From Family Handyman · Alex Shoemaker · · 2m
I stopped decorating for a buyer who doesn't exist
A DIYer explains why he quit designing his house around a hypothetical future owner and started making it work for his family.
In brief
A DIYer explains why he quit designing his house around a hypothetical future owner and started making it work for his family. Most of the choices you agonize over are cosmetic and easy to undo, so make them for the people living there now. Originally reported by Family Handyman.
Designing for a stranger
Alex Shoemaker made every home decision with resale in mind, then realized he was designing for someone who didn't live there yet.
“I wasn't designing my home for myself or our family but for someone who didn't even live there yet.”
Fear causes project paralysis
Chasing the most logical financial choice stalls new homeowners. It pushes them toward safe neutrals instead of what they actually like or what the family needs.
You live here now
The reminder that changed everything: he is the one in the house today, not an imaginary buyer years away. That makes a bold paint color or a custom build worth doing.
“I'm the one actually living in this house right now, not an imaginary buyer years from now.”
Most choices wash off
Paint, wallpaper, light fixtures and other finishes swap out easily. No future owner is permanently stuck with what you picked.
“A future owner isn't permanently stuck with every decision I make.”
Guessing a buyer's taste
His neighborhood's schools and parks suggest another young family moves in next, but he has no idea what they'll want. Even safe choices go out of style.
“Even "safe" choices aren't guaranteed to stay desirable as trends change.”
Design is a small slice
The Federal Housing Finance Agency ties home value to the local market, the home's condition and age, and improvements made or still needed. Your decor is one piece.
Know the expensive undos
Think hard before removing a useful feature or making a change that costs real money to reverse. That's where the caution actually belongs.
What the money says
Pools, upscale kitchen remodels and primary suite additions return far less than they cost. Garage doors, steel entry doors and minor kitchen remodels break even or better, and ENERGY STAR homes sell at a premium.
A home, not a staging set
He'd rather live with some clutter than a sterile, permanently staged house. At sell time a room might need fresh paint, or maybe the next buyer likes it too.
“We can't buy back the years we spend living there.”
The bottom line
Most of the choices you agonize over are cosmetic and easy to undo, so make them for the people living there now.
