9 House Renovations To Rethink and 10 Various House Enhancements You’ll Love

Home renovations aren’t for fads. They serve two main purposes: form and function. Renovations don’t add simple aesthetic changes like a room makeover or upgrade.

Instead, renovations alter the structure or design of a room. These home improvements can increase market and property value if well-researched and planned. A good renovation boosts energy efficiency and is cost-effective. Even more aesthetic upgrades need to offer more than short-term value.

Personal preferences can inform home improvement, but overly customized features can exclude future buyers. Potential resale value shouldn’t be the only deciding factor, as some personal touches can enhance the overall quality. Many updates depend on when or if you plan to sell the house. If you are remodeling with resale in mind, some renovations might cause more regret than return on investment (ROI).

1. Open Concept in High-Use Areas

Although open-concept spaces are all the rage, consider a few downsides if your home doesn’t already have them. Even with its simple implementation, the heating and cooling costs of maintaining an open-concept design exponentially increase. If the home wasn’t designed for optimal airflow with ducts installed in key places, your HVAC system will work much harder in winter and summer extremes.

It’s pretty cheap to remove walls – assuming they’re not load-bearing. If so, the cost increases fast. Removing structural walls means installing new ones based on the planned layout. The construction costs for installing support beams in place of a load-bearing wall are $4,000 to $10,000. There’s also less privacy due to the connected living room and kitchen. Without the sound barrier, it’s easy to communicate between rooms but removes the sound buffer. Plus, constantly seeing a space full of clutter can add to stress.

2. Quit Horsing Around and Consider a Pony Wall

Instead of a full wall tear-down, consider a half wall instead. Known as pony or knee walls, half walls offer the best of both worlds. Because they come to knee high, there’s some sound barrier and privacy without the rooms being cut off completely.

Pony walls, while decorative, offer the benefits of open concept with functional storage options at a much more affordable cost. With standard drywall, partition walls range from $10 to $20 a square foot. Knee walls, built to bear weight, work well in converted attics and garages.

3. Freestanding Bathtubs

Many dream of a proper bubble bath like some classic 90s rom-com main character. Unfortunately, most homes aren’t built to include the lovely spa tub or classic clawfoot we all dream of. Although timeless, most modern baths emphasize showers or shower/tub combos.

Installing a freestanding tub introduces some problems. Many of these hefty spa tubs come with weight and support requirements, making installation on a second-story bathroom iffy at best. There’s the added inconvenience of nowhere to store bathing products. Getting in and out of the tub poses a higher fall risk. If you want it to be a shower-tub combo, the curtain and showerhead must go all the way around.

4. Walk-in Shower or Tub Conversion

Most often motivated by a desire to update old styles, bathroom remodels cost a pretty penny. As much as updating an old bathroom makes sense, installing a freestanding tub doesn’t make the most sense for every home. Despite the desire for an at-home spa, showers offer more function, especially in master bathrooms.

Consider upgrading existing features if a total bathroom remodel and a fancy bathtub isn’t in the budget. If you want the luxury of a freestanding spa tub, consider upgrading the size of your current bathtub from a standard to a soaking tub. Even with the overlap and wide price range of bathtubs in the right space, a soaking tub upgrade could cost as little as $600.

A walk-in shower could replace that underused tub if it’s within budget. These conversions range from $3,500 to $15,000. With that high price point, you might as well get that freestanding tub – assuming the space allows it. And it’s still cheaper than the average master bathroom remodel cost of $30,000.

5. Permanent Spare Bedroom Conversion

Converting a spare bedroom to a walk-in closet wastes so much space. The next homeowners may need less storage for clothing. Removing bedrooms drops the market value of a home.

Although the appeal of extra space and storage seems like a good use of money, it’s a waste if it costs you more by degrading the home’s value. When additional bedrooms can increase a home’s value from $30,000 to $50,000, it makes little sense to take away those spaces.

6. Multipurpose Spare Room

Don’t get me wrong. Converting a spare room isn’t a bad idea. But permanently altering it into a walk-in closet makes almost no sense. Instead, consider temporary alternatives like a DIY built-in closet. Then, the room still provides the storage for your oversized wardrobe, but it can be a multipurpose space.

Instead of a spare room serving a singular purpose, consider making it a storage space, home office, and playroom. Even with built-in closet features around the room, a Murphy bed still makes it an easily converted space. It’s your flexible walk-in closet when not in use as a guest room. Plus, your prized items can now be ‘decor’ when unused. And, if the itch to keep stuff is your biggest motivator for that walk-in closet, the most cost-effective solution yet is decluttering.

7. Try Adding Instead of Subtracting

If you need more space and decluttering isn’t an option, consider adding to the house. Make sure it’s in the budget first. Even simple additions cost tens of thousands of dollars. But adding bedrooms to a home most often increases its value.

Sometimes, unresearched additions can make a house harder to sell. The high cost-to-value ratio of additions makes them more appealing than a simple, less useful room conversion – if you’re already spending the big bucks anyway.

8. Custom Tile, Hardwood, and Wall Panel Designs

That viral TikTok DIY showing off hexagonal wall trim looks super cute, right? However, trend-based renovations offer more problems than aesthetics. Even with a do-it-yourself attitude, many home upgrades come with high materials costs, especially with tile and hardwood.

Even for affordable dupes, replacing flooring or countertops isn’t cheap. Or, the cheaper alternative often looks cheap instead of chic. Although wall paneling seems a good idea, an overly stylized design can age the house. Try to mimic classic designs when opting for a house update like this. Or, do something temporary like paneled wallpaper.

