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Your Home Features, Vintage or Dated?

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Professionals BK659643

Features That Date Your Home

There’s a fine line between “vintage” and “dated” when it comes to home features. Buyers tend to be willing to pay more for a contemporary-looking property. But how do you determine whether to invest in an update? Here are a few features it’s pretty safe to say are long past their expiration date.

Vintage or Dated Home Features1. Popcorn ceilings
Also known as acoustic, or cottage cheese ceilings, they were styled using a popular spray-on ceiling finish for decades. Fortunately, the finish is easy enough to remove using a variety of DIY methods.

2. Tiled countertops
Even if they’re not from the 40s or 50s, once you’ve wasted time scrubbing grout clean, you’ll understand why these should go. Changing your countertops to a current feature such as granite, quartz, or solid surface can make a excellent upgrade.

3. Brass
Back in the 80s, brass fixtures shone from everywhere they could be screwed or plugged in. That kind of home bling worked back when everyone wondered who shot J.R. To appeal to today’s buyer, update to a more neutral shade such as black or gray, or you can go with the very trendy copper.

4. Mauve
Also known as dusty rose, in the 80s this color infested everything from walls and carpets to Don Johnson’s “Miami Vice” blazers. Try swapping out for more neutral colors. Neutral is a good thing!

5. Short backsplashes
Popular in the 90s, colored glass and funky tile short backsplashes added color to kitchens. But they also visually shortened the kitchen walls. Replace them with tiles that reach all the way up to the cabinets to make the space look larger.

6. Formica cabinets
They were everywhere in the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s.  Do some research and find other options for cabinet updating by changing doors, hardware or replacing the entire cabinetry with current options.

7. Wood paneling
Generally speaking, if you can envision Marsha, Cindy and Jan giggling in the Brady Bunch family room, it needs to go.

8. Flooring – Remember that paisley vinyl floors in the kitchen are not vintage, they are dated.  Today’s options for flooring might make you very happy in terms of style and low pricing.  Also, the old, worn, shag carpet will date any home, regardless of how trendy it was in the past.

You can get so many ideas from Pinterest or Houzz web sites.  Do some exploring to see what type of dates features need to be upgraded. We’re here to help you and any of your friends that are wanting to SELL their Gainesville home!

The Bohn Team with RE/MAX in Gainesville is here to help!

**Originally Posted at GainesvilleRealEstateTalk

Comments(27)

Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

I've been working with some first time buyers on a budget that has had me showing lots of "vintage" lately.

Jan 20, 2016 11:41 AM
Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate
Fred Griffin Real Estate - Tallahassee, FL
Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker

     The only difference of opinion that I have is tiled countertops or tiled walls.  I've sold some 1950's and 1960's houses that had the "small" tiles in Art Deco colors (light blue, light pink, yellow).  Those tiled bathrooms and kitchens are period, they are charming, they are difficult to replicate. 

Jan 20, 2016 12:21 PM
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

Hi Christine, thanks for the list of expired house features.  I agree, many of these are well past their prime - many of these are easy do it yourself fixes too.

Jan 20, 2016 01:11 PM
TeamCHI - Complete Home Inspections, Inc.
Complete Home Inspections, Inc. - Brentwood, TN
Home Inspectons - Nashville, TN area - 615.661.029

 Good morning Christine. Thank you for the explanation on many of the expired house features. I still see many of these features in folder properties especially in East Nashville.

Jan 20, 2016 05:58 PM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Most buyers dislike these features - I totally agree; they should go.

Jan 20, 2016 06:55 PM
Elyse Berman, PA
LoKation Real Estate - Boca Raton, FL
Boca Raton FL (561) 716-7824

Christine Bohn I see many homes like this in my area.  We do not have a lot of building going on as there is little land left, so homeowners and buyers are beginning to do a lot of remodeling projects.

