10 Design Trends That Turn Off Home Buyers
You want your home to look its best, and maybe you’ve been inspired by the interior design trends you’ve seen in magazines, on TV or on design websites.
But following some of the hottest home remodeling and interior design trends can backfire when it comes time to sell your home.
Buyers want to picture themselves in a home, and highly individualistic touches can get in the way of that.
When you’re ready to sell your home, it’s best to put things in pristine, move-in condition and remove all of the individual touches that made your house a home.
After all, your goal is to get potential buyers to picture themselves in the home—and they won’t be able to do that if your decorating style still dominates.
Check out the caveats that go along with these home interior design trends.
1. Boldly Painted Walls
Decorators often tout black or another bold paint color as the perfect backdrop to metallic accessories or appliances in modern home design.
The reality is that people prefer the exterior and interior walls of a home to be neutral. Even though repainting is cheap and relatively easy to do, it’s still a pain and buyers might not want to bother.
When decorating, your best bet is to stick to an appeasing hue for the walls and use accessories to provide pops of color.
2. Wallpaper
Bold, graphic patterns increasingly are being incorporated into interior design, often in the form of wallpaper.
But wallpaper—even if it’s only on one wall—is an extremely personal choice and time-consuming to remove if it doesn’t appeal to the buyer
Consider replacing wallpaper with a neutral paint for broader appeal.
3. Lavish Light Fixtures
While potential buyers want rooms that seem airy and bright, beware of installing a showpiece light fixture that is too modern or ornate.
Fixtures should enhance your home—not steal the spotlight.
4. Gleaming Gold
Designers may be mixing silver and gold to give homes star quality, but it might be wise to change out fixtures if they have the wrong metallic sheen.
Gold can give a home an outdated, ’80s feel. Switching out the faucet and door handles with a more appealing finish—such as brushed nickel—is relatively inexpensive and can help make your home appear sleek rather than out of style.
5. Converted Garages
People want a covered parking space so that they have a safe place for their car—especially in areas where street parking is at a premium. Additionally, people often use their garage as storage space.
If you convert your garage into a space tailored your specific needs, such as a music practice room, it may not suit your potential buyers.
Read the full article at Realtor.com.
