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I call these "trickery" houses. You know, the ones with wood (or wood laminate) floors, white trim, beige walls w/ black framed prints, stainless appliances & Pottery Barn/Ikea decor.
They'll trick a new buyer 9 times out of 10 and they'll fall in love. Even if the trickery house has a bad furnace, leaky roof and knob & tube wiring ... show them an HGTV decorated home and they're a goner. And trying to explain the value in an outdated decor home with new mechanicals is like banging my head against a wall.
I too always wonder what the heck they're going to do when they move in to that house - and discover that the sellers took their furniture and left them with a bazillion nail holes on that lovely carmel colored paint.
The house I bought has a newish roof, brand new furnace, brand new AC compressor, foundation in very good shape, and it needed a new breaker panel and hot water heater neither of which is a particularly expensive job. A new hot water heater is much cheaper than a new AC compressor! The decor in the house is not awful, it is just boring. Nearly every room has hospital white walls. That is easily changed. The mechanical systems of a house (its "guts") are not sexy but they are much more important than cherry cabinets and trendy paint colors.
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Originally Posted by PghREA
Me too. White is timeless and goes with everything (except, I hate seeing white with granite.) What really bugs me is why people chose colored bathroom fixtures - that are so outdated now.
My house's master bathroom is pink, pink toilet, pink sink, pink bathtub, pink floor tiles, pink wall tiles; you get the picture. I think it has gone past the point of "outdated" and is firmly in "retro" territory. People's jaws drop when they hear my house has a pink bathroom and they ask me if I plan to change it but then they see it and say "you should keep it!"
I plan to keep the house's pink bathroom if for no other reason than it is in excellent condition and there is no real reason to replace the bathroom suite other than the retro/outdated (depending on your point of view) color scheme.
In response to several different threads running....
Except on TV I have never seen a granite counter. On TV they look dark, glossy, and industrial. I think they're awful. I've never had one, I've never seen one, and I have no hankering for granite anything. Why is this such an important element for homes all of a sudden that people can't live without them? I'm totally in the dark. I don't get it.
I've owned several homes. I've lived with numerous countertops. I've never cared a whit about any of them. I have a countertop in the kitchen right now. It's grey something. I dunno. It's usually so buried under junk and mail and dishes that most of it is hidden anyway.....
I watch HGTV all the time, I find it absolutely fascinating. When did people become so obsessed with tile and countertops and sinks and floor treatments? How did I get through nearly six decades of life without caring about these things? When did this stuff become the most important aspect of going home after work every day?
The best thing about HGTV is that gorgeous guy who remodels basements. He can ring my doorbell anytime. I don't care what he's wearing.
Some people take pride in their homes almost like they are a piece of art. Not everyone keeps their countertops full of junk. Not to be flippant...but you have never seen a granite countertop? For reals? May I suggest getting out to a showroom or a parade of homes to see some design styles? If the things you mention aren't important to you and you don't get the fascination with it that's fine.
My house's master bathroom is pink, pink toilet, pink sink, pink bathtub, pink floor tiles, pink wall tiles; you get the picture. I think it has gone past the point of "outdated" and is firmly in "retro" territory. People's jaws drop when they hear my house has a pink bathroom and they ask me if I plan to change it but then they see it and say "you should keep it!"
I plan to keep the house's pink bathroom if for no other reason than it is in excellent condition and there is no real reason to replace the bathroom suite other than the retro/outdated (depending on your point of view) color scheme.
LOL! Sounds like my first house. Mid 60's and every house on my street had a different color choice. Mine was pink, next door on one side was aqua and on the other was lavender. I left mine alone because there was not a thing wrong with it.
The best thing about HGTV is that gorgeous guy who remodels basements. He can ring my doorbell anytime. I don't care what he's wearing.
I have to admit, I'm a heterosexual male but I'll admit that guy IS a hunk. When I watch his show, I always wonder if my wife is thinking wow, he's hawt.
LOL! Sounds like my first house. Mid 60's and every house on my street had a different color choice. Mine was pink, next door on one side was aqua and on the other was lavender. I left mine alone because there was not a thing wrong with it.
I would have preferred aqua to pink but it is a 1950s house, a pink bathroom is not unexpected.
There is actually a website devoted to pink bathrooms called "Save The Pink Bathrooms," it is hilarious!
A good kitchen has to be coherent and consistent, never mind the materials.. granite is fine but don't just go out and buy the most expensive everything, or it's going to get dated fast. In 5 years they'll call it the "pre-depression flipper look" and turn up their noses, the same way that earth tones and shag went out after the '70s. But if you put in a granite countertop and then build the rest of the kitchen around it to accentuate its surface interest and color variety, then you have a kitchen that will look fantastic for a long time.
Tile will always be a better surface for a kitchen in terms of function, though.
A good kitchen has to be coherent and consistent, never mind the materials.. granite is fine but don't just go out and buy the most expensive everything, or it's going to get dated fast. In 5 years they'll call it the "pre-depression flipper look" and turn up their noses, the same way that earth tones and shag went out after the '70s. But if you put in a granite countertop and then build the rest of the kitchen around it to accentuate its surface interest and color variety, then you have a kitchen that will look fantastic for a long time.
Tile will always be a better surface for a kitchen in terms of function, though.
I do not care for tile countertops, too much cleaning involved with the grout. I would rather have a solid surface.
I am not a fan of granite though, it can be beautiful but it is too trendy at this point. I never considered it for my own house for that reason and also because I feel it would be out of place for the era my house was built. I do not want my house to be a period museum but at the same time I think granite counters would look...wrong. I have seen terrific kitchen redos with original 1950s cabinets mixed with new corian, quartz, or silestone counters though and those were very nice.
It still baffles me how people get into trends and fads.....just because they saw it on television.
I've watched people change back and forth between preferences for 3 decades based completely on what they THINK is more popular. It feels so silly and immature.
I do not care for tile countertops, too much cleaning involved with the grout. I would rather have a solid surface.
I had an apartment with a tile countertop years ago. When we first rented it I thought it would be great--so easy to take care of and keep clean. Boy was I wrong. Keeping the grout clean was a PITA, and I'd never want that again.
Some people take pride in their homes almost like they are a piece of art. Not everyone keeps their countertops full of junk. Not to be flippant...but you have never seen a granite countertop? For reals? May I suggest getting out to a showroom or a parade of homes to see some design styles? If the things you mention aren't important to you and you don't get the fascination with it that's fine.
Yes, you're right. I probably should tour a Parade of Homes to witness the miracle of "design styles" now available in farflung contemporary subdivisions to learn what is right and proper in current home styling, thence to return to my own little hovel in a state of unrequited want.
*hangs head in shame*
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You know, the ones with wood (or wood laminate) floors, white trim, beige walls w/ black framed prints, stainless appliances & Pottery Barn/Ikea decor.
I have seen terrific kitchen redos with original 1950s cabinets mixed with new corian, quartz, or silestone counters though and those were very nice.
to witness the miracle of "design styles" now available in farflung contemporary subdivisions to learn what is right and proper in current home styling, thence to return to my own little hovel in a state of unrequited want. 
