Mistakes to Avoid When Changing up Your Alaskan Home Design – Part 1

One of the best things about owning your own home is the ability to change it up whenever you’d like and make it your own. There are many renovations we can make to personalize our space. If it’s your forever home, this isn’t a big deal, but if you think that things could change, it might be a good idea to think carefully about your design updates. Divorce, job relocation, and other factors can force a move that will require a home sale and the wrong choices could affect potential buyers offers. How do you know which changes to avoid?

Mistake #1 – Signing a contract for a design move that your buyers may not want
Adding something such as solar may seem like a money saving choice, but it can lead to complications if you get locked into a long-term contract after installation. Buyers may like the house, but not want to take over a contract that you locked them into. If this is something you still want to do, plan to pay it off prior to the closing table.

Mistake #2 – Removing the option of a bathtub
Choosing to remove a bathtub with a shower can reduce the number of potential buyers. A family with small kids will prefer having a bathtub. If it’s a single bathroom house, do not sacrifice the bathtub.

Mistake #3 – Don’t carpet the wrong spots
It’s important to avoid adding carpet anywhere close to water sources. Carpet around a bathtub or sink screams mold or calls to mind gross things that could potentially be in the carpet. Ignore the thought of cushy carpet when you step out of a tub and opt for a washable mat. Carpet around kids and pets is a risk, as well as a carpeted basement. If you want to get the most out of your sale, be cautious with the carpet.

Mistake #4 – Installing a hot tub or pool
You might savor the idea of an inviting hot tub or pool, but buyers can often view them quite differently. A hot tub can be seen as previous owners’ dirty soup, or a pool as a drowning risk for kiddos. It can be a stumbling block when trying to sell your home. Potential buyers may want to avoid the insurance, and maintenance costs.

Mistake #5 – Adding built-ins that others might not love
You may think that a built-in desk sounds amazing, but someone else might want to utilize the room for another purpose. Making permanent built-ins can cause the next owner to have to make costly construction changes. If the new owner must make concessions for renovations, it may cause them to lower the offering price. A blank slate is the best way to get the most out of your sale.

These are just a few of the design moves that you can avoid increasing the possibility of a better sale of your Alaskan home. We will share some more avoidable mistakes in our next article. If you’re looking to sell your home in the Anchorage, Eagle River, Wasilla, and the Mat-Su Valley, we are happy to help!