in other areas. Also, most people are looking for quality hardwood floors that will look beautiful for decades. They think most laminate flooring looks cheap, so it can bring down your home’s value. Choice of tiles for a floor should be thoughtfully considered, too. Something that is funky-fun to you can send potential buyers right out the door. Think “mainstream” when you choose the tile.

Reducing the Number of Bedrooms and Closets

More bedrooms are better than fewer for most buyers. If you want to combine two smaller bedrooms into one master suite, it could change the comparable value of your home with the rest of the neighborhood. If everyone else has three bedrooms and you now have only two, that’s a problem. Watch out, too, for redoing a small bedroom into a large walk-in closet. People with families want the bedrooms.

Building Additions You Love, But Many Potential Buyers Do Not

• Swimming pool – This may be fun for your family, but many people see it as a hassle and a safety hazard. A pool requires regular maintenance, upkeep, and higher insurance premiums. Further, it isn’t uncommon for the buyer to put a contingency in the contract that the current owners remove the pool before the sale in complete. Putting in a pool can be very expensive, but it adds little to your home value.
• Hot tub – These have many of the same issues as pools, including upkeep, cleaning and liability. Many people just don’t want to bother with them. Also, hot tubs and swimming pools may have value in Sun Belt states, but far less in northern areas.
• Home theaters – Again, home theaters are not to everyone’s taste. Some potential buyers might see it as a waste of space and electricity. Converting it back to an empty room is expensive, especially with built in electronics.
• Built-in fishtank – An aquarium might be your favorite accessory for its beauty and entertainment value. However, a built-in tank makes it an obligation to new owners and many buyers don’t want that responsibility. An aquarium may look great to you up front, but it is costly to take care of and becomes an eyesore if not properly maintained. Installation is a big expense and so is its removal.

The bottom line is to use common sense when deciding how to remodel. If you plan to live in your home for many years, the renovations listed here are less of a problem. If you know you will be there for a shorter term, think carefully before taking the plunge. If you really want it, try to keep your changes more mainstream and be prepared for the possibility of making more changes when you decide to sell.

Putting your house on the market during the cold months may not be your first choice, and the prospect may give you a case of the winter blues. Perk up! Nearly a million homes were sold in December 2018 through February 2019. There are many good strategies for speeding winter homes sales, starting with this list.

Get Good Help

Hire an experienced real estate agent with a history of selling in every month of the year. Ask their strategy in marketing your house during the winter months to a reduced pool of buyers. Over 90 percent of all buyers use the internet to search for new homes and winter weather won’t stop them.

Include photos of your home in all seasons for your online listing. Be sure to use a professional photographer who can showcase your home with excellent lighting and attractive angles. Add some pictures taken earlier in the year so buyers can see your property surrounded by green grass and leafy shrubs.

Fewer Sellers

Since the majority of sellers flood the market in the spring, you have less competition in winter with a lower inventory. Buyers have less to choose from which might mean that your home could sell faster. Work with your agent to price your home to sell.

Serious Buyers

If buyers are out looking at properties on snow-covered roads, they are likely very motivated. Perhaps they have a lease that’s expiring or have a contract on the home they are selling. January and February are typically a big time of the year for corporate relocations, so there are plenty of people searching for new homes before their move. These buyers are on a time crunch, which can work to your advantage.

Year-End Tax Breaks

If buyers are looking to buy in the winter, they may be very interested in making a purchase before the end of the year. They can write off some home buying expenses on their taxes. They can also deduct mortgage interest, private mortgage insurance premiums and real estate taxes.

Winter Curb Appeal

Snow can actually make your home look beautiful, but only when it’s fresh and new. Clear the driveway, sidewalks, deck, and patio and keep them clear throughout the winter season. In addition to keeping buyers safe as they walk to your door, you are letting them see what’s buried under the snow that they would enjoy the rest of the year. Keep ice melt down as needed. Clear a path from the street to your walkway so visitors aren’t forced to come through snowdrifts. Winter days get dark early, so make sure your exterior is well lit. Solar lights lining the sidewalk can help.

If you are selling around the holiday season, keep outdoor decorations simple. After the first of the year, make sure they are all gone. Your curb appeal will take a big hit if you still have Christmas lights up after the middle of January.

A Cozy Interior

Potential buyers are looking for a warm, cozy place to call home. This is easy to achieve in the winter with a fire in the fireplace, some good smells coming from the kitchen and a few soft throw blankets placed around the home. Keeping your home light and warm are prime concerns this time of year. Push the thermostat up and turn your lamps on. Utilize timers when you aren’t home during the day. Open shutters and drapes. Check outer doors and windows for drafts then correct any inadequate seals. Swap out old filters from your HVAC system to help rid the house of bad odors and keep the air fresh.

Make your house sparkle. Deep clean every room, closets, under sinks, the basement, and the garage. Check for spiderwebs in every corner of every room. Winter shoppers are going to track snow and dirt into the house, so maintain between showings by sweeping, mopping and vacuuming daily. Place a sticker with most recent inspection on the hot water heater and the HVAC system.