Jan 20, 2016 07:54 PM
Sham Reddy CRS
Howard Hanna RE Services, Dayton, OH - Dayton, OH
CRS

You hit it right on the money!!!

Buyers tend to be willing to pay more for a contemporary-looking property

Jan 20, 2016 07:58 PM
Brian Schulman
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Lancaster PA - Lancaster, PA
Lancaster County PA RealEstate Expert 717-951-5552

Christine, I would have liked to see some of the features that you do consider vintage, not just dated.

Jan 20, 2016 09:50 PM
Sam Shueh
(408) 425-1601 - San Jose, CA
mba, cdpe, reopro, pe

From a valuation point of view, the banks want to know since the homes were built how much are modern features in determine value

Kitchen, flooring and two two tone color along with wide baseboard are current trend. Flooring and counter top trends change. Coloring need to be netral etc.

The latest fashion on an existing home does not really add value or desirability of older homes. People  will just buy a new home.

Jan 20, 2016 10:18 PM
Richie Alan Naggar
people first...then business Ran Right Realty - Riverside, CA
agent & author

Some of those homes from yesteryear are now classified Historic...

Jan 20, 2016 10:44 PM
Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573
MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME
Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker

Fix the price and the rest falls into place. I am not cranked on popcorn ceilings but love a bag of the corn during a flick. Love the yesteryear homes!

victorian homes in maine photo

Jan 20, 2016 10:49 PM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

H U G E  difference between vintage and dated!  I've had the clients who think they have vintage. Sorry....an update is needed!

Well deserved Feature!  

Jan 21, 2016 12:44 AM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

Oh those popcorn ceilings! I remember having them in the house we lived in when I was a teenager. Love it when folks use the word "vintage" when it should really read "ugly and outdated"!

Jan 21, 2016 12:49 AM
Carla Muss-Jacobs, RETIRED
RETIRED / State License is Inactive - Portland, OR

And with the styles that change, it does "age" or "date" a home.  The best homes have the best bones and will wear the updates well.  

Jan 21, 2016 01:48 AM
MaryBeth Mills Muldowney
TradeWinds Realty Group LLC - Braintree, MA
Massachusetts Broker Owner

Great post - one word of caution - popcorn ceilings may contain asbestos - so may not be a Joe Homeowner project for removal - investigate before removing

to be sure.

 

Jan 21, 2016 06:55 AM
Christine Bohn
RE/MAX Professionals - Gainesville, FL
The Bohn Team, Gainesville FL

Thank you very much for everyone's comments and input on this post.  And, thanks for the "feature".

Jan 21, 2016 09:26 AM
Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner
Karen Parsons-Fiddler, Broker 949-510-2395 - Mission Viejo, CA
Orange County & Lake Arrowhead, CA (949)510-2395

Ah, but give it time? I sell so many mid century modern with avocado appliances. LOL

Jan 21, 2016 09:32 AM
Margaret Woda
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. - Crofton, MD
Maryland Real Estate & Military Relocation

A few years ago I sold a totally rehabbed 1960's cape cod - the same model I owned, but the bathrooms were not yet updated. The buyer of that rehabbed cape asked me to let her know when I updated my bathrooms because she'd like to have the original "vintage" fixtures. Sure enough, her contractor picked up those pink toilets, sinks, and tubs for her. Just goes to prove that it's all a matter of taste!

Jan 22, 2016 04:17 AM
Demarco & Marisa
Remax Kings Realty - Riverside, CA
"The Choice is Clear!"

Great post! Your list is spot on, at least in our area. If any of these things are present or in its original condition, we can expect a longer Days on Market stat than with other listings. These are the first areas we recommend our sellers update. ~Marisa

Jan 25, 2016 09:11 AM
Mark Don McInnes, Sandpoint-Idaho
Sandpoint Realty LLC - Sandpoint, ID
North Idaho Real Estate - 208-255.6227

Christine, this is very upsetting to me.  You just described my whole house.   Mark

Jan 26, 2016 01:01 PM