It’s only natural to want to add some personal touches to your RV to make it feel more like home. It’s a fun process and makes you enjoy your camper even more.
But if you’re planning to sell your RV at some point, you may want to consider the changes you plan to make.
Do RV renovations reduce resale value? Generally, several factors determine the value of an RV. Prices will vary depending on the size of the motorhome, the floor plan, and the year it was made among other things. However, the changes you make have the potential to increase or reduce your resale value.
So, make the right choices.
To help you upgrade your RV without reducing resale value, we’ve shared some effective tips that work regardless of which model you have.
We’ve also shared a list of things that may reduce your resale value despite your renovations. Let’s dive right in.
Table of Contents
Which Renovations Reduce RV Resale Value?
Purchasing a RV is a huge investment. The investment will cost you thousands of dollars.
And you expect to get at least most of your investment back when you sell your RV, right? Unfortunately, even with the best care, you may not get the same value for your RV when you’re selling it.
One of the things that can negatively affect your resale value is renovations. You want to make sure any upgrade you make gives you a resale advantage.
Some of the changes that will negatively affect your resale value include:
- Removing essential appliances: If you found a TV, microwave and other essential appliances, it’s best to leave them there instead of removing. The appliances were added because customers expect them. Removing them will greatly reduce your RV resale value.
- Dead spaces: All the spaces in your RV should be useful. Don’t remove accessories and leave them empty. Doing this makes the RV seem less functional and may affect resale value.
- Reupholstering: This isn’t a good move because you can’t predict what the customer will like. If you don’t like the RV furniture, it’s best to wrap instead of doing a complete makeover. It’s also way cheaper.
- Outdated Upgrades: Old appliances, furniture and cabinet styles will drastically reduce your resale value.
- Destructive Upgrades: Don’t take a sledge hammer onto your motor home with the intention of creating something new. Unless you’re 100% sure the upgrade will give you an advantage when reselling, avoid it.
Source: Outdoorsy
8 Tips to Increase RV Resale Value
Apart from wrong renovations, there are other factors that come to play when deciding resale value.
For instance, the buyer will consider the model of the vehicle, year of manufacture, miles, general condition of the RV and its accessories.
Read also: RV Depreciation // How Much Do Campers Really Depreciate?
Nonetheless, there are several things you can do to get the best value for your RV. These include:
#1. Go for Contemporary Designs
While it may be tempting to go for designs that speak to your personal taste and preferences, it’s best to stick to neutral, contemporary designs.
For instance, as much as you’d like to have yellow tiles in the RV, it may not be everyone’s first choice. A neutral color like white would be best in this case.
The same case applies to furniture and other accessories. Avoid putting permanent personal touches on everything.
If you want to add anything, ensure it’s easily removable. This way, at the time of selling, the RV will look like it’s straight out of a dealership store.
#2. Make Your RV Versatile and Convenient
Another thing to keep in mind when doing renovations is ensuring your RV provides versatility and convenience.
For instance, since most people probably want to use the vehicle for vacations and recreational activities, it makes sense to have enough sleeping space.
Related reading: The 8 Travel Trailers with the Most Windows
Therefore, it may be best to invest in bench seats that convert into beds as opposed to getting sofa replacements. Besides, benches leave more floor space, thereby appealing to a broader customer base.
#3. Avoid “Dead Spaces” at All Costs
Dead spaces have the potential to reduce your resale value by a lot. People want an RV that utilizes all spaces to provide more functionality.
Therefore, if you’re planning to remove an accessory from the RV, replace it with something equally functional.
For instance, if you remove a chair from your RV, instead of leaving the space empty, consider adding a storage cabinet. This provides function and limits the number of dead spaces in your motorhome.
#4. Invest in Modern Upgrades
You also want to make sure you’re replacing accessories with modern items.
For instance, if your TV is broken, it’s best to replace it with a more modern design. This instantly increases your resale value because it’s an appliance most people use.
Read: Do Travel Trailers have Back-Up or Reverse Lights? (Is It Legal?)
However, avoid removing broken appliances and leaving the space empty. Doing so will reduce your resale value. It’s best to have an old TV than no TV at all.
Source: RV Inspiration
#5. Increase Storage Space
RVs are already limited in terms of space. It, therefore, goes without saying that potential buyers will go crazy for an RV will lots of storage space.
When you’re renovating, go for pieces of furniture that double up as storage spaces.
For instance, you can choose a bed that has storage space at the bottom. With this type of design, you won’t require more space for the storage compartments.
Not to mention, the bed can serve as a seat during the day.
#6. Make Your RV Fuel Efficient
Customers will go crazy over an RV that has low fuel consumption. While at time of upgrade it may seem like a significant investment, it will really pay off in terms of your resale value.
There are several things you can do to improve your RV’s fuel efficiency.
For starters, consider upgrading your wheels. The vehicle may be consuming too much pressure due to insufficient tire pressure.
Get new tires and notice the difference. Also, consider installing solar panels. With these installations in place, you can use solar energy to power some of your electronics and appliances, which will reduce overall fuel consumption.
#7. Include High-Performance Safety Features
Safety features also go a long way in improving your RV resale value. No RV owner wants to think about their safety when they’re out on the road with their family.
It’s supposed to be fun. Giving your potential buyer peace of mind that the RV is safe will therefore bring in more money.
Read also: Does your Travel Trailer need a Sway Bar? A Simple Guide
There are several affordable safety upgrades you can make. For instance, you can install a water detector that notifies you when there’s a leak in the RV.
A digital carbon monoxide detector that sends updates to one’s smart phone may also be an excellent addition.
#8. Add Laundry Features
Due to the limited space in RVs, there’s limited space to store a bunch of clothes. This means your new owners will need to do some laundry from time to time while on the road.
Saving them the trouble to find laundry mats on their vacation will be a huge plus on your resale value.
Read also: Can You Wash RV Cushion Covers? [Here is How?]
Consider investing in RV washing machines or go for stackable options that also include a dryer.
Source: Go Downsize
Final Thoughts
The choice of your RV renovations will determine whether your resale value goes up or down.
While it’s impossible to get exactly the same amount you paid for it initially, a few tweaks here and there will increase your value.
Consider the above tips when renovating your RV to ensure you get a good offer for your motorhome.
Recent Posts
Is Toyota Remote Connect Free? (Subscription, Services Plans)
Does Toyota Remote Connect have an included trial? It used to be the case that, when you bought a new car, you made one straightforward payment and that was it. Now, it feels like there are...
Toyota Safety Connect: What It Is And Why You Need It? Whether you’re buying a new Toyota or you’ve had one for a while you will have been given the hard sell on their Connected Services but do...