All that Glitters is not Gold, but it still Glitters for Me

All that Glitters is not Gold, but it still Glitters for Me

I often hear people wonder that if they perform renovations on their house if they will be able to recoup their investment.  While well meaning, this is not the right question to ask.  Think about this for a minute.  Are you more concerned with pleasing others or pleasing yourself?  While I commend anyone who puts the needs of others in front of themselves, I typically do not favor this conduct when determining the functionality and livability of your own home.

What would your home look like if all your energies were focused on having the greatest appeal to the general population.  After all, if you want to maximize value for the money you put into your home, wouldn’t you want to undertake projects that would appeal to the greatest universe of homebuyers.  In that case, you would most likely have beige walls, slightly darker large tile, maybe generic granite countertops and simple maple cabinets.  Awesome.  Your home is now the most boring house on the street!

I am not saying you should totally disregard value creation.  In other words, don’t undertake head scratching renovations that leave you thinking “I did what?” after the work is complete.  As I have mentioned in previous blogs, the best renovations are the ones that look like they have always been there.  However, you should focus the bulk of your efforts on making sure that your renovation expresses your own wants and desires.  Remember, it is your home, not some else’s home (at least not yet).  Undertake work that will make you happy, that will create a sense of peace for you.  Let’s be honest.  If you are in love with the result, how do you put a price on your own satisfaction?  So what if a future buyer does not share your taste.  It is your taste and it works for the way you live.  Let the others find that mind numbing combination of beige colors in someone else’s home.

Until next time…

Keep kicking the dirt!