The 11 Home Renovation Projects That Typically Don’t Add Much Value to a House

As you think about all the different ways you can improve your home, there is no shortage of ideas, and YouTube videos tell you how to perform every potential home renovation project you could ever imagine. The challenge is that not every home renovation project will add value to your home. 

There is a definite argument to be made that adding value to a home isn’t the end goal of a renovation project. However, any project you or a homeowner undertakes is always done with at least some hope that it improves a home’s look and its resale value if you ever decide to put your home on the market.  

White Kitchen

One current trend for any home is to remodel an entire kitchen using various shades of white. While everyone loves a White Christmas, nothing is celebrated or notable around a white kitchen. A white kitchen is so common that Zillow says it can hurt a home’s price by more than $600. While this won’t be a substantial amount for a home selling for $419,000 (average American home price), the only real argument is that remodeling a kitchen might be an excellent way to enjoy your home more.

Still, if the emphasis is on eventually selling the house, don’t do it. Today, buyers are looking for unique kitchens that don’t use muted colors and or are returning to the browns and gold that people left behind many years ago. 

Bold Paint Colors

While you may think that painting a room purple or blue is a great way to create some accent colors, the reality is that home buyers have no interest. The good news is that most people will paint a new home as soon as they take possession, but in the interim, as you try to sell a home, bold paint colors will only hurt its potential price tag. 

The most likely scenario here is that bold colors are a distraction and prevent people from seeing the full vision of a home. The best case is that if you are serious about selling your home and want to put it on the market as soon as possible, repaint the walls a neutral color to provide people with a clear vision of the full size of a room and its potential. 

Garage Conversions 

Let’s be abundantly clear and say that while a garage conversion may sound like a great idea while living in a home, it’s terrible if you want to sell your home. The hope is that converting a garage increases your livable space, especially if you live in a warm weather climate where you don’t need to worry about cleaning snow off your car in the middle of winter. 

The bottom line with garage conversions is that while they may be functional, they are expensive, so you need to sell your home for a bit more to make this money back. Consider that the average two-car garage in the US is approximately 360 square feet, a good chunk of potential space that can be repurposed for any number of things without converting it into an extra room. 

Solar Panels

The reality with solar panels is that most buyers won’t want to take over any long-term lease with solar panel installation. Yes, there can be a utility bill benefit, but the overall cost of solar panels can take an entire decade before it starts to pay off, if not longer. Unfortunately, for a current homeowner, most people have no interest in waiting that long to see a return on something they may not have wanted in the first place. 

Home Theater

While there is no question that a home theater may sound like a great idea and a strong use for an extra room in the house, potential buyers might find it frustrating they would need to reconvert a room back to its original purpose. Ultimately, home theaters don’t have universal appeal and can negatively decrease your property’s value. The same can be said for a “game room” or a “man cave,” which might not be of any value to a potential buyer who might otherwise love a home’s layout. 

Swimming Pools

This is a controversial renovation project, as arguments can go both ways, but plenty of evidence supports not installing a pool to increase a home’s value. Now, this might not be true in places like Florida or Southern California, where there is a reasonable expectation that pools are plentiful. 

However, if you are somewhere that only has a few months out of the year where a pool can be used, there is very little reason to think you will ever recoup the installation cost. On top of that, pools can increase your overall cost of living between insurance and maintenance, so you’re already losing out as soon as you purchase a home or even install a pool on your own. 

Personalized Landscaping

Another hugely personal home renovation project that likely only appeals to you is personalized landscaping, which might not be of any value to a potential home buyer. If anything, this “curb appeal” might turn away potential buyers when they pull up to a house. 

Only a few home buyers will want to maintain a well-manicured personalized landscaping project. Most homeowners want to pay a landscaping company to ensure their lawns and bushes are well-maintained and don’t violate HOA policies. 

The Sunroom

With the average sunroom cost amounting to approximately $30,000 in 2025, there is very little reason to suspect you will ever see a 50% return on this investment. Now, there is no question that a sunroom can be enjoyable, but it’s not at the top of many home buyers’ shopping lists when looking at homes. 

Instead, you are better off building or updating a deck that offers the opportunity to host family, barbecue, and enjoy a night under the stars. A deck is much more likely to be of value to a potential home buyer than a sunroom, which, while it might bring in more light, becomes more of a headache as it’s just another room to maintain in a home. 

Luxury Bathrooms

Everyone thinks they want a rainfall shower and a beautiful modern bathroom, but there is little reason to suspect that a bathroom remodel will pay off. According to Zillow, the average estimate of a bathroom overhaul is around $24,000 for a mid-size bathroom. Zillow also estimates that the homes undertaking such a project only return between 37% and 67% of the initial investment when you sell. This means you could be left holding the bag of thousands you are trying to recover when putting your home on the market. 

Luxury Fixtures

One of the least important features you can add to a home is high-end or luxury fixtures that might look good but do little to attract a buyer. Light fixtures can undoubtedly catch a potential buyer’s eye when they walk into a home, but this doesn’t mean they will be willing to pay more just for a light fixture, high-end faucet, or anything else of the sort. 

Kitchen Appliances

When people redo their kitchens, they like replacing all their appliances with high-end, brand-new versions. This might be good for function and give you more storage in a kitchen or freezer, but you won’t find a very good return on these appliances. You’re better off sticking with a traditional stainless steel refrigerator, dishwasher, and oven that can get the job done and doesn’t cost a fortune. 

The post The 11 Home Renovation Projects That Typically Don’t Add Much Value to a House appeared first on 24/7 Wall St..