Thinking about selling your home? Did you know some of the features you’ve grown to love – or learned to live with – might actually be turning buyers away or dragging down your home’s resale value? 

Whether it's quirky design choices, outdated finishes, or awkward renovations, there are seemingly harmless home features that can lower your property’s value.

Surprising Home Features That Decrease Property Value

To help you avoid common property value mistakes, we’ve rounded up a few home features that can really lower your property value. Some of these surprised us; let’s see if you feel the same. 

1. Overly Personalized Renovations

Your bright purple kitchen or jungle-themed bathroom may scream personality but, to buyers, it screams extra work. When people can’t picture themselves in your space, they start mentally calculating how much it’ll cost to neutralize your bold choices. That type of disconnect can hurt your resale value.

2. Different Flooring Types

Mixing hardwood, tile, laminate, and carpet throughout the house can make your home feel choppy and disjointed. Buyers tend to prefer a cohesive look and, when the flooring feels like a patchwork quilt, it can make the entire space seem less polished and more expensive to fix.

3. Converted Garages

Turning the garage into an extra room might feel like a space-saving win, but most buyers still want that secure place to park, store gear, or set up a workshop. If you lose the garage, you risk losing offers.

4. Unfinished Bonus Rooms

A basement or attic that’s almost finished can raise red flags. Buyers may wonder if the work was done properly or why it wasn’t completed. To them, it might feel more like a project than potential.

5. Outdated Kitchens

Kitchens sell homes, but not when they look like a throwback to the '90s. Old cabinets, laminate countertops, and clunky appliances are major turnoffs. Even if everything works, outdated features signal a big renovation cost ahead.

6. Carpeting in Every Room

Wall-to-wall carpet used to be all the rage. Now, not so much. Many buyers prefer hard flooring that’s easy to clean and doesn’t trap allergens. Carpet everywhere can make your place feel dated and make them start pricing out hardwood before they’ve seen the rest of the house.

7. Bold Exterior Paint

A bright pink front door or neon green siding might be you, but buyers tend to prefer something a little more… neutral. First impressions matter and, if your home’s paint job stands out for the wrong reasons, it can scare buyers off before they even step inside.

8. Poor Lighting

Dark, shadowy rooms can make a home feel smaller and less inviting, even if they’re spacious. Natural light is a big selling point so, if your house is dim, it might be time to swap heavy drapes for something breezier and add a few well-placed fixtures.

9. Loud Neighborhood Noise

You can’t move your house, but you can be realistic about its surroundings. Whether it’s near a busy road, school, or train track, consistent outside noise can seriously impact how buyers feel about your place – and how much they’re willing to pay for it.

10. Swimming Pools in the Wrong Market

A pool sounds dreamy – unless buyers see it as a liability. In neighborhoods where pools aren’t common, they can be more of a maintenance nightmare than a luxury. And, in some cases, families with young kids may even see it as a safety risk.

11. Too Much Landscaping

Curb appeal certainly matters. But going overboard with hedges, fountains, and flower beds may make buyers see your yard as a weekend job. In some instances, a high-maintenance garden can feel like a burden, not a bonus.

12. Outdated or Damaged Roofing

Even if your roof isn’t leaking, signs of age – like curling shingles or sagging spots – can make buyers uneasy. No one wants to move in and immediately tackle a major repair.

13. Low-Quality Windows

Drafty, old, or single-pane windows can be another red flag. Buyers might think of future utility bills, outside noise, and expensive replacements. Newer, energy-efficient windows are a big selling point and, if yours aren’t cutting it, it could impact your bottom line.

14. Built-Ins That Limit Flexibility

Custom shelving or desks might seem like a smart use of space but, if they’re too specific or take up an entire wall, buyers might feel boxed in. People like to imagine their own furniture fitting in without working around yours.

15. Over-the-Top Security Features

A few security cameras? Totally fine. But, a home bristling with surveillance gear and reinforced doors might make buyers wonder if there’s a reason for all that hardware. Too much might send up a red flag about the neighborhood.

16. Poorly Done DIY Projects

DIY is great… if it’s done well. Crooked tiles, wonky shelves, or uneven paint jobs might suggest other, less visible issues. Buyers might assume that, if the cosmetic stuff is sloppy, the structural work might be, too.

What Decreases Home Value?

Before you list your home, take a good, hard look at things that could hurt your home resale value. From outdated home features to avoid, to renovations that feel more personal than practical, these things can hurt your home's resale value, even if they seemed like a good idea at the time.

The good news? Many of these features that make homes harder to sell are fixable. A little effort now may mean fewer days on the market and better offers down the line.

But, if you’re serious about selling, remember this: it’s not about what you love in your home; it’s about what buyers see. Here’s hoping you too many home features that lower your property value standing in your way.