Outdated Home Trends that Drive Down Property Prices

Home trends, just like fashion, change with the times. It can be fun (and even funny) to look back at photos of how you used to dress decades ago. There may even be a few outdated articles of clothing still hanging out in your closet. Keeping old clothes for nostalgia isn’t problematic, but hanging onto outdated home trends can actually cost you financially — especially if you’re putting your property on the market.

Here are six outdated home trends that may drive down the sale price of your property.

1. Tile countertops.  Nothing says 1970s like tile countertops in the bathroom. They’re also difficult to clean, which can make them look drab during showings. Consider upgrading to marble or granite.
2. Carpet in every room. Vacuuming may remove food crumbs and surface-level dirt, but it doesn’t actually clean the carpet. As a result, carpeting can often be unhygienic. One study found that carpeted homes attract a greater variety of insects than non-carpeted homes. Additionally, spilled food or drinks can seep down into carpet fibers or pads, creating mold. Consider tile, hardwood floors or laminate as easier-to-clean alternatives.
3. Honey oak cabinets. Your buyers might feel like they’re walking into a 90s sitcom when they see your kitchen is boasting honey oak cabinets. Many homeowners are replacing them with white and gray finished cabinets that give a cleaner, more modern look.  
4. Rectangular vanity bathroom mirror with side medicine cabinet. Another outdated home trend are mirrors that span the width of your double-sink vanity. Today, we’re seeing these outdated mirrors getting thrown to the wayside and replaced with two side-by-side circular or oval mirrors.  
5. Vertical blinds. The only thing more frustrating than opening and closing vertical blinds is trying to clean them. They also become dislodged easily, with one or two untidily scattered on the floor. Consider replacing them with white farmhouse shutters or French patio doors.
6. Wallpaper borders. Popular in the 90s, decorative wallpaper borders were once added to the middle or top of walls. Maybe it was a fruit border for the kitchen or an airplane design for the nursery. You might opt to remove this outdated home trend and choose neutral tones or white to repaint. Homebuyers today like the fresh, clean look, which gives them a chance to imagine the possibilities.

Upgrades, like the above, are often an investment of money and time, especially if you’re doing it yourself. Save both by selling your property to Meridian Trust, a professional home investment company. We buy properties “as is” for cash in Florida, Georgia and Texas. That means you don’t have to make costly upgrades just sell your home on the market. 

To find out how much your house may be worth, give us a call for a free, no-obligation cash offer: (954) 807-9087.