I have always been able to look at a house and see what we could do to change it. We bought two houses before building this one. The first house belonged to an old woman. Oh, all the avocado green! I do like green, but not that shade! Part of the wood floors covered up in (old, needed replaced carpet), bathrooms very out-dated. It was on acreage and had a perfect set up for a shop for my husband. I can remember walking through the house, feeling both dismayed at how outdated things were but also just imagining what we could do to the rooms. The house had good bones, location and land, so we bought it and redid kitchen, bathrooms, refinished floors, added wood floors where there wasn't and made it ours. Not a decor maven, but I can usually look at a room and envision it differently.

I’m certainly not a decor maven but it’s the photogrqphy that can repel me feom looking past a few photos. It’s either the filter, or the focus on the decor and not on the house itself.

I do tend to get distracted by decor. In my area, if the surface decor (furniture, art, etc) are a turn-off to me, usually the fixed things are, too. For instance, a Modern Farmhouse look in furnishings are in front of all gray walls, gray floors, gray tiles, white painted brick or stone, etc. Basically a gut for me, and would take it out of my budget.

Sometimes I can see beyond certain decor styles that the house has good bones, and I can envision what I’d do.

I’m really disliking the virtual staging I’m seeing in listings lately. It makes me feel like I’m in a sci-fi movie.

I agree with you totally, I definitely get vibes from certain houses — good, bad, or indifferent.

It is away a major plus when a home is decorated to my taste. That said, I can also appreciate other styles like MCM or contemporary.

Nice decor absolutely puts you in a better frame of mind. You can see yourself there.

We had friends who bought a second home with features that they were thrilled with. One was an actual coke machine out by pool. Another was an inhouse intervome system. After living in the house, the coke machine was too expensive to run, and the intercom system became annoying.

On the other hand, when I am seriously looking, I have no problem getting past ugly to me furniture and paint.

Not a decor maven here, either, but I was house hunting in 2020. I fell in love with a few places that needed extensive work, because I could envision what I could make it. But that wasn't a good strategy because subcontractors were scarce during covid. (And continue to be, in my area.)

I had to sort of train myself to calculate what was feasible and reasonable to change in a space, and what wasn't. I think when you can identify the "yuck" as something you can change, like drapery and wall color, you're on the right path.

bpath makes a good point, and I didn't answer your question entirely truthfully. I was thinking of being/looking at the actual house, not pictures. Pictures are harder. I would probably look at any house that held any interest for me. You may have to weed out alot of frogs before you find a prince.

I realize I am very turned off by the decor and conversely really like a place if I like the decor. I have to force myself to keep looking

This! Even though i know it is stupid, and even though I would actually rather have to do stuff, because I *like* to decorate and renovate. When we had our lakehouse, it was only a few years old, needed nothing, and we bought it furnished. It never felt like my home. SO it makes no sense for me to respond to decor.

Reactions to homes are emotional. This is why I insist on staging my home even when people say don't bother or it doesn't matter.

I think there can be a big difference in viewing RE listing photos online and seeing a place in person. Our previous home, decidedly a vintage Tudor-style cottage, was crammed with Asian furnishings when we first saw it. The pieces were large, ornate and very much out of character for the home, but just being within its walls enabled us to see and sense the house for what it truly was. Not sure how that would have gone had we viewed photos online first.

I find it disconcerting to see listing photos where the furnishings are extremely dated or the place just appears to be overrun with random stuff. I can't help but associate that with the possibility of the home's systems not being properly maintained, whether that's a fair assessment or not. And that would immediately turn me off.

I agree Ida. When the decorating seems in place, I assume the HVAC is too. Not necessarily so.

When we showed friends this home, before and after, I cannot tell you how many times I heard, "How did you SEE that?". The real question is....How did we communicate it to the contractor? LOTS of blue tape lines!! We would come in on the weekend, put tape down, leave notes. We bought the house as is, and had no idea what worked and what didn't.

We are quasi-shopping for a beach home. I can absolutely see through bad photos, decor, staging…but it *is* hard! We aren’t in the ”boots on the ground” phase of this project so everything is online. It is AMAZING the sifference well-lit, professional photos make. Homes with those are under cobtract almost immediately. That plus no clutter just makes a huge difference.

I’m watching one home which is almost perfect for us…but somewhat over budget which I am being strict about since I believe the market we are looking at became overinflated in the past year. This house is filled with dated wallpaper…really igly stuff with the borders and everything. 😂 Plus…the genius who took the photos closed all of the plantation shutters?!? On a BEACH house? 😂

Anyway, I am enjoying watching this sit. It’s been on the market over 60 days which is very unusual in this location. Who knows? I might be the one yanking down that wallpaper and painting over those yellow walls in a couple of months! (Well not me actually doing the work, but you know what i mean, lol lol!) I can see the tall ceilings and big windows…everything else can be changed!

