Aesthetics vs Practicality in Selling a Home

[allison443]

We are about to put our house on the market. It is a great home, in a fantastic location that we have maintained well. We have recently put a substantial amount of money into replacing the roof, air conditioners, water heaters, etc. so that they are new and most have warranties. We assumed that that was the better place to put our money to maximize our home's value. But I was told that most of today's buyers are much more concerned with updates (specifically paint color, flooring, and fixtures-thanks a bunch HGTV!)) and just can't see past it if the aesthtics of the home are dated.

“You were told” — by whom? A local realtor with knowledge of your specific area/price range? They could be right based on their experience.
Now if you were told this by some random friend or family member, whose knowledge comes from HGTV, not so much!

 

[ronandannette]

We are about to put our house on the market. It is a great home, in a fantastic location that we have maintained well. We have recently put a substantial amount of money into replacing the roof, air conditioners, water heaters, etc. so that they are new and most have warranties. We assumed that that was the better place to put our money to maximize our home's value. But I was told that most of today's buyers are much more concerned with updates (specifically paint color, flooring, and fixtures-thanks a bunch HGTV!)) and just can't see past it if the aesthtics of the home are dated. And by dated I don't mean 70's or 80's style decor. I mean not white/grey/beige. Basically, I was told that we should have put our money into that. The very frugal and practical part of me is screaming at this and is having a very hard time wrapping my head around it (I mean, does EVERYONE like white/grey/beige???). For those of you that have recently sold a home, did you or have you had that experience? I mean, I get it that a newly renovated home is awesome. But does paint color really drastically effect asking price where as updates to the big ticket items mean little? Especially since paint color is such a personal preference!

In terms of buyer appeal, sorry to say, aesthetics are HUGE. It's just the truth. I've worked in residential construction and real estate for over 30 years, on the production side, and common sense would say the priorities should be more practical, but if you refuse to bow to the reality, you do it at your own detriment as a seller.

You are also 100% correct that the expectations people today have for style over substance is driven by media and social media that has turned home decor into a hobby.

 

[RamblingMad]

We are about to put our house on the market. It is a great home, in a fantastic location that we have maintained well. We have recently put a substantial amount of money into replacing the roof, air conditioners, water heaters, etc. so that they are new and most have warranties. We assumed that that was the better place to put our money to maximize our home's value. But I was told that most of today's buyers are much more concerned with updates (specifically paint color, flooring, and fixtures-thanks a bunch HGTV!)) and just can't see past it if the aesthtics of the home are dated. And by dated I don't mean 70's or 80's style decor. I mean not white/grey/beige. Basically, I was told that we should have put our money into that. The very frugal and practical part of me is screaming at this and is having a very hard time wrapping my head around it (I mean, does EVERYONE like white/grey/beige???). For those of you that have recently sold a home, did you or have you had that experience? I mean, I get it that a newly renovated home is awesome. But does paint color really drastically effect asking price where as updates to the big ticket items mean little? Especially since paint color is such a personal preference!

Yep. That's what you have to do. Then, you have to fix the other stuff after inspection. Selling a home sucks. I spent at least $10k fixing stuff, and I gave up even more after the inspection.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

I guess it depends on where you are at. My neighborhood is extremely sought after and we had someone offer to buy our house 6 days after moving in. There has been absolutely no updating since the house was originally built in 1992 but in the 1 year since we bought it the house value has gone up $50,000.

 

[barkley]

am i the only person who does not like the white cabinets? i get that they make a kitchen look larger but they always makes me think of cheap fiberboard bookcases. back in '99 when we bought our former home they were starting to get popular but were the cheapest people could put into new construction b/c they weren't made of solid wood. has that changed? are the ones people put in now solid wood that has been painted white?

 

[ronandannette]

am i the only person who does not like the white cabinets? i get that they make a kitchen look larger but they always makes me think of cheap fiberboard bookcases. back in '99 when we bought our former home they were starting to get popular but were the cheapest people could put into new construction b/c they weren't made of solid wood. has that changed? are the ones people put in now solid wood that has been painted white?

Yes and no; it depends on the cabinet. Some are composite and finished in what's called thermofoil. This is NOT the chip-board and plastic finish you may be imaging; they are actually quite beautiful and come in many profiles and colors not available in a natural wood product. They're also 100% scrubable and impervious to shrinking, cracking and warping. As a Warranty Manager, I am in love with them.

Another version is a closed-grain wood like maple which is then spray-lacquered white. Some people perceive them to be higher quality but they look very similar and are less durable over time.