Again, keep holiday decorations to a minimum instead of displaying your entire collection of Santas, snowmen, and nativities. One exception is a tall Christmas tree if you have cathedral ceilings. A soaring tree emphasizes the height and drama of the room. Be prompt putting decorations away. Everything that looked so pretty when you first decked the halls will start to look tacky if it lingers deep into the new year.

It can be a challenge to sell your home during the winter, but with strategic planning and creative marketing, you can find a buyer even with Jack Frost nipping at your nose.

You’re selling your home at a price decided upon with the help of your real estate agent. Together you have researched the market and prepared to list your home at a price you believe to be viable and suited to the condition of the property. A potential buyer makes an offer, but it’s lower than the asking price. What do you do next?

When an offer is made, negotiations are underway. Your real estate agent will be invaluable to help you decide how to proceed. The buyer may be checking to see if you’ll accept a lower price. They might also want other conditions to be met – frequently home repair. You will need to determine if it’s a serious offer or if it’s unrealistically low. By industry standards, any offer that is 20 to 25 percent below asking price is a low-ball offer. You may choose to ignore it or to make a counteroffer.

In advance of the counteroffer, you want to recheck the property values of other homes in your area. To continue negotiations, discuss the price range you are willing to consider with your agent. Rely on the agent’s knowledge of the market to help you set a counteroffer price back to the buyer. Set it too high and they may leave to find a different seller. Set it too low and you might be leaving money on the table. You may consider lowering the price just a little, but add an incentive, such as a flexible closing date. Your agent will handle the counteroffer for you.

Knowledge is power in negotiations and you want to put yourself in the best position to make smart counteroffers. Perhaps you’re already in negotiations to purchase your next home. Maybe the buyers are facing a pressing timetable because of an imminent job transfer or because they want to be settled before a new school year begins. Have your agent discuss the situation with the buyer’s agent to gain as much information as you can.

With an informed approach and a reasonable attitude, you can quite likely reach an agreement that is acceptable to everyone. Don’t take the negotiation personally. This is a business transaction. Remember, if you don’t reach an outcome you want, you can always walk away from negotiations and wait for the next opportunity.

Although there is a great deal of information on the Internet that can help you decide how to set the price on your house, it takes a real estate professional to evaluate the data to your best advantage. A deep knowledge of your surrounding area and current market conditions is a big part of an agent’s expertise, and their sales experience working with many different clients gives them valuable insight into the psychology of buyers.

Finding the right price for your home is vital if you expect a quick sale. If potential buyers think your property is overpriced, they may move on, leaving your home on the market too long. A house that sits without an offer in the first two or three weeks will lead buyers to speculate why it hasn’t sold and assume there are problems. Studies show that homes priced 10% above market value are far less likely to sell within the first 30 days than those priced within 5% of market value.

Of course, if you price the home too low, you will probably be leaving money on the table. In either case, a real estate agent can help you find the sweet spot to price your property correctly the first time and make your sale as quickly and painlessly as possible. Here are the things to consider:

Sales History of the Area
Your agent will pull comparable listings and sales from your immediate neighborhood for the past three months. The radius of the search will be about ¼ to ½ mile from your home. Pay attention to dividing lines such a highways or other major dividing streets. Comps from “the other side of the track” will not apply to your home. The comps will only be effective when comparing apples to apples, including age of the property, square footage, and desirability (dream homes might be able to tack on a premium). Other considerations include lot size and configuration, amenities and upgrades. Your agent can also compare final sales prices against original list prices.

Check Out Your Competition
Your agent can find out the details on pending sales in your neighborhood and how long these homes have been on the market. Take a careful look at the active listings as well. Remember that sellers can ask whatever they like, so the prices you see might not reflect the final sales amount. Tour the homes if possible to experience what buyers will find when they visit. Your agent will help you evaluate what makes your home preferable to these and adjust your asking price accordingly.

Market Trends and Micro Trends
Your agent will consider national, regional and local market trends when setting the price for your home. National factors could include possible rising interest rates. Locally, consider whether sales prices in your neighborhood have been rising or falling. Micro trends are changes that could directly affect your neighborhood. For example, is a new shopping center or park being built nearby? These sorts of things can increase the value of your home.

Be Aware of Your Immediate Neighbors
Even the most luxurious house can be adversely affected if the people living across the street never mow the lawn or have a fence that is falling down. On the other hand, if they have a lovely garden and pristine curb appeal, that could help you as you determine the asking price for your home.

Your agent will be invaluable to you as you evaluate all of these details. Working with a reputable, experienced agent will make all the difference as you negotiate the entire sales process. Lean on your agent to guide you successfully to set just the right price and meet your goal for the sale of your home.

Moving is hard for everybody, especially if you have children living at home. Leaving behind neighborhood playmates, best friends and school routines is hard for little ones, elementary-age kids and teenagers alike. Whether you are moving across town or to another state, the stress of the change means extra care needs to be given to the younger members of your family.

