5 Home Décor Issues That Turn Off Buyers

One of the greatest pleasures of home ownership is making the house uniquely your own. It is a blank canvas, and you get to paint it whatever colors you desire and furnish it with pieces that reflect your personal style. You get to nail things into the wall! Oh, the freedom!

Except when it comes time to sell, your personal style may not be agreeable with most buyers. One room where this seems to really be an issue is the living room. This is where many homeowners really let their personality shine through.

But, if you are getting ready to place your house on the market, it may be wise to refresh any unique décor or style issues that could turn off buyers.

If you don’t know what might be considered a bit over-the-top when it comes to your home décor, here are a few example of what buyers really dislike in other people’s living rooms:

1. Animal heads, skulls, cowhides and taxidermy in general may be something you consider trendy – but to most buyers they are super sketchy. Buyers often shy away from homes with dead animals hanging on the wall.
2. Pale-colored wood floors are not the current trend. If you have them and have considered refinishing and staining them, now is a good time. Dark chocolate stain gives them a modern appeal.
3. Dark colored paint or even super-bright colors, like red, orange, or purple are seen as a project to most buyers –unless they have furniture like yours that goes with it. Dark paint also requires multiple coats of fresh paint to cover over it, so the task is seen as big and costly by most buyers. To get the highest selling price and the most interested buyers, paint the entire place in simple neutrals.
4. Old furniture may be your style, but that couch from the 70s or 80s is not boosting the impression buyers have when they enter your living room. Old furniture can leave a buyer with the impression that there is a lack of attention to routine maintenance and updating.
5. Too many pictures on the wall can be overwhelming and make a space seem cluttered. It also makes it super-personalized to you and your family, which is the exact opposite of what you want when selling. Buyers need to see themselves sitting and relaxing with their own family and feel the space could be their own – not yours. Often, numerous pictures of your family and friends stop them from imagining themselves living there.

By changing these 5 key décor issues buyers typically have with a home’s main living space, you can increase the appeal your home has and help your Realtor pull in those offers.