 

[orangecuse]

This was our experience. We had new roof/AC/ect and even had some cosmetic upgrades like new granite and we got the PICKIEST feedback like “don’t like color of dining room wall”. Eyeroll. The problem is our area is in a BOOM and our house was being compared to brand new homes (that also cost $150k more for 1/2 the land...). I think there is an HGTV effect for sure. Thankfully we did get an almost full price offer after 2 months so it did sell reasonably well, but we did budge and repaint everything a neutrally blue/gray first.

 

[gotomu212]

So much is market specific and market segment specific (is your house going to younger couples, older downsizers, high end executives) but in general in 2020 must buyers are reviewing listings online first. If your house looks dated in pictures (and paint colors can really make a house look fresh, light, and new or dark, old, and even “dirty” in pictures) than the majority of people will scroll past and not even spend the time to read your listing and that you have new roof/AC/appliances. If a market is really tight and low on inventory you can get away with more because buyers will look at almost anything if they have little choice, but if someone is scrolling through 50 listings you need something to get them to open your listing.

 

[NotUrsula]

I think much depends on your neighborhood and the general price point for it. My neighborhood is historic, and white-painted woodwork anywhere but the kitchen and bathroom is the kiss of death here. OTOH, granite countertops are not considered essential. Original stained glass is a major bonus. Contractor's Taupe is not a color you want to use in this neighborhood; it's an anachronism that screams "flipper".

Pretty gets people through the door on open house days, but things that show up on inspection reports count most for closing the sale once an offer is made. You won't sell what the lenders consider ill-maintained unless the value is mostly in the land.

 

[lisaviolet]

In terms of buyer appeal, sorry to say, aesthetics are HUGE. It's just the truth. I've worked in residential construction and real estate all my adult life, on the production side and common sense would say the priorities should be more practical, but if you refuse to bow to the reality, you do it at your own detriment as a seller.

You are also 100% correct that the expectations people today have for style over substance is driven by media and social media that has turned home decor into a hobby.

I remember my neighbour's place in my first condo. He rented it out. The renters painted all walls the brightest yellow and orange one can imagine. Neon. And trashed the place.

The trashing was all cosmetic. But the owner showed as is and didn't stage it.

It was priced right - actually low. Corner unit. Filled with light. Split bedroom. Away from elevators. Perfect suite.

And I remember thinking "Can no one see beyond these easy cosmetic fixes?"

No one could. Sat and sat. I wanted to yell at people I saw leaving a showing or open house - Do you not see what a steal this is?

Well I ended up looking after the buyer's pets and asked them about it. And they could not believe people couldn't see past such small cosmetic issues and simply hire a painter for a weekend. But they were happy to grab the steal.

 

[ronandannette]

I remember my neighbour's place in my first condo. He rented it out. The renters painted all walls the brightest yellow and orange one can imagine. Neon. And trashed the place.

The trashing was all cosmetic. But the owner showed as is and didn't stage it.

It was priced right - actually low. Corner unit. Filled with light. Split bedroom. Away from elevators. Perfect suite.

And I remember thinking "Can no one see beyond these easy cosmetic fixes?"

No one could. Sat and sat. I wanted to yell at people I saw leaving a showing or open house - Do you not see what a steal this is?

Well I ended up looking after the buyer's pets and asked them about it. And they could not believe people couldn't see past such small cosmetic issues and simply hire a painter for a weekend. But they were happy to grab the steal.

Did the guy have a realtor? If it really was just paint, I'm shocked the seller chose to leave big money on the table rather than spruce it up. Most realtors will push hard for their sellers to take such basic measures. Often sellers that refuse to comply with professional advice will end up not getting as aggressive service as they might otherwise; the realtor will just MLS it and wait for the phone to ring - or not.

 

[lisaviolet]

Did the guy have a realtor? If it really was just paint, I'm shocked the seller chose to leave big money on the table rather than spruce it up. Most realtors will push hard for their sellers to take such basic measures. Often sellers that refuse to comply with professional advice will end up not getting as aggressive service as they might otherwise; the realtor will just MLS it and wait for the phone to ring - or not.

Oh I know, to see that it was not painted or staged was a shocker.

I started to count my own pennies! And tell everyone under the sun - come plant your money.

 

[ronandannette]

Oh I know, to see that it was not painted or staged was a shocker.

I started to count my own pennies! And tell everyone under the sun - come plant your money.

