22 Home Decor Trends To Avoid When Selling Your Home
When you are ready to sell your house, it is worth taking a look at these 22 home decor trends to avoid to ensure you put your home in its best light for a quick and smooth sale. Be smart, have a solid plan, and your home selling journey will be as uneventful as you make it.
Buying a property is an investment of a lifetime, and for many people, it is a dream come true. So, it is only natural that home buyers need to consider many factors before making a purchase. First, there are the logical ones — pricing, location, size, layout, return on investment, etc. And then, there are the emotional ones. Can they picture themselves living in that house? Does it feel right? To make it feel right, Realtors and sellers go out of their way to design and stage the property that will attract the buyers in no more than seven seconds — because we usually need that long to make the first impression.
If you are thinking about putting your house on the market and redecorating it for that purpose, you should make a clear distinction between decorating for your pleasure and sprucing your home up for sale. Not considering this is a mistake many sellers make. So, without further ado, here are several home decor trends to avoid when selling your home.
Accent Walls
An accent wall is a popular way to personalize your living room or bedroom. It is used to add depth, create drama, and tie together color schemes in a room. However, if you want to sell the house, you should avoid any kind of personalization. Too much color or detail on the walls, even if it is a current trend, can be off-putting for buyers. For selling purposes, you should stick to a neutral base of walls and ceilings. If you want to add color or visual interest to a room, do so with accessories, linens, and art.
Feature Headboards
According to some interior designers, feature headboards are among the biggest bedroom trends of 2023. The idea is to include a statement headboard to create a room full of personality. While bedrooms like this can look amazing, they are not everyone’s cup of tea.
Potential buyers will appreciate a minimalist bedroom with neutral walls and a classic bed frame. Headboards are a plus, but they should also be subtle. Your best selling point could be a quality mattress without fiberglass — this is a good ‘trend’ to follow because some sleepers have reported breathing difficulties and skin irritation when exposed to fiberglass.
Wallpaper
With more than 16 million posts tagged ‘wallpaper’ on Instagram, this trend is here to stay. The reason people decide to include wallpaper in their home design is to add character. This can work with certain styles and rooms but don’t forget what we’ve said about personalization.
It is very likely that the buyers will not like the style, print, or placement of this decor element. In this case, they will need to imagine what the room would look like without it and how much money they need to invest to get rid of it.
The walls should, wherever there is a possibility, be blank slates where the buyers can paint their own pictures. If you do decide to keep wallpaper, know this is one of those home decor trends to avoid if you want to attract the most potential buyers. No one enjoys removing wallpaper, including prospective buyers!
Exciting Color Combos
Interior design trends for this year encourage unique color combinations that include exciting tones, vibrant upholstery, etc. Some of these trends are expensive and difficult to change, which makes them instant turn-offs. For example, pink walls or colored kitchen units with gold handles can make it hard for buyers to see beyond this styling.
While currently beloved by the designers, these trends can become dated the very next year. What never goes out of fashion? Subtlety. So, stick to neutral, earthy, and white shades for larger surfaces and furniture pieces when using paint as a home decorating accent.
Back to Black
Another recent interior design trend is returning to rich black elements. The flirting with gothic design includes dramatic, personalized, character-rich, and contemporary pieces. The moody black hues are incorporated with arch mirrors, sweeping curtains, chandeliers, and even walls. This drama might be welcome in a personalized space, but it has no place in a house meant for sale. Instead of this fashionable and luxurious look, opt for soft neutral colors for walls, kitchen cupboards, curtains, etc.
Hi-tech Features
Some developers like to install a lot of hi-tech features, such as complicated sound systems and advanced lighting controls. While this might sound like a prudent thing to do because technology is an essential part of our lives, it can actually reduce the value of a property. This happens because buyers can feel like they are overpaying for systems they will not use. Most buyers prefer old-fashioned, simpler technology. Some modern additions, such as a smart thermometer or an alarm system, can be useful, though.
Patterned Floor Tiles
Patterned tiles are very popular, especially in bathrooms. And sure enough, they can be a very interesting addition to the room, but the pattern you like might not be for everyone. Every realtor will tell you that the bathroom is one of the most important rooms for a successful sale. The buyers want a clean and functional room. If they feel they will need to remodel after the purchase (even if only to change the tiles), they will probably move on to the next offer. So, stick to a monochromatic and simple look, or if you have to use patterns, don’t go with too wacky ones.
Carpets
For some reason, carpets are trending right now. The reason, apparently, is that the cozy glamor trend is back. People are looking to bring comfort back to their homes. Sure, we understand the appeal of a plush underfoot feeling combined with interesting colors and patterns, but will the homebuyers understand as well? Probably not.
First of all, carpets scream high maintenance, and that is not something the buyers want. Secondly, the design of the carpet might not be universally liked. So, keep the floors bare and decorate with a few subtle area rugs.
Shower Rooms
Developers often try to save space in the bathroom by building a shower room instead of a bathroom. This is especially true when it comes to urban apartments.
While designer shower rooms can be beautiful, this actually reduces the target market. Most buyers prefer the flexibility of having a shower or a bath, and some of them won’t even consider a property without it.
