In a competitive housing market where first impressions are everything, coming in with all the right intel on buyer psychology is key to a speedy sale. “While you only need one buyer, it’s also important that you’re putting your absolute best foot forward,” Austin-based real estate agent Emily Ross says, adding that buyers are getting pickier these days and less willing to renovate after moving in. At the risk of staging a boring home, Ross says, “When in doubt, go classic.” Above all, buyers prize neutrals, matching appliances, and open spaces that can help them envision how they want to shape the home rather than living with other people’s existing design decisions.
She, along with Opendoor head of real estate Kerry Melcher, advise looking at other listed homes in your neighborhood for context clues on what’s working and what’s not. “I often try to find a recent sale in the neighborhood that sold for an above-average price and/or quickly as an example of what to emulate,” Ross says. In other cases, having the only home on the market in your neighborhood without a renovated kitchen lets you know that you might not be getting the most competitive offers compared with the Joneses next door.
To hear more on what modern finishes and design choices are of-the-moment but not so friendly to buyers, we asked real estate agents what to avoid, along with what they recommend swapping in instead.
Related StoriesA Colorful Kitchen
Colorful hues can be a draw for individual buyers, but they won’t appeal to everyone. Take yellow, a hue that’s become a popular choice for brightening up the kitchen. “Yellow is said to symbolize energy and optimism, and I’ve often seen it used in kitchens and laundry rooms,” Melcher says. Still, she notes, the sunny hue can potentially alienate people and make dimly lit rooms appear more dingy.
Buyer-friendly alternative: Melcher suggests sticking to traditional neutrals that offer shoppers a blank slate so they can easily envision their style.
Related StoryNaked Floor-to-Ceiling Windows
Tall, open floor-to-ceiling windows without any muntins (vertical dividers) or grilles crisscrossing them are a fixture of the modern glass-house trope. They draw in lots of sunlight and offer unobscured views of the outdoors, which you might think could only be a good thing. Ross warns that this trend isn’t likely to win over buyers who prioritize privacy, energy efficiency, and security.
Buyer-friendly alternative: Ross suggests buying long, sheer curtains or remote-controlled roller blinds to soften the windows and shield the home from prying eyes.
Related StoryBlack Kitchen Cabinets
Some homeowners today are venturing off the beaten path and into moodier palettes for kitchen cabinets, opting or colors like black and dark green to play off matte appliances and finishes. The trend can be polarizing.
Buyer-friendly alternative: Ross suggests playing it safe with a clean white palette for cabinets and adding personality with new knobs and pulls. If you’re still itching to have some fun with moody or bright colors and patterns, she adds, a powder room or utility room is a great place to do that.
Related StoryA Jewel Box Ceiling
Cloaking an entire room in one hue—a paint technique also called color drenching—can heighten its coziness and make intimidatingly high ceilings feel lower and more human scale, though the jewel-box look is not a design choice for the faint of heart.
Buyer-friendly alternative: Add a slightly darker accent wall to your primary bedroom or bathroom to can break up the sea of neutrals, Ross advises.
Related StoryBold Appliances
Sometimes your appliances can be a deterrent to buyers who gravitate toward a sleek and simple aesthetic. Los Angeles–based real estate broker Casey Winchell Napolitano, founder of NDA Real Estate, says “2024 is all about bold color choices in the kitchen,” and points to black or pink statement appliances as an example. All that flair may be a fleeting trend, though.
Buyer-friendly alternative: Napolitano recommends swapping out colorful appliances for classic ones in stainless steel or panel-ready appliances that offer broader appeal when it comes time to sell. “Bonus points if you can get all the appliances to match,” Ross adds, whether that’s a suite of matching stainless steel or paneled devices.
Glass Door Refrigerators
Another appliance no-no, according to Napolitano, is glass door refrigerators, which are popular for their modern aesthetic but not so practical. “While they can certainly add a sleek, modern touch to a kitchen, they require constant upkeep to maintain their appeal,” she says. “Smudges, fingerprints, and food splatter can quickly diminish their allure.” Besides upkeep, some buyers might also be turned off by the lack of door storage that’s common among these types of fridges.
Buyer-friendly alternative: Opt for a standard door fridge. French door and bottom-freezer styles are especially popular.
Related StoryMaximalist Wallpaper and Custom Murals
In real estate, where first impressions are everything, buyers might not want to open the door to wild patterns on every wall. “If they see bold or outdated wallpaper, they immediately calculate the cost and effort of removing it, and it’s expensive,” Napolitano says. Melcher adds that the same goes for custom murals, which can potentially deter buyers by coming across as too personalized.
Buyer-friendly alternative: Neutral paint. Both Napolitano and Melcher say it presents as a clean slate that allows potential buyers to imagine their own touches, making it easier to emotionally connect with the home. According to Opendoor’s 2024 Home Decor Report, homeowners prefer beige/tan, gray, and variations of white paint for the exterior, interior, and front door of a home.
Related StoryLED Chandeliers
Beyond the much-maligned boob lighting of rental homes, more directional choices like LED chandeliers in unusual configurations are en vogue but not always well received by shoppers. Ross says that when installed over a dining table or as pendants over a kitchen island, they can feel too cold and detract from the surrounding beauty of the space.
Buyer-friendly alternative: A staircase, entryway, or other walkthrough area is a better location for making the most of these sculptural lights (and making a good first impression with buyers), Ross says.
Related StoryThe Color Pink
Barbie pink had a moment last year at the box office, in home design, and in businesses—basically everywhere except in the housing market. Opendoor data identifies pink as the least appealing color for exteriors, interiors, and front doors, Melcher says. “Pink exteriors can be overwhelming for some,” she adds.
Buyer-friendly alternative: Incorporate pink in less permanent or softer ways. “I’d advise homeowners to incorporate the color in smaller doses and in more muted tones, like dusty rose,” Melcher says.
Related StoryCollections and Displays
Anti-minimalist cluttercore enthusiasts have turned an artful obsession with nostalgia into a whole lifestyle. According to Ross, all that clutter doesn’t photograph well for a listing. “The less on the countertop, the longer and bigger it looks on camera,” she says.
Napolitano is a little sterner: “Buyers want to envision themselves in the home and if you have too much going on, it can literally make or break an opportunity for an offer,” she emphasizes.
Buyer-friendly alternative: Keep surfaces clear of personal items—and keep most of your belongings in closed storage.
Related StoryBig, Maximalist Furnishings
That same less-is-more philosophy holds true for your furniture too. Napolitano says a good edit is always necessary to open up a space, and Ross explains that the things to keep in a purge are furnishings that fit the room rather than making it appear smaller. That means losing the oversized couches, conversation pits, or otherwise maximalist-leaning designs that—while popular on Instagram—can overwhelm a tight space IRL. “Also, make sure you don’t have anything in your home that may be meaningful to you but controversial or offensive to buyers,” Napolitano adds.
Buyer-friendly alternative: Choose minimalist furniture with a sleek profile that makes your space look larger and more open.
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