Fixer Upper: HGTV Has Destroyed the Real Estate Market

In this video, Kati explains how HGTV has destroyed how buyers view pictures online and how that has affected how much people will pay for homes.
From home renovation and interior design to house flipping, see how shows like Property Brothers, House Hunters and Fixer Upper influence buyer expectations. Learn staging tips and seller strategies to boost online presence and appeal to modern buyers. Kati's video offers insights into making your home stand out, whether you're selling or seeking inspiration. Watch now for the latest in design and real estate trends!
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#hgtv #katispaniak #beforeandafter
Hey, Kati Spaniak here, I'm a top Chicago North Shore Real Estate Agent. Thanks for watching my channel your ultimate guide to selling and buying homes in the Chicagoland area. Specializing in the vibrant communities of Northbrook, Glenview, Northfield, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, Lake Forest and Deerfield. I offer expert advice and insider tips to navigate the North Shore Chicago real estate market with ease.
Whether you're looking to sell your property for the best price or buy your dream home, my channel provides comprehensive support, market insights, and personalized services to meet all your real estate needs. Stay tuned for our latest success stories and invaluable advice from one of the top Realtors on the North Shore of Chicago, ensuring you make informed decisions in this dynamic market.
Subscribe for the latest updates and reach out for a personalized consultation to start your journey in the North Shore Chicago real estate market today!
Kati Spaniak | Team Leader & Broker
Terra Lux Homes - eXp Realty
847-318-3431
www.TerraLuxHomes.com
bit.ly/ContactKati

[@KatiSpaniak]

*Thinking about selling your home in the next 5 years. Join my Ready! Set! Sell! Masterclass and find out all the ways to prepare your home to maximize your profit!* bit.ly/TLH-PIN

[@sadiegirl5312]

A decade ain’t long in the market lasts….you have never experienced a BAD MARKET! Just wait…..1986…1987….1995….2007….just beginning.

[@monicalmoss]

Millennial home buyer here, please stop painting everything gray! Put your money into preventative maintenance. Take care of your home. Get a home inspection and fix everything before you list. Drives me crazy when every house has crappy new floors that we're just going to replace anyway. Our home buying criteria has way more to do with the layout and yard than all the stuff we can change. We just submitted a revised offer on a house for $30,000 less than our original offer because of issues in the crawl space that could have been prevented if the home owner had spent $100 on gutters 15 years ago. So in their case, preventative maintenance would have given a much better ROI than any updates. QUALITY over a fake facade every time.

[@singingdane3916]

Yes! Instead of updating the kitchen and bath update the electrical, check HVAC, ensure the basement is dry and age of sump pump (if one is there), good roof and newer gutters and soffits. The rest is stuff easily replaced/changed. And I agree: the gray is so...corporate and cold.

[@tammyrussell-rice5508]

Gray is now passe. It was HOT 15-years ago, but not in 2024. I would even say that gray now dates a home.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Regular maintenance is important! Know the ages of your big ticket items before you sell!

[@lilolmecj]

@@singingdane3916psst, a new sump pump costs less than $500.

[@user-vo4kj1sn9k]

I second the comment about painting everything grey. And those grey floors are ugly. If the walls need painting because of wear, then just use white. That's as neutral as you can get.

[@jeme7339]

So DISAPPOINTING when people "update" to sell; I do not want to pay for THEIR choices. I want to make the choices. (Of course, if they had already made changes for themselves that is a different issue.) Please make sure everything is clean and in working order. That includes being well maintained and move-in ready. Let me choose (if anything does need replacing) colors and other options. Realtors, PLEASE stop urging sellers to make updates just before selling (that just increase the price!) I looked at an elegant, old home. The realtor assured me that the kitchen cupboards could easily be replaced... I LIKED the cupboards. Why do realtors push the idea that buyers want the trendy options? Such sad consumerism.