Edison Bulbs
Edison bulbs made a big return a few years back, with a lot of hip joints using them as pendant lights. They have also entered our homes, particularly kitchens.
While they do look great in an industrial setting, they provide harsh light, and, in terms of trends, they are over. If you want a statement light, opt for a striking chandelier instead (nothing too striking, though).
Freestanding Baths
This is another bathroom Instagram trend that is not very popular amongst buyers. Freestanding baths may look beautiful in photos, but there are a lot of practical issues which make them unappealing for buyers.
They require more maintenance than regular baths. Also, they take up a lot of space. If a problem with the pipes and the plumbing comes up, it can be more expensive to access them.
A Home Gym
Home gyms have become more popular in recent years due to the pandemic forcing us to be locked up indoors. However, they can take up a lot of space that can be used for other purposes. Now that the pandemic is over and regular gyms are open again, a home gym is a redundant and expensive addition.
Too Much Cold White
We have discussed a lot of the neutral color rule. This includes white. However, using too much cold white, especially in modern architecture, can make the space look cold and uninviting, almost like a hospital. The lack of warmth and coziness can be off-putting for the buyers.
If you already have an all-white interior and do not want to invest in repainting, add warm tones and texture with pillows, throws, accessories, and other accent items. This is one of the easiest home decor trends to avoid just by adding a splash of color as an accent or focal point.
Brass and Copper
Warm metals, such as rose gold, brass, and copper, are having their moment. However, surely this moment will pass, and they will be expensive to replace. Brass can be particularly tricky because it is a love-it-or-hate-it look. Neutral metals, such as chrome, nickel, and stainless steel, are a much better choice.
Open Shelving
Open shelving has become a design standard for a stylish kitchen. It’s a trend based on simplicity and eliminating clutter. It can work in different styles, including vintage, traditional, modern, and rustic.
However, they are not everyone’s cup of tea. Some people prefer their dishes and cutlery behind closed doors, and that’s okay. It is better to keep your traditional shelves and cabinets. If the buyers want to change that when they move in, it’s their choice.
Industrial Design
Warehouse-style interiors are in their heyday. People love them, especially in urban area apartments. The style is not especially convenient for suburban homes, though. Also, it might be a bit too specific for home buyers, as it can look too cold and masculine.
If your place is already designed in this style and there are some architectural elements you can’t get rid of (open piping), try to make it warmer with a bit of texture, such as velvet or rattan.
All Things Faux
Faux things, such as terrazzo or marble styles or fake plants, can never be the same as the real deal. They will definitely be a turn-off for the buyers since they’ll look cheap and fake regardless of their actual quality.
So, instead of making a poor statement, go for something simple. Natural finishes, such as timbers, are always better choices.
Mass-produced Decor
Mass-produced decor pieces, such as “live, laugh, love” art or the Tom Ford coffee table book, might seem like a good idea when staging a house.
However, instead of creating a good impression, they will make your place look like a showroom. It will be difficult for the buyers to imagine themselves living there since it will look more like a hotel than a home.
DIY Decor
Thousands of ideas come up when you type DIY home decor on Pinterest. The “crafty touch” might be a good idea in a house where you’re planning on living, but in a house you’re planning to sell… not so much. DIY moments, such as ladder clothing racks, decorative cork boards, wallpapered cabinet doors, and vertical garden walls, can look great, but they add way more personality to the space you want to keep depersonalized.
Tile Countertops
Tile counters are popular because they provide texture and visual interest. For a home you want to sell, they should be avoided. Bathrooms and kitchens are high-humidity areas, and the tile surface is very inviting for bacteria. It can breed fast on the porous surface. It can also be very difficult to clean the grouting. Furthermore, tile is prone to chipping and cracking, and it doesn’t provide a smooth surface for resting objects. All of this can be off-putting for buyers, and they’ll consider a kitchen/bathroom like this not worthy of the high maintenance.
All Gray and Nothing but Gray
Gray supremacy came into our lives with the surge of Scandinavian interiors. And while we see the appeal, gray walls, floors, furniture, and accessories combined can look dull and cold, even depressing. If you insist on gray, combine it with whites and a few pastels. It would be better, though, to opt for warmer beige tones. While gray tones are trendy, they are not everyone’s cup of tea.
Bold Appliances
If you go through the latest trends, you’ll see that color in the kitchen has made a comeback. People are buying everything from pastel refrigerators to tomato-red standing mixers. And sure, a pink microwave can be charming, but it is not to the taste of every buyer. At the same time, some designers claim that stainless steel is on its way out, but we can’t deny that it is still a go-to option for most people remodeling their kitchens.
Stainless steel is a foolproof choice, and it is “the neutral choice” of kitchen design. If you want to add some dynamics to the kitchen, use black stainless steel instead of bold appliances.
Final Home Decor Advice
The bottom line is that to sell a house quickly and at a good price, you should find the balance between depersonalized and a homey look. The style you decide on shouldn’t reflect your personality or those of your family members. Allow the buyers to have a somewhat neutral backdrop for their design ideas and avoid fads.
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