UPGRADE YOUR LOOK TO IMPRESS!
What's important to buyers?
A home’s design, including floor plans, tiling, cabinetry, and countertops, can make or break its appeal to buyers. Just like fashion, home decor trends change over time, so what’s “in” this year may be “out” the next. You can learn from industry surveys; for example, recently surveyed homeowners to learn about their design priorities. Cost-effective approaches are a top priority. Owners and even first-time buyers are moving toward “universal decor” and ultra-functional spaces that will have multiple functions in the home for everyone.
Impact of Inflation on Design Budgets
Inflation is prompting fewer owners to update their home’s look, with only 25% saying they swap out their decor at least once a year. That’s down from 32% in 2021, which suggests that “universal decor”—pieces that work year-round—may gain favor. When walking through a home, look for specific features or design elements that will have longevity (think quartz countertops in the kitchen or hardwood flooring elsewhere in the home- this NEVER goes out of style!).
Homeowners who do seek a makeover are choosing cost-effective options, such as fresh paint (66%), furniture rearrangement (49%), new throw pillows (43%), house plants (41%), and updating wall art (39%). Also, projects such as staining a vintage piece of furniture, painting cabinets, adding new tiles, repainting a room, or in some cases, adding modern wallpaper.
The living room has overtaken the kitchen as the central space of the home. It's a room where you feel most energized, and also where you can feel most relaxed. This mostly unused space can be an additional family room, library, or home theatre.
Ultra-functional rooms, which maximize indoor opportunities for connection, rest, reading and relaxation, solitude, and productivity, are likely to see higher demand. Forty-one percent of homeowners say they want a fully open layout for the kitchen, living room, and dining room. Using living room furniture to delineate a separate space—the couch in the middle of the room, backed by a console table—will help foster a feeling of openness, even if the layout doesn’t allow for it.
And, of course, updated kitchens and baths remain at the top of everyone's list of must-haves!
Another easy and cost–effective upgrade is switching out light fixtures. This is relatively easy, and oh, so important!
Replace outdated vanity lights, pendant lights, and builder-grade flush mounts with design-forward options, like fixtures with LED bulbs or energy-saving dimmers is important. Lighting can completely change the look and feel of a space, and many times overlooked.
If your home needs more than touchups, focus on the upgrades buyers confirm they want most: new kitchen appliances, a kitchen island, and quartz countertops. Opt for durable, high-quality materials that can withstand stains and spills. Quartz counters and luxury flooring in colors and patterns that mimic real stone and wood can be a timeless design.
Need help to decide what to do? Need information about how to budget your projects and have Coldwell Banker assist in the process? Call me. I can explain options that may be available to you through my company!
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