Part of the fun of owning your own home is being able to do what you want with it. But if you're planning to sell the house in the next few years, you'll want to think about how those changes will be viewed by potential buyers. Will they love that fabric-textured wallpaper as much as you do?

The truth is, there are some home improvements that can actually hurt your home in the eyes of a buyer. Think carefully before you launch into any of these projects:

Removing bedrooms. Have your heart set on combining two bedrooms into a spacious master suite? Or maybe you want to convert one bedroom into a permanent home office with a wall of built-in shelves. Before you start, think about how many bedrooms will be left. Number of bedrooms is typically on a buyer's must-have list. Your master suite will be tempting to potential buyers, but it likely won't make up for not having enough bedrooms overall.

Eliminating closets. Same idea. As prospects are walking through your home, they're imagining their belongings in it. If they can't figure out where they're going to store clothing or linens because you've hijacked the closets for other purposes, it's going to be a tougher sell.

Converting a garage into living space. Using a garage for an additional bedroom or a new family room sounds good if you have a large driveway. But it might not pay off, particularly if every other house in the neighborhood has a garage. Especially in some areas of Roanoke County, an attached garage is expected. Not having one could reduce potential traffic when your house goes on the market.

Covering hardwood floors. Love them or hate them, hardwood floors -- particularly if they're original -- are a draw for many homebuyers. For families with children running in and out, wood floors are easy to keep clean. For others, they cut down on allergens and are a versatile design feature. Rethink the wall-to-wall carpeting and consider large area rugs instead.

Overpersonalization of kids' bedrooms. Chalkboard paint or princess wallpaper could turn off someone who just wants to use the room as a guest room. More permanent architectural changes such as built-in bunk beds or toy storage will be even greater deterrents.

High-end custom renovations. Deluxe kitchens and home theaters can be great additions, but will buyers be willing to pay for them? When thinking about these kinds of projects, consider them in the context of the whole package you're presenting. If the improvements are out of character for the home or the neighborhood, you might find yourself in the position of having to give them away or risk pricing yourself out of your home's market.

Over-the-top landscaping. Just because you love to spend hours outside caring for your landscaping (like I do) doesn't mean a potential buyer is going to want to do the same. Where you see an escape and a place you can get your hands in the dirt, a buyer could see long days spent weeding and tracking that dirt back into the house.

If you're planning to put your house on the market within a few years, you want to choose projects wisely now to ensure the improvements will add value for years to come. Do that, and your listing will stand out to buyers for the right reasons.

Let's talk about the improvements you've made to your home and how to market them to buyers. Contact me anytime at (540) 793-0442 or at rpayne@mkbrealtors.com. Take a look atmy listings here and be sure to like my page on Facebook.