It might be tempting to exchange the old for the new, but if it is not something people actually need, they might be better off resisting the urge.
Holly Bowden, a real estate agent with Ray White Wilston in Brisbane, Australia, says the first thing homeowners should remember when renovating is to avoid adding anything that won't bring value to the property.
"Recently, a client asked me if they should change their windows to aluminum; there was nothing wrong with the windows — they were beautiful — so that's not going to add value," she explains.
According to Bowden, home remodeling should strike a careful balance between broad appeal and individual character, even if you aren't planning an immediate sale. While risk-averse designers might push for complete depersonalization to make a house marketable, she believes keeping a touch of personality is actually a benefit.
Bowden warns against the hyper-neutral, all-white-and-cream aesthetic, noting that it strips away color and leaves a property looking identical to every other house on the block.
To avoid creating a cold, overly stark environment, she recommends infusing some color and personal style, or working with a skilled designer who knows how to make a space feel distinct without overdoing it.
Another big no-no is DIY renovations. Bowden encourages owners to use professionals when seriously upgrading a home.
“I've seen it where people say 'I've done it myself' rather than getting a professional, then it looks botched and doesn't look great," the real estate agent adds.
If the owners ever want to sell their house, buyers will definitely notice the poor workmanship and start to doubt the quality of the entire property.
Some of the transformations you see on this list might very well be the work of house flippers. Every residential area has a price ceiling, and if you want to profit when reselling a house, you need to cater to that upper limit before remodeling.
High-end additions that might make sense for a family who plans to stay long-term—like triple-glazed windows, commercial-grade kitchens, or professional-grade appliances—rarely yield a positive return on investment in purely monetary terms.
That's because average buyers usually do not recognize the premium cost or appreciate the added value, meaning resellers rarely recoup their expenses when they build past local market expectations.
When we look at who is the most active in the home remodeling market, the 2026 U.S. Houzz & Home Study shows that Baby Boomers accounted for the largest share of homeowners undertaking renovation projects in 2025 (54%), though this is down five percentage points from the previous year.
Gen Xers followed at 34%, up five points year over year, while Millennials edged up from 8% to 10%.
Gen Z homeowners represent only 0.5% of renovators, up from 0.2% in 2024. But they are significantly more likely to renovate following a recent home purchase (63%) compared with Millennials (31%), Gen Xers (19%), and Baby Boomers (18%).
Among Gen Z renovators, 33% cite lifestyle changes as a trigger for renovation, while 22% point to home damage.