[@Aboutaprincess]

Completely agree. I love a "dated" home. There's more warmth and character, and I can change things myself if I choose to later. I hate going to an older home and everything is gray paint, white cabinets and gray LVP. It's lifeless and sad imo.

[@arizonashopper5095]

Because homes that are dated sit for a LONG time. There are very few buyers like you, who enjoy 80s oak cabinets and 8" floor tile with wide grout lines. People these days really want Insta ready homes. Plus they don't have the money left over, to update, by the time they come up with the down payment and monthly payment. In my area, updated houses sell the first weekend and get multiple offers. Dated houses sit for months. And Realtors don't urge people to update before they sell, to raise the price. They tell them to do the minimum, to not put people off. Replace worn carpet, paint the inside walls to cover the scuffs. Clean up the landscaping to boost curb appeal. Just enough to make buyers not go "ewww" when they walk in.

[@jeme7339]

@@arizonashopper5095 A house that is 80 to 100 years old might be better with original cabinets and floors than with modern junk.

[@famlbk]

I agree. As a homeowner, I would never update to sell nor would I agree to replace anything to a buyer. If they want anything different, they can make all those decisions if they choose to purchase. They can do whatever they want with it then. It would have been silly 59 years ago to try and guess what someone else may. Same for when I redid the house 35 years ago. Property is scarce now.

[@KatiSpaniak]

I just know what works when people are selling their homes. Many younger buyers are too busy to do any updates. So they want something ready to move into or something close. I only give advice to sellers about updating if they are going to make more money when they sell. Otherwise, I tell them not to do that. My job is to get my sellers the most amount of money and sell fast and without stress. Maybe if you are working with a buyer's agent who is talking about that, it's different. But I am advising sellers. Thanks for your comment.

[@ckpcrafts]

I hate when good wood is painted.

[@meganoleary584]

I know someone who painted these beautiful wood beams a dark brown color. It was so sad.

[@potpourrioflife]

Agreed!!

[@paultaendler3308]

Arghhhhhh!!!! I cringe when I see oak with paint on it!!!!

[@ggc7318]

They "care" about climate change but are OK with cheap furniture

[@carmyopteryx5919]

When we were shopping we RAN from the obviously flipped houses. So much badly done crap. We ended up moving into a full on fixer upper but at least as we redo stuff its done right, instead of shoddy paint, tile and poorly done flooring.

[@murlepeterson6028]

The total redos made us wonder what was hidden or why such a drastic make over just to sell.

[@-OBELUS-]

What's awful is when they take out any charm the house originally had to make it cookie cutter boring.

[@marylclc1269]

@@-OBELUS-That's one of my pet peeves. (We currently live in a Chicago style bungalow in the burbs and I spent my teen years in a different bungalow a different burb.) A lot of previously beautiful bungalows that had a lot of character in Berwyn, Cicero and Chicago are being "de-charmed" by people ripping out all the built-ins, removing the gorgeous 1920s style bathrooms and kitchens and ripping out all the walls to make an "open concept" out of a house that was meant to have individual rooms. It's just as bad to try to "open concept" a stunning Victorian. Houses like these were not meant to allow one to walk into the front door and see the dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. It's so sad to see these character destroying quick flips.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Thank you for your comment! I agree, there are many homes that have historic charm that don't need replacement. Sometimes you can update the charm and preserve it to keep the natural elegance of the home.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Trusted contractors are key!!! Trust me, I have had my fair share of bad flips or projects.

[@CameronFussner]

People will have to accept the possibility that we won't ever return to 3%. If sellers must sell, home prices will have to decline, and lower evaluations will follow. Sure I'm not alone in my chain of thoughts.

[@leojack9090]

The government will have no choice but to print more notes and lower interest rates.

[@hasede-lg9hj]

Well i think, home prices will need to fall by at least 40% before the market normalizes. If you do not know whether to buy a house or not, it is best you seek guidance from a well-experienced advisor for proper portfolio allocation. So far, that’s how I’ve stayed afloat over 5 years now, amassing nearly $1m in return on investments.

