You might be asking yourself (and you would not be alone) if certain interior design trends are bad for a home’s value, and why are they trends at all? Indeed, it can be quite puzzling why the interior design elements popular just now should also devalue a property – are they not popular among buyers too? The answer to this lies in the difference between design elements that can be considered a “personal touch” and those that have broad appeal. This is on top of the difference between designing a home to live in and designing a home to sell.
The things that really add value to your home are the unambiguously good things, not the things that certain individuals might adore. When it comes to interior design, individuality is great if the individual is designing for themselves. Nevertheless, one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure, and the things that add value are the things that most people appreciate – the things with a wide appeal. When consulting CityHome Collective, a real estate brokerage out of Salt Lake City specializing in modern luxury homes, we found that what makes luxury homes and condos popular is precisely their simplicity of design and focus on useful fittings and fashionable yet unostentatious furniture. In other words, they have broad appeal as well as design elements and fittings that are universally appealing.
Can I Still Add Personal Touches to My Home?
Of course you can! You might want to avoid some of the major value-sapping interior design choices that we will outline below but designing a home with a sale in mind doesn’t mean the whole design needs to be boring and generic. Many home owners redesign their home for themselves and with a mind to sell perhaps later down the line. It is certainly possible to balance personal taste and market appeal. Here then follow some design trends to avoid:
Bright Color Schemes
The color scheme you choose for your house is one of the most important things to get right if you want to add value to your home. This is simply because the color of your walls and furniture contribute to the first impression on buyers that your home will create. Generally speaking, garish colors are a turn off, so try to keep things neutral, muted, and elegant.
Large Kitchen Units
Large kitchen units are practical for making food and if the colors are right, they can be sleek and fashionable. However, because they cover a large area of the kitchen, they can actually deter buyers who value space. Accordingly, they can decrease the value of your home.
Unsympathetic Conservatories
Unsympathetic conservatories are those that do not match the overall décor of your home. When it comes to having broad market appeal, consistency is king and even though an extension will increase the square footage of your home, you might not see any extra value on account of the increased space.
Too Much Tech
High-tech features have a distinct appeal, and they are popular for those who actually install them because these people normally have a use for them in mind. This is not actually true of every potential buyer who will visit your home; these buyers might feel like they are paying extra for equipment that they simply will not use. Try not to stray too far from the essentials.
In conclusion, homes should be designed for those who live in them. But if you want to sell your home, you simply don’t know who that person will be. Accordingly, having a broad appeal is the only way to maximize value.
