Attention integrators… now might be the time to start installing above-ground swimming pools in your clients’ front yards, because apparently that is more beneficial to the assessment of a home than a home theater. Indeed, there are a lot of elements that can negatively affect the value of a home, but a home theater? Yes. According to a recent article in Yahoo Finance, putting in a home theater is the third-worst thing you can do to hurt the value of your home.
The article, entitled, “Surprising Things That Can Hurt Your Home’s Value,” contends that home theaters have very limited appeal, only for families who like to stay at home or movie buffs.
But the rest of potential buyers may not see their “vision” with a home theater, says the article. And a “customized, often built-in home theater” would be particularly daunting for a new homebuyer looking to “potentially tear out.”
I have a friend who is a big real estate agent in an affluent part of Los Angeles and he once told me a story of a client who gutted a $500,000 theater so they could replace it with a wine cellar. But if you have the money, is it really deterrent to purchasing the home?
At least home theaters were not labeled as the worst home amenity. That was reserved for “personalized kitchens.”
According to the article, particular décor for a kitchen, including niche tiles, ultra-modern cabinets and high-end appliances may only appeal to the tastes of the existing homeowner, and as such potential buyers will want to rip it out and redo the kitchen, which can be costly.
The second worst amenity is an “overboard bathroom,” according to the article. Specifically, jetted sauna bathtubs and multi-head showers are called out as the most offensive. Again, the justification for labeling this as an unfavorable amenity is the cost of gutting the bathroom to make it more generic.
The rest of the list of negative-value amenities is:
- Dark paint
- Too much carpet
- Wallpaper
- Converted garage
- Swimming pool
- Big bedrooms
- Too much décor
Who knew that for all these years integrators have been impairing the value of their clients’ homes, not improving them.
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The same apparently goes for interior designers who have been helping design kitchens and baths for their customers… little did they know they should have just left the Formica countertop and plywood floor in place!