[@KatiSpaniak]

true

[@KatiSpaniak]

it's hard to say what is going to happen right now.

[@hasede-lg9hj]

Finding financial advisors like Amber Angelyn O'malley who can assist you shape your portfolio would be a very creative option. There will be difficult times ahead, and prudent personal money management will be essential to navigating them.

[@keelynoxleymitchell]

My husband and I are 35 yrs old. We absolutely HATE the updated, HGTV look. Please do NOT update. We would rather buy the house at a cheaper price and spend the money ourselves to make any updates. I LOVE the kitchen @ 18:36 that you say is not HGTV. It looks lived in, has character, and I can imagine myself living there.

[@zeldasayre555]

Title of this video is misleading...she says HGTV has "ruined" the real estate market. Then she proceeds to tell viewers how to "HGTV" their homes before listing 🤔. I also hate the HGTV look, i.e. the "Home Depot" flip.

[@flicker.street]

So true. My conclusion is that sellers are generally not looking for buyers like us. We are willing and able to do things ourselves and really just need a house that works. Everyone is trying to sell their house for top dollar, even if it's not in that good shape. Hard to blame them though - they probably can't buy something as nice as they currently have in this market.

[@lindawilson4625]

Up there with "I love to entertain" is "Oh, I could sit here (window view, deck, balcony, etc.) and have my morning coffee".

[@KatiSpaniak]

TOTALLY!!! We should play a drinking game to that!!! HAHAHA. Every time they say "entertain" we drink!

[@lindawilson4625]

OMG! We'd be under the table in less than 5 minutes into the show!@@KatiSpaniak

[@KatiSpaniak]

TOTALLY!!! HAHA! @@lindawilson4625

[@marylclc1269]

@@KatiSpaniak Hilarious! "We love to entertain!" I agree. My husband and I laugh about a pretend drinking game where people drink every time one of the buyers says, "It has (or it doesn't have) the (whatever) *I'm looking for* ." 😂 I think the show gives them each 2 or three personal "musts" that they have to mention at least 15 times an episode. I remember one where the guy wouldn't buy a house that had a stairway across from the front door (Feng Shui, perhaps?) and one guy who *had* to have his Primary bathroom with a toilet in its own little room with a door that locked.

[@MizJilly]

Don't forget "we need a place for family and friends!" When did we start itemizing the people in our homes like that? It is so fake to me.

[@makeanddohandmade]

Gosh, as a millennial Who loves design, I have to disagree. I think every time you suggest covering up that gorgeous wood is such a bummer! I think beautiful, genuine natural tones are more in than covering with paint and you should consider styles like “modern organic” that totally embrace that beautiful wood! If I was house hunting. And saw a beautiful natural wood tone on cabinets, I would be very excited.

[@nadiacoffey2609]

I think I’m the rare buyer who hates the fake staged look.

[@kennixox262]

I prefer an empty house and HATE anything that says "HGTV", boob lights, and Home Depot/Lowes made in China junk. I am that rare person who is more interested in what is happening behind the walls rather than the crap finish that most people use. I hate flippers.

[@DianaCarolinaGirl22]

I completely agree, I don't even watch HGTV anymore! HGTV is very unrealistic period.

[@KatiSpaniak]

I agree!

[@thatgirlirish5492]

I stopped watching HGTV at least 6-7 yrs ago. I got tired of all the annoying hosts and ridiculous shows. It all felt so fake anymore.

[@user-fu8ub2rj6q]

Everything looks exactly the same

[@carylhalfwassen8555]

Also the entitled female buyers put me off.

[@loricawley54]

I stopped watching HGTV several yrs ago as well. Nvr going back!

[@merryhunt9153]

When I see people "improving" houses on TV, they are changing mundane 1980's homes to mundane 2020's homes at great cost and for no good reason.

[@KatiSpaniak]

It happens a lot! Thanks for watching!

