Don't Decorate to Sell

Posted by Kristin Abraham Mar 22, 2008

The main lesson here is, there's no accounting for taste. Everyone's tastes are different and what you think is fabulous might be horrendous to someone else.

I've seen it happen a lot and I sort of blame those DIY TV shows or the house flipping shows. Back during the housing boom it seemed that anyone could buy a house, fix it up, and sell it for profit. Of course, you probably didn't even have to fix it up, back then houses were increasing in value every day, sometimes every hour. Now, times have changed and flipping a house is almost impossible and definitely not a guaranteed way to make money. So, if you have a home you're looking to sell, or you're still thinking about trying a flip then heed this advice.

Do not waste your money decorating the home or changing decorating aspects of the home. Now, this does not mean that you shouldn't fix some things around the house, but it means you don't need to fix what isn't broken. The new homeowners have their own tastes and your style may be exactly what they don't want.

So, if you're looking to sell a home, save the decorating money and put it towards upgrades that are valuable, a new furnace perhaps. Undecorate your home so it has no personality and therefore is easier for prospective buyers to envision as their own.