Mistakes happen, but when you are talking about your home value you can’t take chances. We’ve all seen that awful pink accent wall or the shag carpeting in that sunken living room that someone thought would have been a great idea. But now in the days of easy home photos and online listings, any of these 6 interior design mistakes can strip value right from your home.
Interior Design Mistakes
1) Lavish Lighting
Cinderella’s Ball brings us all to our feet when we think about the beauty and pageantry laid out. But when you look at lighting online or in a store, you psychologically want to go for something that looks glitzy and glamorous.
The problem is not taking your current decor into account when doing so. But lighting can be a flash in the pan, what seems trendy today may look dated 10 years down the road, places like this reliable company know what trends will stay, and what trends will fade. Most companies know the truth: that simple is best. Fortunately, lighting can be switched out pretty easily at a low cost.
2) Texture on the Walls and Ceilings
We’ve all been there. We want to give our room a certain ‘pizzazz’ and character. And nothing says character more than textured walls or ceilings. The Romans, Greeks, and many other stylish civilizations textured their columns and fainting rooms, so why shouldn’t we? This ancient technique is still in vogue, but there’s a big but.
Removal. That’s the but. As a person looks at purchasing a new home, if they aren’t ‘texture people’ the room could be perfect for them, but all they see are the checks they’ll have to write to remove your hard and tactile work. So maybe instead of laboring away at a cool and unique textured and near permanent design, you can instead play around with textured wall decor as an alternative.
3) Over Personalized Kitchens
Kitchens have become the new ‘It’ girl of home decoration. But a complete renovation isn’t necessary to wreck the value of your home. Don’t like the current tile? Stick on vinyl flooring is inexpensive, and you can create a quirky design. But what goes down so easily might not come up so quickly.
Beyond that, a buyer may see it as something tacky that is covering up a more serious blemish or error.
Many people look into upgrading their floors in their homes. But adding that quirky 1960s diner feel might make it a homey spot for you, but it may very well ruin your kitchen’s high points.
If you’re the type who wants a quirky floor, maybe go with a softwood or plain white tile and get the quirky rug to go on top. This way it’s an easy change, and everyone is happy.
4) Carpet, Really?
Yes, Carpet. It’s still happening. People don’t want to spend the extra money on a heated floor, so you end up with carpeting. 54 Percent of home buyers, according to Time, are willing to pay more for a home with Hardwood floors. Carpet can quickly show signs of damage or abuse.
But it’s more than that, simple hardwood allows for flair to build upon it. A throw rug here, a decorative lamp there. Carpet doesn’t age, it gets older. Since many would be carpet doers are planning on a personal touch, this too, takes away value from the home.
Beyond that, it’s very easy to update and keep with the times, or even the seasons this way. In Autumn a nice warm colored runner in the hallway, and in summer, a cool colored fun runner may tie together two rooms more nicely than one sheet of drab kool-aid stained carpet ever could.
5) Too much Kitchen
Everyone wants the Kitchen to be their showpiece. But they want it their way. It’s a tough line to walk. The average for a major kitchen remodel cost as much as $56,000 but yet only brought back $38,000. So if you’re planning on staying for a while, then by all means – remodel your kitchen. Give it that ‘all white’ treatment you’ve wanted.
But if you’re thinking about selling your home, let the newcomers remodel it themselves with their own style of interior design. Don’t lose money on something just to add some shine. It’s too easy to get carried away in a kitchen. Instead, focus on which aspects of your kitchen are the most outdated or worn. Mid Range appliances have just as much flair in a kitchen as high end and will get you back the same percentage of your money, on average. So why fight it?
6) Forgetting about the windows
You’d think you couldn’t forget them. They’re everywhere. They’re letting light in, the air in, dust accumulate…but too often the window trimming, and the windows themselves are avoided. “It’s the little things that make the difference, those double hung windows can be gorgeous if they’re kept up to date and painted” says Kilran Davewin of DIY windows.
Your guests and potential buyers will see the garden, the garage, and the sidewalk flowerbeds through these windows, to think they aren’t looking AT the windows as well as THROUGH them is foolish.
Now more than ever people are looking to save money on their utility bills or be more and more Green. Nothing can be more green than reducing energy waste by 40% in replacing your old leaky windows.
Closing
Finally, you have to keep in mind that not everyone has the same taste as you do when it comes to interior design. We all have our own sense of flair and want to let it show. That’s what curio cabinets and small corners of rooms were designed for. Don’t force your love of Spider-Man and Mickey Mouse on your guests or future buyers of your home. Beware of things too luxurious, these even include things not mentioned, like luxury bathrooms with a spa, or the giant tub that might be too difficult for a future homeowner of shorter stature to climb into.
Contributed post
Girl on Fire
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