Buying your own home is a big deal, but does the design matter?

The majority of us attempt to stay pragmatic when it comes to buying property. We try our best to look past awful decor and questionable layouts of the current or previous tenants. We strive – as much as we can – to ignore the five hundred sofas crammed into the cramped living room. And you can bet we won’t let that terrible bed frame put us off from our end goals!

But even if you enter the home buying process with a sensible head, we’re all guilty of a little decor deconstruction when it comes time to make up our minds. There’s no getting past the fact that putrid wallpaper is going to impact your decision. Sure, you can get rid of it if you decide to move in. But how can you move in when that’s your lasting impression of the property? It makes us wonder – does design matter when buying a home?

It’s an age-old problem, and it drives real estate agents crazy.

Instead of telling you to ignore decor altogether, though, I’m going to meet you halfway. You must be struggling to let it go, or else wouldn’t be reading this, right? Still, it’d be fair to say that you shouldn’t avoid a house simply because of its bad decor. It may be worth asking yourself these questions before you make a final decision.

Question #1: Would that decor be easy to change?

To say you can change decor without worry is oversimplifying the issue. While a bit of paint won’t be too tricky, retiling is a different matter. It not only can be complicated, it involves spending money. With this thought in mind, considering decor might not be such madness after all. Maybe the issue is more which aspects you focus on. Ugly wallpaper still isn’t a justifiable reason not to buy. But if the task at hand would be extreme, you might be better off walking away.

Question #2: Is that decor covering a larger issue?

Even if the wallpaper is the only problem, you may still be justified in not buying. After all, we each do our best to cover issues in the home before we put our home on the market. For all you know, that wallpaper is covering a whole host of issues you can’t see. Because of this, you could say decor does matter when house hunting. Contact a company who specializes in real estate inspection so they can check that no issues are lurking behind that garish decor. And remember to be wary of fresh paint and newly replaced ceilings – they could be a sign that the previous owner is attempting to cover water damage that may cost you down the road.

Question #3: Would the room look better with your belongings?

Throughout the hunting process, picture what each room would look like with your own furniture and other decor. After all, that horrible wallpaper is sure to look worse when paired with an atrocious couch. But there’s still a chance it’ll look more palatable with your stylish sofa in place. At the very least, this can work to distract attention until you get the chance to redecorate. That sort of logic could be enough to convince you to put an offer in after all.

After asking yourself these three questions, you’ll be more prepared to make a final call when buying a home. So tell me, what decor disasters have made you turn away from purchasing in the past? What were you able to live with, but knew you would have to change as soon as possible? Tell us in the comments!