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  1. Home
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15 Interior trends that devalue your home

Colours, patterns and finishes to avoid - by Franki Hobson
  • 30 Mar 2020

WATCH: How to add value to your home with clever styling techniques and decoration

We’re all up for a design trend. Especially those that transform a tired, dated home into a modern, luxe living space. But not all trends are designed equal. 

According to Rated People’s recent Home Improvement Trends Report, some of Instagram’s favourite such as dark blue walls, painted floorboards, black taps and metro tiles, are actually likely to put home buyers off.

Olive green feature wall

If you're into olive green, this feature wall could be a selling point. However, the research shows coloured feature walls are one of the biggest turn offs to buying a home.

Getty

The list ‘turn off’ includes some of the most popular décor and renovation trends from the last few years - bold colours, statement fittings and kitchens that are anything but white. But despite their popularity, rooms painted dark blue or dark grey are the top two design features most likely to put buyers off, with half of homeowners saying this would make them less likely to purchase a property. 

Adrienne Minster, CEO of Rated People, says “we know from the many completed projects in our community that dark and bold colours can look great, whether they’re used on walls, ceilings, kitchen cupboards or window frames. But when it comes to selling, it’s a good idea to stay up to date with the features that buyers are looking for because the trends that were adding value just two to three years ago might now be devaluing properties.”

The research is taken from a wider study into renovation and interior design trends and other surprising buyer turnoffs include copper taps, dark grey window frames and patterned floor tiles. The findings suggest anything that’s too bold or personal could make it harder for buyers to see past the décor and imagine themselves in a property.

shower room

Where's the bath? No soaker could be a house-selling deal breaker.

Getty

The Top 15 features most likely to put buyers off are:

  1. Rooms painted dark blue – 52%
  2. Rooms painted dark grey – 49%
  3. No bath (only a shower) – 43%
  4. Dark blue kitchen cupboard doors – 41%
  5. Black taps/ shower fittings – 35%
  6. Painted floorboards – 35%
  7. Dark grey window frames – 32%
  8. Dark grey kitchen cupboard doors – 31%
  9. Original sash windows – 31%
  10. Wooden double glazing – 31%
  11. Patterned floor tiles – 29%
  12. Tiled floor in living spaces – 29%
  13. Copper taps on kitchen sink – 28%
  14. White metro tiles in bathroom with dark grouting – 28%
  15. Open plan layout – 27%
subway tiles and black taps

Metro tiles and black taps - seemed like a good idea at the time!

Getty

(Rated People Home Improvement Trends Report: 2020 ranked by the percentage of homeowners who said each feature would make them less likely to buy a property)

You might also like:

Top 5 tips for renovating for profit 

5 ways to keep your budget renovation on track

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Franki Hobson
Franki Hobson
Franki Hobson is a women’s lifestyle journalist and editor with more than twenty years’ experience. Her areas of expertise include homes, parenting and health and well-being.

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