tech<p>My 87-year-old mom is a fan of HGTV. She has always followed the real-estate market and she loves home decorating. But she is hurt by the reactions of young home buyers on HGTV who complain that a house&#39;s decor is dated. Sometimes they even guffaw or scoff at a home&#39;s yellow printed wallpaper in the kitchen or the dark wood cabinets. To my mom these TV house hunters seem callous, unimaginative, and a bit spoiled. &quot;I&#39;ve lived my whole life without a walk-in closet,&quot;&nbsp;she sighs. &quot;What do these newlyweds expect?&quot;</p> <p>Now admittedly, I myself would react poorly to seeing bathroom wallpaper done in foil sprinkled with 1970s-era lady bugs. On the other hand, once the world tears out every example of 1970s foil wallpaper, mark my words you will see its comeback featured in <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Architectural Digest</span> as the latest in edgy sophistication.</p> <p>So here is some advice for both older sellers and to younger buyers faced with a &quot;dated&quot; home decor:</p> <p><strong>Advice to sellers:</strong> Remember the choices you made when you first bought your home. It was exciting to pick out the furniture or decorate the front hall. Maybe twenty years later, you still enjoy those decisions. So accept that the next family will want to personalize their home too. That is why your real estate agent says to take down the family photos or artwork that is very specific to your taste. You may even be asked to remove or paint over wallpaper to neutralize it. You may be asked to take out wall-to-wall carpeting. You may think that this stripped down version of your house lacks warmth, but it leaves room for potential buyers to visualize their personal belongings in the space.</p> <p>Buyers may be forgiving of older decor but they aren&#39;t forgiving of shabby elements. It makes the home appear uncared for. Even if your kitchen is old, make sure the cabinets and drawers work properly and that there is no peeling paint or obvious staining on walls or ceilings.<!--more--></p> <p>A special note for original owners of <a href="http://realestateinma.com/2011/05/modern-real-estate-boston/" target="_blank" title="Mid Century Modern...Once Upon a Time">mid-century modern homes</a>: The good news is that your style of home is extremely appealing to younger home buyers. They appreciate the open, airy spaces and strong architectural design. In fact, the style is so in vogue that these new enthusiasts may expect streamlined perfection in the decor. Your family&#39;s antique platform rocker in the living room could be jarring to their vision. If you own such a home, less really is more. Don&#39;t be offended if your agent suggests removing a lot of furniture, wall decorations, and rugs. The strength of your home is its architecture.</p> <p><strong>Advice to buyers:</strong> Don&#39;t fret about what is often a cosmetic spruce up. Look at the bones of the house, not the furniture. If you hate the paint colors or the wallpaper, just rationalize the work of changing it by telling yourself that you will get to know every square inch of your new home intimately through scraping and painting. If there are pricey elements that are out of date, such as the kitchen and baths, realize that the asking price likely reflects that fact. If you hate a pink bathroom, focus on the space itself, the potential for change, and the choices you will make. And don&#39;t decide to change things too quickly. You may actually come to respect those vintage pink fixtures. What goes around, comes around.</p> <p><strong>Advice to Listing Agents:</strong> Work with your older homeowner to explain that staging helps make the home appealing to the widest variety of buyers. For example, hotel decor is generally pleasant and not too specific in taste. Then it is up to the next owner to add their personality.</p> <p>Lyn Spaeth, principal of Transformations, a staging company located in Lincoln, MA, also points out an important fact: Older homeowners don&#39;t realize that their home is often first viewed on photos on the internet. If the interior looks dark or cluttered, buyers won&#39;t even make an appointment for a viewing. The goals is to sell space, light, and architectural features and the photos need to highlight those three things.</p> <p><strong>Advice to Buyer Agents:</strong> Let the buyers experience the home but don&#39;t let them get hung up on criticizing things that can be easily updated. For example, point out that a dated bathroom may have good potential to be expanded or that its copper pipes are top quality and not easily replicated today. The truth is it is a buyer&#39;s market and what they want is what they can probably get. But don&#39;t misread all the young buyers. You may find that a home that reminds them of their happy childhood is exactly what they are yearning for.</p>
