Home décor trends often capture our attention with their stylish looks, but not all of them are as beneficial as they seem. While some designs can enhance your living space, others might unintentionally reduce your home’s overall value. Curious to know which trends might be doing more harm than good? This article highlights some popular décor choices that could be worth reconsidering.
Garage Conversions
Many people are converting their garages into spare rooms, gyms, and office spaces. This meets your needs, but it may not meet the needs of the person who wants to buy your home. With most families in the UK owning a vehicle, your property must have a functional place to store a car.
Flooring
The most popular flooring in new homes is hardwood flooring (prefinished and unfinished), followed closely by laminate flooring and luxury vinyl tiles, says Panel Town & Floors. Flooring is expensive, and most people want to move into a home where the flooring they like is already laid. If your flooring isn’t to a house hunter’s preference, you may be in trouble.
Extra Bathroom
Open-plan houses with few internal walls are very popular nowadays. So should you take out your downstairs bathroom to have more space in the living room? Never remove a bathroom from your property! House hunters value having extra bathrooms more than they do additional living space.
Home Office
Lots of people are now working from home, and a home office is the perfect environment for that. According to MIT Management, “The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that around 27% of the workforce was working remotely at least part-time as of August and September 2022.” But home offices often look like very cold and uninviting spaces. House hunters who don’t need a home office can find it hard to imagine this space any other way.
Swimming Pool
Having an in-ground swimming pool on your property is definitely a luxury, but it’s not always one that pays off, especially here in the UK. Swimming pools are very expensive to install and maintain, and they don’t add a lot of value to a property; plus, they’ll rarely get used aside from during the occasional hot summer. Worse still, house hunters who aren’t looking for a house with a pool will immediately reject your home.
Gym
A home gym is a great way to get a good workout in without leaving the house. The average home gym costs thousands of pounds, and although that’s quite an investment, you might not always get the money back, as some buyers are off-put by the cold, basic décor of a home gym.
Game Room
It is every man’s dream to have a room in the house entirely dedicated to games. But game rooms can often appear small and dark to those who go to view your home. A person who has no use for a game room might be put off, as they can’t envision how they would use this room.
Custom Kitchen Height
Do you have a customized kitchen? A kitchen that has been built higher or lower than standard might be great for the needs of your family but it will cause an issue for the people who would like to move in. Any potential buyers will have to consider a complete kitchen renovation before moving.
Sunroom
To amplify a home without spending too much money, many people decide to install a sunroom. This is great, but a lot of people with families would prefer the extra yard space rather than the space-consuming sunroom. This could make your home unpopular with growing families.
Custom Kitchen Cabinets
The figures from Better Homes & Gardens show that custom kitchen cabinets are very expensive, costing £250 to £500 per linear foot. Although your custom cabinets might help you be more productive in the kitchen, they might not appeal to the person who wants to buy your home.
Children’s Murals
A mural is a great way to customize a home for your child. But unfortunately, your mural might not be to everyone’s taste. It might be too babyish for the family that is viewing your home, so put them off it. A mural takes a lot of time and patience to cover.
Closed Porch
A closed porch is a great room for storing coats, shoes, and umbrellas. But although this room might have been ideal for your family, another family might prefer a standard front entrance and corridor to have more room in the front yard. A closed porch could decrease the value of your home.
Deck
Many people are installing decks in their back gardens for barbecues in the summer, and they’re expensive to install. But although it was done nicely, the deck in your home might not pay off, as some people will see it as a waste of yard space.
Elaborate Landscaping
People like landscaping that is easy and inexpensive to maintain. So, if your landscaping design is overly complicated, such as having too many levels or an overwhelming number of trees and plants, although it looks pretty, it could put people off from buying your home.
Home Cinema
Setting up a home cinema is awesome, as it creates the perfect environment for watching movies. However, they’re not cheap; according to ProjectorScreen.com, “a mid-range home theater seating setup with two to four seats can cost anywhere from £750 to £4,000 or more,” for a very specific room that may not appeal to everyone.
Rustic
Does your home have an antique, rustic theme running through it? Although this is a great style, a rustic theme might come across as antiquated. Potential buyers might feel discouraged from buying a house decorated in this way and prefer something more modern.
Bold Color
The way you decorate your home reflects your personality. Many people like to use bright and bold colors on some of the walls of their homes, but bear in mind that some house hunters find it difficult to see past the colors. If the colors aren’t to their taste, they might decide that your home isn’t suitable.
Wallpaper
Wallpaper trends are always changing. What is popular today might not be popular in six months. If your wallpaper is outdated, it might make your entire house look old. This will affect the value of your home. Neutral paintwork is much preferred by house hunters.