If you’re thinking about selling your home in Las Vegas, your REALTOR® will walk through it with you and point out areas that could use a little bit of a boost. Before you get to that point, check out these five things that almost always make a home look old and outdated – that way, you can update them before you ask your agent to tell you how much you could make if you sold your home today.
Does Your Home Look Old? 5 Signs That Point to “Yes”
Most buyers prefer a modern look, so check out these five things that nearly always make a home look old:
- Old-school window treatments
- Carpet
- Dark kitchens
- Floor-to-ceiling mirrors
- Glass block bathrooms
Here’s a closer look at each.
#1 Feature That Makes Buyers Think Your Home is Old: Old-School Window Treatments
Heavy drapes with tasseled ties do have a place in some modern homes – but in most spaces, they’re bulky and cut down on light. Buyers want to see big, bright windows, so if you have heavy drapes, it’s time to update them. If you have a valance, take it down. The same is true with vertical blinds; two layers of light curtains can tremendously improve your living room’s look.
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#2 Feature That Makes Buyers Think Your Home is Old: Carpet
Buyers don’t want to live on someone else’s carpet, so if your home has any – except possibly in the bedrooms, where you can still get away with it – it’s time for a new ‘do for your floors. Buyers prefer tile, hardwoods and even concrete to carpet. However, if you’re thinking about pulling up your flooring, talk to your REALTOR first; you may not need to go to the expense and risk getting something that doesn’t go over well with buyers. Sometimes offering a credit for flooring works better than replacing what you have.
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#3 Feature That Makes Buyers Think Your Home is Old: Dark Kitchens
Dark cabinets, dark countertops and dark floors were all the rage from 2005 to the teens, but today, buyers prefer light, bright kitchens packed with function and style. If you have a dark kitchen, especially if it only features a small window for natural light, you should talk to your REALTOR about what you can do to update it. You may not need to replace all your cabinetry and your countertops; you may just need a fresh coat of paint on your cabinets and new counters.
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#4 Feature That Makes Buyers Think Your Home is Old: Floor-to-Ceiling Mirrors
Floor-to-ceiling mirrors do offer a few benefits. First, they reflect light – a lot of light. They can also make a space appear larger. However, they’re pretty dated; they haven’t been en vogue since the 1980s. Think about replacing your floor-to-ceiling mirrors with simply and elegantly decorated painted walls, which can make your space feel more luxurious (and certainly more modern).
Related: The 10-step guide to buying a home
#5 Feature That Makes Buyers Think Your Home is Old: Glass Block Bathrooms
Glass block bathrooms were extremely popular in the 1990s, and to be perfectly honest, they’re still visually interesting. However, buyers would rather have a skylight or a frosted window in a bathroom than glass blocks. If your bathroom features a glass block window or a glass block shower, it’s time for an update. (And if your bathroom uses them in a wall to block off the commode from the rest of the space, remove them and replace them with a solid wall or consider turning it into a half-wall.)
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