Five Common Home Decorating Mistakes: Avoid These Tacky Design Choices

If you are planning to sell your home, of course you want to get as much money for it as the market will bear.

To appeal to the widest possible buying audience, you may spend significant time and effort making updates to set just the right stage. But sometimes poor decorating or renovation choices can disenchant potential buyers, causing an otherwise great property to languish on the market and eventually sell for less than it should. Most people don’t have a great deal of imagination and they may be put off by the idea of making costly, time-consuming alterations to their new abode.

Here are five common design mistakes that can degrade the feel of your home, along with some helpful tips for avoiding them.

1. The Wrong-Sized Furniture
   It can be hard to judge the scale of furniture when it’s sitting on a vast showroom floor. That’s why homeowners are sometimes shocked to find that the beautiful sectional they saw in the store seems to take up their entire living room. Or that their elegant new Chippendale buffet looks so minuscule poised in their wide-open dining room. Instead of relying on your eyes, let the numbers guide your purchasing decisions. Measure the area available for each major piece so that you can figure out an acceptable size range. Jot down those sizes and take them with you on your furniture shopping expedition so you can be assured of choosing perfectly proportioned elements.

2. Unflattering Lighting
   Good light is one of the top priorities buyers list when they begin their home search. If a home doesn’t enjoy abundant natural light, properly lighting dark rooms is that much more important.  Contrary to popular belief, though, overhead lighting is not the best way to brighten up a room. Overhead lighting casts downward shadows that can make the space feel claustrophobic, cheap, and uninviting. Savvy contractors can devise smart recessed lighting plans around the edge of the ceiling or along beams and rafters to generate an appealing ambiance. For a less expensive fix, incorporate a mix of pretty table lamps, wall sconces, and floor lamps to create layers of light.

3. Forgetting the Window Treatments
   When window treatments are absent, a home can feel cold and underdone. The right window treatments have the power to transform and soften a room, highlight beautiful windows, and serve practical purposes regarding privacy and light control. Drapery, for example, can add elegance and improve the appearance of any residence but it must be installed properly to create the right effect. If the drapes are too short, they can seem garish. If they are too long, they tend to look sloppy. Drapery should always be just caressing the floor. For a more minimalist effect, opt for Romans or roller-shades instead of mini-blinds.

4. Overdoing the Knick-Knacks
   The occasional ornament here or there can be a perfectly fine way of adding a pop of personality to a room. Maybe it’s a pretty trinket you got from your travels or a sentimental figurine that was given to you by a loved one. But these baubles can quickly add up, and before you know it, your mantle, bookcase, and every other surface in the room are buried alive in knick-knacks. They make the space look sloppy, cluttered, and tawdry. While your home is on the market, put the bobble heads, dancing wooden hula girls, and shot glasses from Reno in storage.

5. Neglecting the Exterior
   An overgrown, neglected yard ruins the impression of your home no matter how beautiful the  interior may be. When the yard is manicured and the outside of your residence is properly maintained, it indicates that the property has been well-cared for. Aside from basic lawn and garden upkeep, you can create an appealing outdoor environment with some simple touches. Set up a bistro table and chairs with a pretty centerpiece and use string lights to define cozy sitting areas. Incorporate potted plants to add a pop of color, and don’t forget to clean those outdoor light fixtures and replace the bulbs, if needed.

You only get one chance to make a great first impression on potential buyers, so it’s important that you make it count. If you need additional home decorating guidance, the experienced professionals at Certified Title are here to help. Please reach out to us anytime.

About Certified Title Corporation: Since 1994, attorney-owned Certified Title Corporation has been furnishing residential and commercial real estate stakeholders across the nation with robust title insurance, settlement, and escrow services. Renowned for their industry-leading reliability and exemplary level of service and quality, the Maryland-based company helps clients from all walks of life achieve their asset goals. To learn more, call (888)486-5511 or visit https://www.certifiedtitlecorp.com/.