5 Common Things That Reduces the Value of A House

by Judy Szablak 02/19/2019

When trying to sell any property, getting the best deal is what you should try to achieve. However, this is not usually the case every time. There are factors, some within and others outside your control that could reduce the overall face value of your house.It helps to know some of the essential things that might prevent you from getting a good deal on your property.

1. Noisy Neighbors

Noisy neighbors are downright annoying and a turnoff. It is one of the external factors that reduce the value of a property. While there is nothing much you can do about this, it can reduce the overall value of a house by 5 to 10%.

2. Registered Sex Offenders

The presence of sex offenders generally limits the value of a home. That is not surprising as no one wants to stay in areas that have a terrible reputation due to that kind of crimes. Records have it that the presence of a sex offender can limit the overall value of a house by as much as 12%.

3. Horrible Schools

Many home buyers give massive preference to top quality schools before choosing a house. Records have it that home closer to high-quality school do benefit from the proximity. An area with good schools increases the overall face value of the property because it becomes attractive to families with children. The reverse is the case as well. Houses in the same neighborhood as low ranking or bad quality school are not usually valued high.

4. Some Renovations

Although renovations add to the overall value of a house, some upgrades can repel prospective home buyers. An example is a swimming pool in environments with cooler climates is a turn-off. This most times is due to the expensive upkeep. Besides, if you have gone overboard to maintain your lawn or garden, it could repel prospective homeowners. The maintenance obligation that comes with owning a carefully tended lawn can be discouraging to some potential buyers.

5. Unusual Colors

Bear in mind that the first things a buyer notice about your home is the color. If your house color stands out excessively among the house or properties in the neighborhood, it could affect the price negatively. Unpopular colors also apply to the interior. With odd colors inside, many potential buyers would dread living in it. Poor color choices might reduce the overall value of your property as the buyer will need to consider the cost of repainting.

Some of the things that affect the overall value of a home are out of your control. However, you can do all in your capacity to make the ones in your control work in your favor. Speak with a local real estate agent to help you assess your property's value before listing on the market.

About the Author
Author

Judy Szablak

With over 30 years in the industry, Realtor Judy Szablak has been on national television for her real estate expertise on the HGTV Network, featured on Martha Stewart Living Radio "Morning Living” , NPR radio as an expert real estate panelist, It’s Relevant News channel, and quoted in the Wall Street Journal for her in depth knowledge of Fairfield County Connecticut real estate.

She was also on the local NPR radio station (WSHU) as a Fairfield County CT real estate expert. Judy has provided multiple online respected news sources with her real estate expertise including The Daily Easton, The Daily Weston, The Daily Fairfield, The Daily Stamford and The Daily Greenwich, as well as in print in the New York Post. She is a weekly Real Estate Columnist for WestportNow.com, another real estate column "Real Estate With Judy” is syndicated through Hearst CT Media Online and seen in The Connecticut Post, The Danbury News-Times, The Stamford Advocate, The Greenwich Time, The Hour, Fairfield Citizen, Westport News, Darien News, New Canaan News and the Wilton Villager.

 Judy is also the author of the book, The Art of Buying or Selling a Home, available at all major book retailers. Additionally, Judy has been nationally recognized in a number of national real estate trade magazines, some with distribution to over 1 million members. She was featured in Real Estate Today as early as 1994 for her commitment to, and implementation of technology in real estate. Judy appeared in the Certified Residential Specialist Magazine, as she provided advice on marketing strategies and ethics in the article titled "Marketing Makeovers.”

 Judy was also featured in REALTOR® Magazine, regarding image enhancement for Realtors. She was again featured in REALTOR® Magazine, in an article on "Achieving Flow” and operating at optimal peak performance. In another article in the same publication, Judy offered guidance to fellow real estate professionals as she explored the topic of implementing and maintaining personal websites. She has appeared in The Council of Residential Specialists Magazine, which featured her ideas regarding technology. Additionally, Judy authored an article on marketing and technology for the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Online Magazine. On two occasions, in 2015 and 2017, she appeared as a featured agent in Top Agent Magazine. I have a few other websites- www.TheCtrealtyBlog.com www.CtHomesAndRealEstate.com www.BestWestportHomes.com www.ThePetitePowerhouse.com www,SzablakConsulting.com