Some homes feel like time capsules. You walk in & suddenly it’s 1978, with fuzzy carpet in the wrong places and a bathroom light fixture from a backstage dressing room. It’s a lot. We spoke to a few recent buyers, and they told us about twelve outdated features they completely avoided. Which home features would you say no to?
Tiled countertops with grout lines
Many old-school kitchens had counters lined with 4×4 tiles. The big issue with these? Grout. It stains & it chips, and it also makes balancing a cutting board much more awkward. Buyers pass on them because even small repairs stand out. When you replace one section, you’ll have to tear up the cement board. You’ll also need to reinstall the sink.
Glass-block walls and showers
Chunky glass blocks once seemed like a fancy upgrade, but now, they come across as stubborn. It’s tedious having to clean the grout lines. It’s also a lot of work when one block cracks, as finding an exact match is next to impossible. Most buyers would prefer to tear them down. They’d rather have open sightlines or a clear pane of glass.
Mirrored walls and closet doors
Sure, whole walls covered in mirrors do make the room look bigger. Yet they also look outdated. The silver backing usually peels & leaves black edges. Removing them isn’t fun either. Most of them are glued right onto drywall, and closet sliders with mirrors get wobbly over time.
Whirlpool and jetted tubs
Oversized tubs with jets were the best part of the bathroom in the ‘90s. But not anymore. Nowadays, most buyers see these tubs as a waste of water & something that needs a lot of scrubbing. Those tubes inside the jets will hold onto gunk if you don’t sanitize them regularly. And once you factor in the noisy pumps & tricky electrical panels, it seems like too much effort.
Almond or bisque appliances and fixtures
In the past, almost every kitchen had an almond or bisque-colored dishwasher & oven. They’re nearly impossible to match when one breaks. That’s why buyers avoid them, as new appliances mostly come in white or black. One beige leftover sticks out. The same goes for toilets & sinks from this era, and replacement parts & trim pieces are becoming rarer.
Hollywood vanity light bars
Forget about those long strips of globe bulbs above bathroom mirrors looking glamorous. They just look out of place these days. Most buyers dislike old incandescent bulbs & how difficult it can be to swap them out sometimes. One quick fix? Not really. It leads to a lot of extra wall repair & painting, which is also expensive.
Vertical vinyl blinds
Most sliding doors in ‘90s homes came with vertical blinds. Yet buyers avoid them now because they worry that the plastic slats will snap, or that the chains at the bottom tangle. There’s also the fact that pets love to pull them off track. But that’s not all. Many replacement parts don’t always line up from brand to brand, either, so keeping them working is too much hassle.
Floral wallpaper borders
Back in the ‘80s & ‘90s, people thought that a thin strip of wallpaper at the ceiling edge was stylish. These borders usually came with roses or fruit. However, buyers believe they’re outdated & make a room feel unfinished. Even the peel-and-stick kind doesn’t look great because the corners curl. Honestly, there’s no reason to get this style of wallpaper anymore.
Colored bathroom sinks and toilets
Pink toilets and green sinks were all the rage way back when. Buyers today often don’t want the hassle of replacing them. Sure, you can swap the toilets easily, but it’s more difficult to get a sink that matches the built-in counters. Finding a replacement in the same color isn’t simple either. Most manufacturers stopped making those shades years ago.
Brass switch plates and door hardware
Shiny brass had its big moment in the late ‘80s & many people filled their homes with brass light switches & knobs. But it feels dated to many buyers. Sure, one or two pieces aren’t a problem, although it’s a different story when it’s in every room. The finish also doesn’t polish back evenly once it wears down. No wonder buyers don’t like it.
Track lighting with bulky cans
Most ‘90s homes had track lighting with oversized can fixtures. These haven’t aged well. The tracks yellow over time & the lights create glare, while some older models don’t work with modern LEDs. You can’t even take them down. If you do, you’ll likely leave rows of screw holes in the ceiling that you’ll need to patch. It’s just more & more work.
Faux wood paneling
It used to be popular to get wood paneling sheets nailed across living room walls. The key phrase there is “used to be.” Today, many buyers don’t like that these boards dent easily & don’t hold up in humid conditions. Painting them rarely hides the grooves. Instead, buyers would rather have light, open spaces.
11 popular home upgrades that can hurt resale value
We’d all like to make our homes a bit fancier but not all those upgrades are going to increase your home’s value. Some of them might just do the opposite. Let’s look at home “improvements” that could actually be worse for you.
