Some may actually hurt at sale time

Homeowners can find plenty of information on which improvements will help boost the value of their houses. But what about those remodeling projects that end up hurting you at sale time?

Holly Slaughter, brand manager and consumer experience expert for RealEstate.com. said there is much less attention paid to what to avoid when remodeling.

Consider the following seven deadly home-improvement sins before committing to projects that may work against you.

1. Overexpanding. Keeping up with the Joneses is fine, but don't overdo it with a procession of additions -- unless you plan on staying put. A home that becomes conspicuously larger and more expensive than its neighbors may be difficult to sell, Slaughter said.

Moreover, remodeling doesn't always pay. The 2005 ``Cost vs. Value Report" by the National Association of Realtors and Remodeling magazine found that homeowners were able to recoup 83 percent of the cost of a family-room addition and 82 percent of the cost of a midrange master-suite addition.

2. Making your home into something it's not. Don't change the general architecture or style of the home, and make sure that renovations match. For example, a modern steel door doesn't belong on a ranch house built in the 1970s, Slaughter said.

3. Changing a room's functionality. Completely altering the purpose of a room is risky. So keep kitchens as kitchens and bathrooms as bathrooms -- they were built that way for a reason.

Even with the rising number of people who work at home, building up an office also can be a negative, said Tom Stevens, president of the National Association of Realtors. The National Association of Realtors/Remodeling magazine study found that installing a computer workstation, office storage, and commercial carpeting -- as well as rewiring the room for computer and fax use -- only produced an average 73 percent return on investment.

4. Doing it yourself -- when you shouldn't. Be confident you're capable of taking on a project before attempting to do it yourself.

``I wouldn't try and fix my own car, why would someone want to fix their own house?" said Michael Nagel, vice chairman of the National Association of Home Builders' Remodelors Council. He frequently sees sloppy tile jobs, for example.

The National Association of Home Builders' website advises checking professional candidates with local or state offices of consumer protection and the local Better Business Bureau.

5. Underbudgeting. Homeowners routinely make this mistake and end up 20 to 30 percent off in their budgets, Slaughter said.

Be conservative when budgeting, Nagel said. Expenses usually are added to jobs and rarely subtracted.

6. Making unnecessary renovations. When remodeling for resale, proceed first with projects that are going to have the highest rate of return. The National Association of Realtors/Remodeling magazine study has identified four projects that show the greatest return at resale: improvements to siding, windows, kitchens, and bathrooms.

In the 2005 study, a midrange bathroom renovation paid off with an average 102 percent return on investment and a minor kitchen-remodeling job returned 99 percent of its cost.

7. Neglecting regular maintenance. Don't forget proper maintenance and annual upkeep -- those may be the most important improvements of all. Make sure the home is painted as needed, clean the gutters to protect from water damage to the exterior, trim shrubs, and check for termites. Keep track of annual checkups and use that as a selling point, Slaughter said.