Buyer's Taste vs Owner's Preference
You’ve got a house. You’re adult enough to know that you’ve got more style than white walls and beige carpet. Decisions need to be made. But, you’re wondering, “What if I want to sell in a few years? Should I think about what buyer’s want more than my own taste?”
I’m a Realtor. I bet you think I’ll say, “Absolutely! Consider what buyer’s want when making design and remodel decisions!”
Well, you’re… partially right!
I firmly believe that, unless you are making choices SOLELY based on wanting to “flip” the house, then you should be guided more by your own sense of style than by what you (or your friends, family, co-workers, or Realtor) “think” that buyers want.
Flipped homes can be a lot of fun to see… when they’re done well. I’ve seen amazing ones that received multiple offers after a day on the market. I know exactly how much sweat and agony went into every design decision. These flippers REALLY put extra effort in.
That’s not the norm.
This was an exceptionally well done “flipped” home built in 1909.
Pro flippers tend to get into a styling “groove”: choosing the same paint colors, flooring, tile, cabinetry, and fixtures again and again and again…
The homes that generate the MOST interest and buyer excitement are usually those where the owners were renovating for their own tastes… then unexpectedly decided to sell the home. Often the choices and styling are things that buyers would never have thought of on their own.
“People don't know what they want until you show it to them. That's why I never rely on market research. Our task is to read things that are not yet on the page.” -Steve Jobs
So, think like Steve Jobs… if you end up needing to sell later on, you’ll SHOW people what they want… But, you DO need to make good choices!
Let’s Talk About Style
Unless you have enough cash to take on a whole home remodel, you’re probably tackling projects in chunks. Whether you’re considering a small project (like painting the walls) or a big project (like ripping out the kitchen), you first need to consider the overall style of the house.
What is this style? No, that’s not rhetorical, I’m actually asking, WHAT is this style???
Homes that have coherent styling not only fetch a higher dollar on the market… they also are a lot more pleasant to live in! So, this is something that you should do both for yourself and for resale value.
Having a coherent style isn’t about everything being matchy-matchy. It’s more about thinking about both the big picture (what style and look am I going for with my home as a whole?) and then when considering what to do in a specific part of the home, making decisions that fit within that scheme.
Here are some questions to ask:
What is the architectural style of my home? Is it a mid-century, farmhouse, craftsman, traditional, modern, contemporary, cape cod, colonial, victorian, tudor, cottage, mediterranean, etc.?
What types of interior styles most appeal to me? (Look through sites/apps/magazines like Houzz, HGTV, Dwell, Architectural Digest, Elle Home, etc. and save pictures that most appeal to you.) Be honest with yourself and don’t feel locked down (yet) by the architecture of your home.
Do the interior styles I like have a chance at working in the home I have? Many different styles can blend well together. So, if you realllly love lots of white, modern-minimalism but own a Tudor, you may be surprised at how well these disparate styles can mesh! Check out this one in Seattle. Love antiques but live in a contemporary home? You’d be surprised at how antiques can be incorporated into any style! Check out some of the pictures here. Own a midcentury modern home and love traditional style? Eh… you just might have the wrong house.
Do I change my decor a lot? If so, you may want to strongly consider going very neutral with wall color, flooring, and cabinetry.
Making choices
Don’t say no to ALL color just because a future buyer might not like it… If you’d like to make it easier down the road, go wild with color just in a few rooms. I think this one looks awesome!
Once you’ve got a firm grasp of your architectural style, and the overall type of interior decorating scheme that you’re going for, it’s time to start making choices.
Ask any flipper or decorator… it’s EASY to make poor choices. So, it really pays to take your time here.
Having a hard time deciding between different paint colors? Bring ALL the swatches into your home. Look at them at all different times of day, buy lots of sample size cans. Paint big swatches on spots all over the room. Paint an entire wall if you have to.
Even if you’re not changing out the flooring and furniture yet, consider bringing home some flooring and fabric samples. Having an idea of what you’re going to do down the road will help keep you from having to paint twice.
The same is true of cabinet options, counters, and tile. If you’re not ready to take on those projects yet, that’s okay. But, you could have an idea in your mind’s eye on your future plans for tile (simple subway or something with a splash of color/pattern?), cabinet styles (shaker, rustic, modern, transitional, etc.), cabinet finishes (white, wood tones, color?), and countertops (simple quartz, splashy granite, classic marble, butcher block?).
