I recently posted a video on Facebook featuring Jessica Broussard. In it, we talk about the top three things homeowners do—or don’t do—that can seriously hurt their home’s appeal to buyers. In this post, I’ll go into more detail on that. Let’s get into it.
Loud Paint Colors Throughout the House
Paint is one of those things that feels incredibly personal when living in a home. A color gets chosen because it looks great, reflects personality, and felt right at the time. That makes total sense. But those same colors can make it harder for buyers to picture themselves in the space.
Having too many different paint colors throughout a house breaks up the visual flow. Buyers walk through and instead of focusing on the kitchen layout or whether the primary bedroom is large enough, they get distracted by the fact that one room is deep red, the next is lime green, and the hallway is mustard yellow. It starts to feel overly customized and specific to one person’s taste.
The colors that tend to give buyers the most pause include lime green, red, bright yellow, mustard yellow, bold pink, and bold purple on interior walls. On the exterior, dark or neon colors can have a similar effect.
Neutral tones give buyers a blank slate. Warm whites and light taupes keep the focus on the home itself rather than the walls, which is exactly where it should be.
Too Much Wallpaper
Wallpaper has made a big comeback in interior design, and in the right spot, it can add character to a space. A powder bath with a fun print? Totally fine. A single accent wall in a dining room? No issue there. Wallpaper is not the issue in itself.
The challenge comes when it covers nearly every room, with different patterns layered throughout the house.
Busy patterns can make rooms feel smaller by drawing the eye inward, especially in spaces that are not already generous in size. Certain wallpaper styles can also feel dated, regardless of how recently they were installed.
From a practical standpoint, buyers are aware that wallpaper removal takes time and money.
One or two well-placed wallpapered rooms tend to work well. When it starts showing up across multiple rooms in different patterns, it can take away from the overall appeal of the home.
No Landscaping
Curb appeal matters because it sets the tone before anyone steps inside. When a house has no landscaping or landscaping that has been left untouched for a while, it can give buyers the impression that the property has not been well-maintained. That perception tends to carry through the rest of the showing.
A yard without landscaping reads as flat. There is no visual interest, and nothing about it signals that the property has been cared for.
On the flip side, a yard with basic landscaping, trimmed hedges, fresh mulch, a few plants near the entry, and a mowed lawn changes how the whole house feels.
It does not take a major project to get there. Shaped trees, clean flowerbeds, and a tidy pathway are relatively low-cost improvements that can shift the first impression considerably.
We have seen homes that were great on the inside struggle to generate interest simply because the exterior did not give buyers a reason to feel excited walking in.
Once landscaping is in place, a property stops feeling like just a house and starts feeling like a home.
Read more: How Important is Curb Appeal When Selling a House in Acadiana?
Let’s Get Your Home Sold
If you want to see the full conversation with Jessica Broussard, you can watch the video on my Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1BTGPhGWw4/.
For more tips like this, follow my Facebook Page. I regularly share insights for sellers, buyers, and agents navigating today’s market.
If you’re thinking about listing your home in Lafayette, Broussard, Youngsville, or anywhere in Acadiana, I’d love to connect. I’m one of the top-selling agents in the area, and I work closely with sellers to make sure their home is positioned properly before it ever hits the market.
Reach out and let’s talk through where you are and what the next step looks like.