[@carriew92]

I use to love these real estate shows…But I can’t let myself watch them anymore because owning a home is a pipe dream at this point. It just breaks my heart too much to watch those show anymore.

[@KattEyl]

HGTV destroyed home decor. So so many people do the boring gray fake wood floors, gray or white walls, white kitchens, fake art on the walls. There’s no personality or charm in these homes. And they all look alike.

[@KatiSpaniak]

They are houses, not homes. Personal touches make them homes!

[@njcanuck]

I agree colour slates are boring but you need ro remove personal touches!

[@randibgood]

I feel the same way. Every house has the same vanity in the bathroom. Same grey color. Same FAUX wood floors. Same white subway tile. And PLEASE! I beg of anyone that reads this, STOP PAINTING BRICK HOMES! The whole point of brick is the low maintenance and durability. Losing both of those in the process.

[@HarryTenders]

@@randibgood painted brick, painted wood paneling, painted wood cabinets.....just terrible. Let the beautiful natural materials let their true colors shine ✨️ The house we moved into has cream colored painted cabinets in the kitchen. They didn't even bother removing the hinges before painting so it looks even worse. 🤦‍♀️ I got over it because the countertops and backsplash were nice and it has a lot of counterspace including a perfectly sized island. The footprint is good. Cosmetic things can be changed later.

[@julieburkhardt61]

Amen!! the gray trend is so boring and ugly. over it!!

[@bettysmith4527]

The agent I initially hired to sell my condo came in with an iPhone for pictures, they were AWFUL and dark! When I mentioned they didn't look good he told me "oh, pictures don't matter". He also lied in the listing saying it was move in ready, when in actuality it needed new flooring. Needless to say, despite the hot market it did not sell. I had louder colors on the wall and he should have told me to repaint before putting it on the market. I ended up taking it off the market, firing him, and repainting and putting new laminate flooring throughout. I listed with a new agent that used a professional photographer and it sold in two days!

[@KatiSpaniak]

Good agents are key in your success! No matter the property, professional photos are KEY!! Also, honest agents can help you sell fast and for top dollar!

[@arizonashopper5095]

I read that looking at a Realtor's current listings will give you a good idea if they are someone you want to to work with. I think that's a good tip.

[@janelledmondson5316]

I see a lot of we empty homes being " virtually" stages

[@jpt610]

I haven't watched HGTVv in a while but I used to watch it every day. I hated when homebuyers would house hunt and complain about paint colors and couldn't see past it. I don't care what color the wall paint is because most probably 99% sure I will paint over it anyway. I care about layouts and how big rooms are. Don't care how people decorate because people have different tastes. I care if I can fit furniture that I like if the main bedroom fits a king-size bed and I can walk around and so on and so on.

[@KatiSpaniak]

It is important to see past those things. Paint is an easy fix, but some people just won't do it! Thanks for watching!

[@4711Express]

The thing is if it doesn't look 3:58 so nice (paintwork) it helps to have the possible better negotiations buying it.

[@RG-hf4et]

Agree. Potential buyers whining about a paint color or wallpaper is annoying. Yes, costs to change things need to be taken into consideration but some of these buyers go on & on. How is the location? Does the house need repairs? Can we afford this? Taxes? Is the square footage enough?

[@maryjanelarson9045]

Agree 💯. If a buyer can't envision a different pain color or furniture arrangement, perhaps they should rent a furnished place. Everyone intuitively knows their own style and maybe they need assistance in making it come to fruition, but there really isn't a true *move in ready* residence unless it's already furnished.