Make the move into a family adventure for you to share together. Keep everyone informed on what’s going to happen and when. If you are moving because of a job promotion, tell your kids why you’re excited for the change. Maybe you’re moving to a warmer climate, to a ski or beach area, or maybe to a bigger house. However it’s possible, accentuate the positive. Let them know you’re interested in their feelings about the move and that you count on their help to make it a good experience. Do a little research on your new community and make a list of the fun things to look forward to do there. Parks, pools, sports teams and schools are just a few of the features that should be of interest to the whole family.

Include the children in as much of the move preparation as you can. Let them pack their unbreakables themselves. It will give them something to do and may actually be a help for you. The kids might be able to sort out clothes or other things that they don’t want any more. Have bags and boxes marked “Donations” handy during packing so the extra stuff is gone before the move. Make sure each child has at least one “Open Me First” box with their most special toys or possessions to be unpacked right away and help them feel at home in the new house.

Talk about the layout of your new place and let the children choose their new rooms. Planning paint colors and where their bed and belongings will go can ease the anxiety when packing up their old rooms. When you finally get to your destination, try to get their rooms unpacked and sorted as quickly as possible. Familiar objects in the new house will be comforting for everyone.

Sticking to a routine during the move will be a challenge, but do the best you can. Regular mealtimes and bedtimes will help keep emotions more steady. If you have a regular family game night or movie night, make that happen even if you’re still living in boxes or on the road.

For many children, especially teenagers, leaving their friends behind is the toughest part of a move. Encourage them to keep in touch with their old group as they work on finding a new circle. With the abundance of social media available, they can easily Skype, text and FaceTime with their old friends. Nobody wants to be the “new kid” and it will take time for new friendships to grow. Make an effort to meet your new neighbors and get your children involved in activities as soon as possible. Go together to the new school to meet teachers and the principal.

It will take some time for your children to feel at home in your new location. Don’t expect it to happen overnight; the process will likely take several weeks. But eventually, the unfamiliar will become normal and your transition to your new home will be complete.

Spring is an optimum time for home sales as the largest number of buyers start their search. Take advantage of this busiest sales season by sprucing up your home inside and out. Strong curb appeal is extremely important for making the best first impression and you want potential buyers to be delighted when they step inside your front door.

Wash away all signs of winter grime around your property. Scrub ice melt, sand and salt off the driveway and sidewalks. Rent a power washer if necessary. Clean away leaves, sticks and debris and freshen flowerbeds with new mulch. Trim hedges and overhanging branches. Flowers add so much charm, so check out the kinds of plants that will thrive in cool early spring days. Some good choices might include pansies, viola, creeping phlox, alyssum and snapdragons. If it is too early in your area to start bedding plants, put potted plants outside. You can bring them in if frost threatens and they will brighten your front steps and patio. If your lawn is ready to mow, cut it on the diagonal to make your yard appear larger.

Make the front of your house look bright and clean. It’s the first thing buyers see when they arrive for a showing. A fresh coat of paint on the front door is an excellent idea. If the door’s hardware is tarnished beyond repair, replace it. You might need to touch up the paint on exterior trim and the garage doors as well. Buy a new outside mat so everyone can wipe their feet before entering. Clean up your outside furniture and set it in place.

Do everything you can to bring the light into your home. Sell the sparkle! Wash windows inside and out. Polish all the mirrors so they reflect back the light. The heavy drapes that have kept out the winter cold need to be taken down or tied back. Rooms look brighter when the sunshine can stream in unhindered. Try sheers for a lighter look. On mild days, open the windows so the breeze can blow through.

Now that the light is in, make a serious evaluation of what it shows. Clean the carpets and decide if any should be replaced or re-stretched. Shine your tile floors and bleach dull grout. Polish wood floors and keep the dust off. Check for cobwebs in the corners and grit on air registers. Clean window blinds, window sills and all the other nooks and crannies that have gathered winter grime.

Declutter everywhere: closets, basement, cupboards and garage. Toss and donate the things you no longer need and get a head start packing away the items you will move to your new home. Minimize table top decorations and wall hangings. Your house will feel bigger when you remove unnecessary clutter and it will be ready for staging the rooms to show.

Put plenty of focus on the kitchen and bathrooms. Even if they haven’t been updated recently, a few simple fixes, such as caulking or new faucets, can give them a fresh look. Check all your doors, door frames and cabinets for nicks. Repair them with a good scratch cover or touch up the paint where necessary. Replace old, droopy shower curtains. If you make some small repairs, your home will have a polished look. It’s easy to ignore these little fixes, but the flaws may really jump out at the potential buyers.

When you’re finally ready, get your house on the market right away. It’s better to be first on the market before you have a lot of competition. All the shining, primping and decluttering you’ve done will pay off. Your potential buyers may not even know why they find your home so appealing, but they’ll have a feeling they are seeing a clean, well-cared-for residence that may be perfect for their next home.