This year’s spring market has turned into more of a summer market thanks to COVID-19. More buyers are listing their homes now that states have opened back up with social distancing protocols. Although inventory may be lower does not mean buyers will not be particular about the upkeep and condition of the home.

We have identified four design trends that are holding strong in real estate. With each of these trends, you can improve your home’s appearance with simple, low cost updates that will give you a great return on investment (ROI) and sell your home quicker.

Not sure how to approach these trends in your own home? Book your consultation today. We provide staging services for all of Northern Virginia for our in-person consultations, and can assist out of area clients via our Online Staging Consultations.

Soft neutral paint colors

Buyers are still loving their neutral walls. We highlighted some beautiful no- fail wall colors in a previous post. Neutral walls give the sense of relief to a buyer when they walk in the home. It’s clean, it’s easy to live with and goes with any style. Buyers, on average, will offer $5000 less the cost of what it would cost you to have it painted. For example, it may cost you $3000 to have the main portion of the home painted, but the buyer will offer you $8000 less on asking price. Huge difference right?! We like to call it the “pain and suffering” penalty. Some colors just aren’t tolerable for buyers (ahem - we’re looking at you, red walls) and they don’t want to go through the pain and suffering of trying to get the walls painted before moving into the home. As a result, they offer FAR less.

Mixed Metals with Light Fixtures

We are seeing more and more light fixtures using a mix of metals. We are also noticing the metal on light fixtures doesn’t necessarily have to match the hardware on the cabinets. This is great as it offers flexibility with design choices. Light fixtures are such an inexpensive way to update your home and create a HUGE impact. They are the jewelry of the home. Builder grade light fixtures scream the fact you haven’t updated your home since you moved in 20 years ago.

Painted Cabinets

Instead of spending tons of money replacing cabinets, think about painting your cabinets. BUT PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS YOURSELF - LEAVE IT TO THE PROFESSIONALS. Painted cabinetry has been on trend for a couple of years now and is still holding steady in today’s market. Islands are often painted a different color to set them apart and to add interest. If your cabinets are in great shape other than the finish, painting is a low cost way to create an updated feel to the home. Buyers will notice when a bad job has been done so please don’t try this as a weekend DIY project. When done correctly they will bring much added value to your home.

Luxury Vinyl Tile and Planks

Vinyl has come a long way, baby. A great way to update your flooring (particularly outdated tile) is to install luxury vinyl tile or planks - also known as LVT or LVP. The planks give the look and feel of wood floors without the upkeep of wood floors (so Fido can run all he wants on this flooring with no scratches left behind). This flooring is also an excellent choice for basements, as it can tolerate water better than wood or carpet in case there happens to be an accidental flood. This flooring is becoming more prevalent in today’s homes. It updates the home and gives the look and feel of tile or wood without the maintenance and upkeep.

Small, inexpensive updates can give a huge return. These four investments will give you a substantial return on investment (ROI) no matter where you live. Buyers want homes that look updated and feel updated, and these four design trends will be noticed immediately when walking into a perspective home. We stage, on average, 500 homes a year and these four items are on our list for 90% of the homes we stage. If you need help getting your home market ready, let us help. We can do virtual consultations no matter where you live. We strive to offer the best advice with low cost updates to give you the maximum return on investment.

Book your online consultation today and let us shine the spotlight on your home.

*Disclaimer: This page contains Amazon affiliate links which means Staged by Design® may earn commission if you use links provided