10 Surprising Things that Decrease Property Value

Wednesday Aug. 24th, 2022


When you buy a house, it becomes your most valuable property.

Normally, all homeowners are sure their home is the most valuable, but you need to remember that many factors affect its worth.

Some of those factors are the number of bathrooms and bedrooms. Other important factors include location, the square footage, the school district, and others.

Our goal is to help you lower the risk of decreasing your home value. We present you with a list of 10 surprising things that decrease property value.

1. Wet Ceiling Problems

Wet ceiling problems are becoming more evident in homes with bad roofs. Even small leaks may cause enormous damage to your ceiling. It will get wet, and you will notice a significant amount of mold. If you want to raise the value of your home, replacing old stained ceiling tiles with new tiles and panels will be a great decision.

2. School District Details

It is very important to have a good school in your neighborhood. If the school in your area is not healthy or has a bad reputation, that can decrease the value of the home near it. People like to live near safe schools because of their kids. The bad side is that you cannot do much about it.

3. Bad Neighborhood

This is one very important factor that can decrease the value of your property. Potential buyers can easily drive around your neighborhood and see what your home looks like. This can happen even before the visit.

If the houses are poorly pigmented, people who love to jog or walk a lot will find them boring and ugly. If you have neighbors who are constantly fighting or a lot of loud barking dogs around, that won't help you either. You cannot do much about it, but you must keep it in mind!

4. Exterior Paint Quality

If your exterior paint is of poor quality, it will decrease the value of your home. Don't forget that the first impression is very important! Many buyers love neutral colors like cream, beige, white, and gray. Pick some of those colors when painting your house. Make it look perfect at first sight!

5. Outdated Bathrooms and Kitchens

Most people love modern designs inside their homes. But, especially when we talk about bathrooms and kitchens, no one will find it attractive if your kitchen looks 50 years old. If a buyer doesn’t like the look of your kitchen or bathrooms, they will immediately calculate the renovation cost. This won't help you, as it will prolong the process of selling your house.

6. Damaged Roof

Having a good roof is a very important thing for buyers. A roof protects everything inside of the house, making a big difference in the value of your property.

Obvious leaks or physical damage is something buyers will see immediately.

The good thing is that you can fix it easily if you want to sell your home. The bad thing is that fixing your roof can be very expensive. Buyers know that, too, and they will calculate that cost pretty easily and rethink buying your home.

7. Unsightly Yard

Your house value will suffer if the yard is full of clutter or in poor condition. No one will think about buying a house where they cannot relax in a nice garden. The good thing is that you can easily change it, put a little pond or a barbeque, or simply clean it; it will increase its value and give a better first impression.

8. Certain Facilities Around You

This is a very important thing for future homeowners. Buyers do not love when they have certain facilities around them. It decreases the home’s value a lot.

Some of those facilities are bad schools – as we said before, cemeteries, homeless shelters, power plants, and many others. You cannot do anything to change this thing, but you can keep it in mind when you try to choose the price of your home.

9. Carpets

People nowadays do not like a lot of carpets. The main reasons for that are that they are not easy to maintain and look old-fashioned. Modern homes mostly have a lot of carpet-free areas that are easy to clean. On the other hand, the color of carpets can also affect the first impression of home buyers. Consider removing carpets or changing them before you start selling your home.

10. Delayed Maintenance

If you have problems around your home, you need to fix them as soon as possible. Some serious repairs need to be fixed before buyers come to visit.

Some of the problems, like a small drip from your water heater, may seem like they're not a big deal, but they are. These can cause many problems later on and leave buyers with a bad first impression.

So even if your home looks good now, it is very important to maintain it regularly!

The Takeaway

Take good care of your home, and do everything that is in your power to increase property value. There are things that you cannot change, but luckily - there are those which can be fixed.

We recommend you use this list in order to keep in mind some important factors that determine the value of your property. This can help you make the best offer possible when selling your house.