What are common features of old houses that put buyers off?
Most of these features will depend on personal taste, but the most common things that put a buyer off a house is –
1. Outdated bathroom suites
2. Garish wallpaper
3. Worn/damaged flooring
4. Outdated kitchens
5. Old-fashioned fitted furniture.

Selling a house can be difficult at the best of times, but if it’s old and outdated, will this make achieving your sale even harder? Personal taste is a big factor of buying a house, and while some viewers may be able to see past the current decoration and imagine what they would do with the place, outdated décor can put potential buyers off. We Buy Any House look at some of the most common decoration that put viewers off a house, and how you can look at changing it for minimal cost. What should I look at updating?

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1. Bathroom suites

A popular colour in previous years but not so much now is a vibrant bathroom suite – often avocado green or bright blue. While these colours may still appeal to some buyers, more often than not it turns people off. There are ways to make it more attractive, however. You have a few options – you can look at combining the suite into a colour scheme, matching some bathroom accessories in complementary colours to make the features work together. You may consider replacing the suite, but you will need to decide if the cost of renovating the bathroom will pay off – how much will it increase your house value by? If you’re not sure what colours will work together, you can look at sites like Pinterest for brands such as Roper Rhodes where you can see what other homeowners have done with their bathrooms and get some inspiration.

2. Garish wallpaper

Especially in older houses, you may have chintz wallpaper. Again, this style may be very appealing to some viewers, and if your property is quite old-fashioned, it may tie the aesthetic together well. However, if the wallpaper is more of an eyesore than a highlight, your best option is to paint over it in a clean, white shade. This will automatically make the room feel bigger and brighten it up, making it more appealing to potential buyers.

3. Worn carpets

Carpet is an important aspect of a room, as it can make or break a viewer’s decision to buy a house. Old, worn-out carpets will tend to put buyer’s off, as will old-fashioned patterns and vivid colours. Replacing a carpet can be pricey, but will completely change the look and feel of a house. You may decide to take up the carpet and replace the floors with wood, which could increase the value of the property. If you are thinking of replacing the carpet to sell, the best option is a neutral colour like beige. This will help your rooms look larger, and avoid any clashes with furniture.

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4. Outdated kitchen

An old kitchen can put buyers off, as a kitchen can be one of the most expensive rooms in a house to renovate. Older kitchens may have damaged tiles, stained cupboard panels and unattractive surfaces, but these are all things that you can update for a low price. You can replace tiles yourself by watching a YouTube tutorial, or speaking to a family member or friend that has some experience in tiling. If the cupboard panels are stained, you could consider painting them to freshen them up. This is easy enough to do and isn’t an expensive job. It will make a big difference to a kitchen and lets you choose the colour to match whatever other colours are in the kitchen – matching to the floor or the surfaces. Surfaces can be expensive to replace, depending on what material it’s made from. If they’re wooden and worn, you can consider sanding them and re-staining them yourself. This is a relatively cheap option but will be time-consuming. If you’re feeling up for a challenge, you could consider redecorating the surfaces with resin – there are lots of videos online to guide you through, and allows you to personalise the colours and patterns, making your surfaces really stand out. You don’t have to make these changes, as your buyer may be willing to renovate the kitchen when they move in, but updating an old kitchen can make a big difference at a low cost.

5. Old-fashioned built-in wardrobes

This is a feature that some viewers might value, but others may see it as a bit of a hindrance. The commonly fitted wardrobes that surround a bed on a wall limit the options for furniture layout, and if they are old and worn can be very distracting in the room. This can be improved by a coat of paint or considering removing them if possible. A buyer can make the decision to remove fitted wardrobes themselves if they wish to, giving more freedom and more space in the room. Some built-in wardrobes are a great feature to a house, so this will depend on the style and condition of the wardrobes in the property that you’re trying to sell, but considering touching them up could benefit you when you’re doing viewings.

Selling an old-fashioned and outdated house can be hard, especially now where modern styles are evolving. Decorating your house can be a good idea, but sometimes you don’t have the time to do this, or you simply don’t want the financial burden of doing the work. You can sell your house in any condition to us – We Buy Any House. Get in contact today for your free cash offer, and see how we can help you sell your house with no hassle in as little as 7 days.

We buy any home in as little as 7 days, or timescales to suit you. Head to the We Buy Any House website for more information.

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