I bet you look would look at such listings and see right past all that and envision a thing of beauty to your own liking.

Yes, I do all the time. I'm not an interior designer, but I am a graphic designer and I think that there are crossover talents when it comes to creative type careers. I've been decorating my own spaces since I was a little kid (my mom got me into it) and love a good challenge. I also love looking at home listings just for fun, and admiring the well decorated ones, or imagining what I would do with ones that are badly staged. I think that location trumps almost everything else, and can often tell when a place has good bones.

However, I do believe that most home shoppers don't have good imaginations when it comes to that, so good staging really is key! That said, photography is extremely deceptive and it really is so important to see something IRL.

We purchased a home in 2019 and the decor was not to my taste but not "awful" so it was easy to see beyond it and appreciate the bones and possibilites of the home. I would likely have more trouble with a home that needed a lot of renovation as I'm not sure I have that kind of vision.

I am totally comfortable with, enjoy, have experience with, and think I am pretty good at, envisioning and directing remodeling/renovation/decor.

But a nicely done home still tugs at my heart and just "feels" better.

The only time I am thoroughly distracted is when a home is so full of stuff, I can hardly see any of the details. Other than that, I have a great imagination!

I buy houses by location, price, size. I always plan on changing everything.

Before:

My remodels/My ideas played out · More Info

After:

My remodels/My ideas played out · More Info

To me it depends on if it's finishes or decor. If it's just decor and I don't like it I screen it out. If I evaluate it as something difficult to change or fix, that's a turn off but for practical reasons.

I think this is because I don't like most people's furniture so I am used to screening it out.

On the other hand, we became very enamored of a house that was actually in pretty bad condition because it was full of such interesting stuff. It had a room on the second floor that was a room within a room: paneled walls with old church windows backlit from the real windows behind in the daytime and artificial lighting at night.

This house was ugly and in not very good condition but I was able to ignore that because of a number of really good things about it that most people might not get unless they also lived in a rowhouse.

Sometimes I will walk around an otherwise suitable house and will be deflated by gray walls and builder beige carpet. But, it doesn't turn me off the house. It's more like, "Whyyyyyyyyyy?".

Even though we know better I think that most of us are swayed to some degree by the décor, whether it is good or horrible.

It's been years but when we did last look for a home we looked at one home that will forever be known as "The Taxidermy" house. So ya some decor is hard to forget. "Turn key" is a thing and it doesn't matter what their decor is, if it's not close to your color palate than all that is seen is needed WORK when one looks through the home.

There’s an older home in our small town that’s been flipped and was listed for sale today. It’s a charming four-square with some lovely original features.

However, the on-line realtor pictures show every room painted a pale cold gray. The kitchen and bathrooms’ granite, backsplash and floor tiles are shades of black/gray/silver. Appliances and sinks are black. New wood floors are gray and black zebra-stripe-ish. The exterior is painted a deep gray.

It’s enough to make one cry. If I were to make an offer, it would have to be at a substantial discount to allow for major redecoration. For me, once seen, it’s hard to un-see.

Yeah, one of the listings I saw is a flip too - bought for $400K last year, now attempting to sell for $1.2M. Every inch and surface in the house is white, gray or white and gray. I despise gray - no offense to anyone who loves it - everyone's taste is different. I could paint the white but it would be such a waste to replace all the brand new tile and counters. I just wouldn't do it.

@littlebug zone 5 Missouri houses like that come off as cold, lack soul and seem to be trying too hard.... and fail.

We’ve been flipping homes for years, usually beach town properties, so its easy for me to look past decor. We usually gut down to the studs. We do sell our homes furnished because people want move in ready at the shore. Despite being at the beach, we’ve never done a white /grey home. SO happy that trend is over!

Yes, Allison, that’s what it is. Cold.

It’s such a charming old home. Ruined.

Look at the contrast between the craftsman-style exterior and the interior of this home. What were they thinking? I'll admit that the interior update is better than most but way too modern for the house.

Edited to add - for some reason, Houzz doesn't like my links to the listing. Weird. Well, look up 443 Greensboro Street Carrboro, NC if you want to see it. The town is right next to Chapel Hill.

Wow, dee, what a cold, univiting interior. And the exterior is a silly mix of styles.

Did you by chance post a Zill-ow link? Houzz won’t allow it, they had a falling out. :D

I just came across this beauty in need of renovation. Instead, it’ll probably be trended up and destroyed, especially at that price:

https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/pa/butler/624-e-brady-st/pid_49506224/

I’m actually swooning over the fireplace tiles.

Jinx, the gorgeous woodwork, trim, and fireplaces in that house were a surprise. The exterior is ... rough.

Jinx....That house has 6 fireplaces! WOW! And the price....such a deal! ❤️