Planning
Paint before trim!
Before taking on any project, first think about… does it makes sense to do THIS particular project first?
That may sound odd, but there’s an order of operations to remodeling that will save you a lot of time, money, and frustration.
For instance, you may really want to paint your walls (I mention paint a lot because it’s often the first project new homeowners take on). But, you might know that at some point you’ll probably need to paint and/or resurface the ceilings, too, because they’re discolored, smudged, have an undesirable texture, etc.
Well, did you know that it’s A LOT harder to paint ceilings last instead of first? By A LOT I mean A FREAKIN’ TON HARDER.
Painting ceilings first is actually pretty easy. If you’re also painting the walls you don’t even need to tape anything except fixtures and ceiling vents. Just get some flat white paint and an extendable roller and have at it! (Cover the floors, furniture, and cabinets well because little white dots will splash all over the place)
But, if you end up painting the ceilings after you’ve already done the walls… you’re in for a world of hurt. “Cutting in” the ceiling paint to where the ceiling meets the wall is a lot harder than doing this on the wall. Plus, those “little white dots” get all over the walls, too, no matter how careful you are.
Tip from a handyman - if you’ve got the time/patience, get some white caulk and a caulking gun and place a line of caulk at the top of the wall, using your finger to wipe the excess. If you do this after you’ve painted the ceiling but before you paint the walls, it will make cutting in the wall paint much easier and create a perfect line at the top of your walls! I’ve done it myself and it is a pain in the butt, but the results were fabulous.
This type of planning holds true for other projects. Are you thinking about changing out your bathroom vanities? It would make a lot of sense to re-tile the floors (and maybe switch out the toilet) first.
Thinking about laying down new floors? This would be an excellent time to also replace the trim, rather than double your workload by having to pry it all off and put it on again…
Not to mention, if your new floors end up at a different height than your old floors, the old trim may not work, or could end up being lower on the wall, which necessitates having to repaint the walls… So, definitely think about all this before even painting!
Do you see what I mean about the importance of planning ahead? You really have to put some thought into all the projects, just to take on the first project!
Let’s start thinking about buyers again…
Now you know your architectural and design styles. You’ve started to make some choices and begun to plan out your projects.
It’s time to take a step back and maybe get a second or third opinion from someone VERY honest. Remember, buyers respond well to great design, so this is the time to make sure that you HAVE a great design.
Loft + eclectic style. <Sigh>, so cool… and could easily be decluttered for staging/sale at a later time.
Are you a color fiend? That’s awesome, but maybe consider bringing in some neutral options for the more expensive and/or time-consuming parts of the remodel (cabinets and flooring are the big ones).
Again, you don’t have to go matchy-matchy (the kitchen tile doesn’t need to match the bathroom and utility room tile, paint colors don’t need to be the same in every room, cabinetry doesn’t all have to be the same…).
Make sure things flow well together and make sense. For instance:
Contrast can be a good thing, but if it’s starting to feel too stark, maybe nudge some color back in.
If you’ve gone with a really splashy tile in one bathroom or the utility room, consider carrying the color scheme over to the next bathroom, but choosing a simple tile option there.
White walls and white cabinets are all the rage right now… but can start to feel sterile if you don’t warm things up in other areas.
Open floor plans are highly desirable… but not too open… most people don’t want to live in an art gallery!
The one thing not to do…
Don’t completely base ANY of your decisions on “trends” because those change lightning-fast.
Just… no.
For instance, remember when sponge-painting was all the rage? No? That’s because it was only popular for a (thankfully) brief time in the 90s.
Remember when cherry cabinets and green granite were the thing? That was a little more recent and you’ll still run across homes from the early 2000s sporting this look.
Remember when everyone was going crazy for brass fixtures? Oh, wait, that was both the 90s AND right now! Except, now it’s a lighter, brushed brass instead of the burnished stuff I grew up polishing.
But, guess what, a lot of my buyers HATE brass in any form regardless of the trend. I’m guessing that’s because they grew up hating it in the 90s just like I did.
Even if you think something is trendy, there are probably a lot of people out there that don’t like it. Example: Two-toned kitchen cabinets. There’s a lot of love/hate for this trend.
Don’t worry about trends. A coherent style will get you a lot further than picking trendy options.
And, if you’re into sponge painting and polished brass, I bet you can find a way to make them look cool. (But I wanna see the pictures!)