Sorry that didn't work out - you'd be in the sweet-spot with a revenue property in the GTA right now.

 

[disykat]

I agree that substance is more important than simply the surface stuff, but for me it depends on what I'm trying to buy. Our first home, we looked at bones only. We wanted into the market and were happy to change paint, rip down wallpaper, rip out carpet, etc. As first time homeowners, we were ready to get our hands dirty and were looking at a price point where that was probably going to be a necessity. We bought a 40 yr old home. Our second home we had small kids at the time, were tired from all the work in our old home, and were looking for move in ready. We didn't even look at anything older than 15 years.

In short, it depends on who your market is. In the home we live in now, the big practical stuff would be first and outdated would be fine as long as it was clean and neutral. As a one level, it would sell quickly. If it weren't, our house is now 25 years old and is getting to the point where we would have to do some updating for it to be marketable. (and also at the point that we need all the big practical stuff like new roof, water heater, appliances, etc. too. Good thing we aren't selling anytime soon so we can tackle everything slowly!) Thankfully it's still pretty clean and neutral. We would definitely choose the practical first because we'd have to in order for it to pass inspection.

 

[mousefan73]

Haven’t bought a home really besides my condo. For me flooring would be one thing that I wouldn’t want to deal with. Walk colors no issue, so easy DIY, fixtures too. Appliances couldn’t care less.

the core ( wiring, roof , hVAC etc., windows) would play an overall role on basic home condition and age. Plays for me a major part of that decision.

but I was just thinking. If I had two homes 1. Inside beautifully renovated: fixtures, trim, walls as I want them, flooring perfect, bath/ kitchen cabinets new, perfect. BUT needed a new larger investment Such as a new roof or windows vs. 2. Complete updated core items but needed all new walls, fixtures, flooring, kitchen/ bath cabinet redo.
I’d probably go worth paying for a new roof even if a bit more. Just an easier thing to deal with. Get contractor and done with it. For me inside DIY things would take too long and might also cost the same.

 

[mjkacmom]

I sold my dad’s 150 year old home recently. We actually used a friend who is a realtor in a very upscale neighboring town. They had the hoyse staged, and had us do cosmetic fixes that came to under $5000 (painting the unfinished basement gray, some indoor and outdoor painting, replacing cabinet knobs, lighting). Almost every room was wallpapered (plaster walls). Put it on the market for $600,000, had 2 offers at the open house, sold for $610,000. I was amazed at the difference a little paint made, sometimes putting lipstick on a pig works.

 

[Searc]

We passed on a 20 year old house a couple weeks ago that had original furnace, roof, water heater and windows. No thanks. We have replaced all of those in our current 22 year old home and know how expensive they are, so we weren't willing to invest more in a house that hadn't been maintained.

 

[ronandannette]

We passed on a 20 year old house a couple weeks ago that had original furnace, roof, water heater and windows. No thanks. We have replaced all of those in our current home and know how expensive they are, so we weren't willing to invest more in a house that hadn't been maintained.

I think it's kind of a no-win situation actually. Experienced buyers (or even just those with decent realtors) will likely want the major items either re-done prior to the sale or a discount for having to do them after. BUT if the style and decor is off-putting, many will dismiss the house out-of-hand without even getting that far.

 

[Searc]

I think it's kind of a no-win situation actually. Experienced buyers (or even just those with decent realtors) will likely want the major items either re-done prior to the sale or a discount for having to do them after. BUT if the style and decor is off-putting, many will dismiss the house out-of-hand without even getting that far.

For us, decor/walls/floor are all easy fixes we can do before moving in. We are looking at the guts of the house, not the make up.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

am i the only person who does not like the white cabinets? i get that they make a kitchen look larger but they always makes me think of cheap fiberboard bookcases. back in '99 when we bought our former home they were starting to get popular but were the cheapest people could put into new construction b/c they weren't made of solid wood. has that changed? are the ones people put in now solid wood that has been painted white?

Hey. People spend 2,000-3,000 extra depending on floor plan to have cabinets that look like cheap fiberboard bookcases. They're composite and not cheap. They don't scratch easily, clean very easily. Hence why people like them. They're only going to get more popular now that there are various brands of waterproof wood that can easily go in a kitchen or bathroom and that LVP is looking better and better. People want their quartz top, white cabinets, and their wood floor. And now with the new waterproof woods, they can have it. I think some of the new waterproof woods are going to take over the market down here. In years past your dishwasher decides to go kaput, you had a ruined wood floor and a headache. Now with this stuff, it laughs at it.