9. Open Kitchen Shelving

Floating shelves look great. They’re trendy, seamless, and perfect for showcasing decor. Plus, they make for easy access. Well, sort of. Open shelves work best as functional decor. Yet, even the sturdiest shelves can’t support the same weight as traditional kitchen storage. That means installing more shelving to support all that flatware.

However, you’re reducing storage if you don’t have the wall space for open shelves. Plus, that means your kitchen items are always on display. If these aren’t decorative, it can make the space feel cluttered. Dusting these items regularly is a must, too.

10. Mix It Up With Cabinets and Shelves

Kitchen cabinets remain a storage staple for many reasons. They offer plenty of space for anything you want to keep out of sight. Even if your cabinets aren’t an unsightly mess, keeping the visual clutter out of sight is a great plus.

If cabinets aren’t for you, and you want open shelves, consider both. Use lower cabinets for bulkier, less aesthetic items. The open shelving can hold everyday items and a few decor pieces. Open shelves work for coffee nooks and more. Or, opt for statement storage by repurposing an old cabinet with glass doors (if you still want to see your items).

11. Covering or Dismantling a Fireplace

Removing or taking them apart might seem like a good idea for folks who can’t stand fireplaces. First, consider where you live. For areas with long, cold winters, a fireplace is a must. Even in areas where winter is brief but intense, you might still benefit from a functioning fireplace.

Moving to an area with a fireplace might seem like an eyesore for folks from warmer climates. Or it may take up too much space. There are plenty of temporary ways to make that space decorative and cozy. Think about placing a candelabra or several large pillar candles in the fireplace. Or, make the cover a decorative art piece. And use the mantle as a hidden storage space for that frame TV.

12. High-Maintenance Garden Updates

Although some folks want a koi pond, most don’t. Or, a hard-to-care-for rose garden seems romantic but takes a lot of upkeep. If you’re not planning to treat a house as your ‘forever home,’ avoid these expensive updates.

Unique garden designs appeal to guests, but no one wants to spend excessive cash on keeping delicate non-native species alive. Fish ponds require more work with exotic imports like koi.

13. Build a Swimming Hole

If you want a pond or other water feature beneficial to the environment, have you considered a natural swimming pool? Eco-friendliness aside, these ‘ponds’ are much lower maintenance than actual fish ponds or regular pools. These pools focus on natural details, making them work in various climates. Although expensive, they cost about as much as traditional in-ground pools with professional installation.

You don’t have to hire a designer or architect – though you should if you’re not comfortable DIYing on this level. For those who are, you can find DIY kits for swimming ponds online. You don’t have to use expensive chemicals, decreasing maintenance costs. You need larger space, but when properly designed, it’s self-filtering.

14. Garage Conversion or Demo

Converting or demolishing a garage appeals to many people. Sometimes, you need the extra space and want another bedroom. Or, the garage is old and worn, desperate to be torn down. The downsides of an unnecessary garage demo are that it decreases property value and removes storage.

The best circumstance for a garage demo is if you already have covered parking. If it’s a rented house and tenants still have accessible parking, a covering or garage isn’t considered essential. Plus, you still need outdoor storage if you have a shed on the property.

15. Tree Removal

Unless it’s dead, leave it alone. Like seriously. Old trees add value to a property – anywhere from seven to nineteen percent. Short of an insurance risk, like falling in a storm, old trees are better for your land. They drop the utility bill for cooling when large enough, especially if they shade the house. Trees release water vapor with transpiration, which the EPA relies on to reduce heat islands.

Talk to a landscape designer or arborist before you tear down that old tree. Remove roots that grow towards the foundation instead of tearing the whole thing down. And if you do have old trees, get them inspected annually for insurance and proper care. Mitigate potential risks with preventive maintenance.

Cheapest No-Regret Renovations With the Highest ROI

With so many possible home improvements, it’s tempting to cash in on those that add home value. Regardless of budget, it’s vital to focus on cost-effective renovations that add value.

Determine which improvements offer a high return on investment and the most function for your home. Energy-efficient upgrades also have a long-term impact on current or future homeowners.

16. Replace or Covert an Old HVAC

Improving insulation and solar power do wonders for utility bills, as does upgrading that decades-old air conditioner. Most old HVAC units run off gas.

Converting the furnace to an electric heat pump involves removing old ductwork, grilles, drywall patching, and more. With a national average job cost of $17,750 and a resale value of $18,366, the recouped cost sits at 103.5%.

17. Garage Door Replacement

Instead of tearing down that defunct garage door, replace it! A new garage door boosts curb appeal – an invaluable home-selling aspect.

Replacing a garage door runs around $4,000 nationally, making it a more affordable upgrade than demoing the whole thing.

18. Updating Entry Door

What is the most cost-effective update you’ll find for curb appeal? Replacing the front door. With an average cost of $1,100, it’s a deal.

Even Zillow shows that small updates like paint color can increase sale value by thousands of dollars.

19. Replace Vinyl Siding

Updating vinyl siding offers multiple benefits. Besides increasing curb appeal, it adds a lasting upgrade to a home.

Vinyl siding wears out faster than other exterior materials. Fiber cement and stone veneer offer better durability and aesthetics than vinyl siding. Depending on the preferred material, this costly upgrade nets an average of 88.5% to 102.3%.

Renovations That Add Value to Your Home

Upgrading the interior or exterior of your home is a great idea. It makes a house feel more you and can increase its value when done well. Research the best improvements based on price and personal usefulness.

Elevating curb appeal always increases sale value. And considering local real estate markets for major remodels like additions or demos can yield a higher return than just going for it.