Home Staging Ideas: 10 Features that Date a Home

Home Staging Ideas: 10 Features that Date a Home

10 Features that Date a Home

1. Yellowed plastic or rusty metal

• Light switch plates and plastic vent covers that have yellowed with age not only look old, they make everything else appear dingy.
• Check out your central air vents. Have they seen better days? Rust reflects age and lack of care.

Remedy:
Replace light switch plates with new ones that coordinate with the style and décor of your house. They cost pennies, but add great value to your home in marketability. For vent covers, try painting with white spray paint, or another color if you prefer. This is another inexpensive means of brightening and freshening the home for sale without breaking the bank, or taking a great deal of time! Metal vents can be replaced at a bit more cost, but are still a very reasonable and affordable update.

2. Light Fixtures

• Exterior lights can be seen from the street and impact curb appeal. Outdated, dangling or broken lights with missing bulbs can seriously limit curb appeal. While most home buyers visit inside your home during the day, they likely drive by multiple times before, and hopefully after, seeing your home and buying it!
• Inside light fixtures can be seen within seconds of entering a home, and out of style, dirty light fixtures can negatively impact first impressions.

Remedy:
Replace lights with more contemporary fixtures that accent or complement the house and yard. Clean any light fixtures that are acceptable, but grungy. A small investment of time and money will increase the marketability of the house, and may improve the home’s value. Don’t let ugly or out of style lights hamper the sale of your home.

3. Carpet or Flooring

• Shag carpet or linoleum from the 70’s or 80’s that has seen better days is a real negative to potential buyers.
• Broken or loose tiles deflect potential buyers.

Remedy:
Replace carpet with a neutral berber or cut loop. Better yet, consider hardwood floors. They look beautiful, are easy to maintain, and are better for allergy sufferers.
Replace broken tile pieces, or replace the flooring. This is a great opportunity to update your home with newer colors and textures. Remember, it is better to spend $5,000 replacing and fixing, than to drop the price of your house by $10,000 or more for a flooring allowance!

4. Walls

• Paint that is faded, discolored, peeling or scuffed is a sure sign of age.
• Wall paper in “vintage” patterns, or that is peeling or torn.
• Paneling . . . need we say more? Seriously, unless the cottage or cabin look is popular in your market, this can be a rapid deterrent to many potential home buyers!

Remedy:
Paint walls with fresh, neutral colors. Remove wall paper altogether! Taste in wall paper is very personalized and is more likely to repel than invite potential buyers. Dark paneling, even if it is the highest quality, can be room darkening and dated. Consider removing wallpaper or paneling, or refinishing to brighten a room. Brighter rooms feel bigger!

5. Doors

• Hardware that is worn, rusted, loose, difficult to operate or out of style not only dates a home, it is a security risk and reflects neglect.
• Dingy appearing doors say “old and poorly cared for” right at the front entry.

Remedy:
Thoroughly scrub all doors. Paint and repair if necessary. Even consider replacing the door to reflect a more contemporary style, or add light to a dark entry. The front door is what home buyers see first after the curbside look!

6. Appliances

• Golden rod and avocado green appliances may be nostalgic, but were popular a generation (or two) ago and suggest that appliances may be at the end of their life span.
• Refrigerators with compartments for an ice block reflect a love of antiques, but will not appeal to the average potential home buyer.

Remedy:
Replace appliances that are worn, outdated by 10 years or more, or have broken attachments. Newer appliances are more energy efficient, make your home look fresher, often come with a warranty, and are sure to appeal to the average home buyer.

7. Faucets

• Leaky, corroded faucets are a sure way to wash a home sale down the drain.

Remedy:
Repair or replace! If the faucet is old, and was contractor grade when the house was built, update! Many affordable and stylish faucet options exist. If you lack basic plumbing skills, many hardware supplies offer installation services.

8. Bathrooms

• Small mirrored ”medicine” cabinets or large unframed mirrors may be functional but lack style, and are out of sync with contemporary home buyers’ desires for a luxurious and pampering environment.
• Pink, gray or baby blue tile reminiscent of the 60’s may be attractive to a few retro lovers, but lack the warm, earthy feel currently sought by home buyers.

Remedy:
Remove older “medicine” style mirrored cabinets. Hang a stylish mirror instead, and update the lighting for a brighter more stylish appearance. If you have large mirror panels, consider framing sections to accentuate separate sinks.

9. Ceiling fans

• Brass and glass are a thing of the past!

Remedy:
Ceiling fans provide excellent air circulation and reduce energy costs. Make them a stylish feature of your home. Whether your home is contemporary, tropical, or transitional, there is an affordable option to suit your needs. Many come with light kits to illuminate as well as accentuate your space. Avoid ceiling fans in dining areas and kitchens. Consider chandeliers or pendant lighting.

10. Window treatments

• Mini blinds are outdated dust collectors sure to embarrass the most fastidious housekeeper.
• Dark, heavy drapes resembling theater curtains are depressing. They also detract from views and block precious light that home buyers demand. Drapes should add style and drama without overpowering or darkening the room.

Remedy:
Remove blinds and curtains and let the light in! If you need privacy, consider attractive shades and curtains that enhance the view and surroundings, and can be raised or opened readily so that potential buyers can see themselves in your home!