8 home decorating trends to avoid when selling your home

Home decorating is a matter of personal taste. However, quirky or dated home decorating choices can also make it harder to sell your house. If you’re looking to decorate with an eye towards your home’s long-term value, or are looking to renovate your Winthrop home before putting it up for sale, then here are 8 home decorating trends to avoid.

1. AVOID white on white

White kitchens and walls can give off a clean and bright feel, but too much white on white can feel cold and sterile. You want your kitchen or living room to feel cozy, not look like an operating room! Try to work in a contrasting color to break up the harsh whites.

2. AVOID bold and pastel colors

On the flip side, too many bold colors and pastels can overpower as well. Colors like millennial pink have had their day and can now feel dated or off-putting to buyers. If you’re doing a quick renovation and prepping to sell a home, a classic neutral like beige, gray, taupe, or cream provides the kind of blank canvas prospective buyers can project their design ideas onto and make their own.

3. AVOID wallpaper

Wallpaper can be another divisive home design choice. A prospective home buyer looking at rooms covered with your favorite wallpaper might be seeing an additional redecorating expense. If you’re renovating to sell, then stripping off your wallpaper and then sticking to a neutral paint color is definitely a smart choice.

4. AVOID open storage

Open storage solutions can look trendy and chic, but leave pots, pans, and dishes exposed to dirt, grime, and playful pets or children. Stick to cabinets. If you want a more open look, consider glass doors with clear planes on your kitchen cabinets. You can also opt for woven cane cabinet doors for visual texture. Both options allow you to see what’s inside and provide an airier feel than standard cabinet doors.

5. AVOID popcorn ceilings and stucco

This look is a definite throwback to the 1970s. If you can remove popcorn or stucco ceilings, do so, but that can be a pricey proposition. If you have to keep it, or are just looking to quickly freshen things up before listing a home, paint the ceiling white.

6. AVOID wall-to-wall carpeting

Carpets can feel luxurious beneath your feet, but wall-to-wall carpeting can attract dirt, stains, grime, and pests, and needs constant upkeep. Hardwood floors,  on the other hand, are a sought-after feature. According to the 2019 Realtor.com Remodeling Impact Survey, a hardwood floor refinish ranked Top 6 out of 12 projects that appealed the most to buyers. 

7. AVOID Edison bulbs

Warm, incandescent-style lights were all the rage in the 2010s with their industrial look, but they’ve since lost their appeal, and are usually less energy efficient to boot. Skip these or save them for accent lights and replace with something brighter and more modern. 

8. AVOID converting your garage

You can convert your garage to a home office, a play area for kids, a hobby or crafts room, and more, but your prospective homebuyers are going to be short of a garage, and that will definitely make your home a harder sell. If you do want to use your garage for another purpose, make sure the conversion is something that’s easy to reverse.

With some careful thought and consultation with a good Winthrop Realtor, a quick home renovation and redecoration can make it a lot easier to sell your home.

If you want to put your Methow Valley, WA on the market, call Coldwell Banker Winthrop Realty. We’re the #1 Real Estate Firm in the Methow Valley and our knowledgeable team of local experts know the ins and outs of the Winthrop real estate market. Call us today at 509.996.2121 or email info(at)cbwinthrop(dotted)com for all your real estate needs in Methow Valley, WA.