[@susanjeffries5108]

I agree, it always seems so weird to me when a perspective seller says they just can't get past you paint color on the wall. Paint is cheap and easy to do! I'd always rather put my own paint choices on the walls, anyway. The first house we bought had yellow ceilings, Jello, brick red, and chalkboard green walls. A room with a navy blue ceiling and entirely blue walls, and orange stripe down the hallway. Obviously you got rid of all of that and I'm so glad we were able to see past the paint choices of the previous owners, because that house was wonderful! I wish the colors hadn't been so dark and hadn't required so much primer, but don't you want to put your own stamp on a house when you move in, anyway? And paint almost always needs to be refreshed on walls, anyway. It looks kind of drab after a while. As a buyer, I don't care if all about their color. I am almost certainly going to repaint it, anyway. With paint over any gray I saw in a heartbeat. I'm a beige, light colored walls person, myself, and grey is just too cold of a color for me. But I totally recognize some people really like it and can't see past other colors they don't like. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think it's unrealistic for a home to be fully move in ready. You're always going to want to do some customization, right?

[@JennyT101]

The pictures are so important. Our realtor kept pushing us to see this one house, but it looked awful in the pictures online. I didn't even want to bother with it. The realtor would not let up, so we finally went to see it. It was actually an amazing house! My husband and I loved it in person. The pictures did it a huge disservice. They didn't even bother to include a picture of the gorgeous antique claw foot tub in the master bathroom. P.S. We bought the house.

[@KatiSpaniak]

I love this story!!! As an agent we’ve seen thousands of pictures and we can really tell what the house looks like even through bad pictures. Glad your agent didn’t let up!

[@aanonymous6627]

😅​@@KatiSpaniak

[@cindylou3708]

it's so depressing that everyone wants the HGTV mortuary look

[@julieburkhardt61]

amen!! black and gray exteriors especially are so off-putting and uninviting. Prison gray. ick.

[@Slideyslide]

I hate these HGTV homes. It’s always so poorly done. When looking to buy a house stay away from these shitty flip homes and cheap trendy houses.

[@KatiSpaniak]

You can tell when you walk into them for sure. Low builder grade quality.

[@eattherich9215]

@@KatiSpaniak: not to mention the design by numbers.

[@hsmd4533]

Gray vinyl (faux wood) flooring and a barn door are dead giveaways of a flip. Especially the flooring.

[@Bobrogers99]

The operative word here is "trendy". Trendy features may already be fading in popularity by the time a house goes on the market, and in a very few years they make it (gasp) dated.

[@kennixox262]

Nothing says "FLIP" more than HGTV.

[@timward3116]

When I was growing up in pre-HGTV Chicagoland, I never heard anyone say, "I love to entertain." If you wanted to be entertained, you went to the movies. Working-class people, then as now, "had friends over." Only affluent people, then as now, "entertained" (what did they do, sing?). It seems odd that affluent people, or wannabe rich people, who don't cook nowadays always say "the kitchen is the heart of the home" where 100 of their closest friends can "gather" (like birds on a telephone line) in order to be "entertained." Needless to say, most working-class people don't "gather" in a kitchen to be "entertained." To the working class, then as now, a picture was a picture and a pot was a pot- not a "piece." Pre-HGTV, rooms were rooms - not "spaces." And a nice Formica countertop was chosen for cost, durability, and looks. Nobody ever expected a countertop that would outlast the home and came from a quarry in Turkey. On the BRIGHT side, though, homes with hidden beauty that sell for less can be great for prospective buyers on a budget who can see the potential.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Thank you for commenting! I think buyers who see good bones do see a good purchase and potential in a home. It may take years to redo but potential matters!

[@timward3116]

@@KatiSpaniak LOL. I had my last home nine years, which is about as long as it took for me to "get it perfect." My current one is four years old, and I'm still working on it. However, I bought the place because I was in a hurry (had to get out of my other place when it sold after eight days on the market), the house had "good bones," it was affordable, and it was in a great neighborhood just five miles north of my city's downtown. After a lifetime of always fixing up homes and then moving out of them, I think this may well be my last one, though. Have a great day! (No need to reply; I know you're very busy!)

[@singingdane3916]

I bought a house with good bones. I'm a singer so when family and friends (fellow musicians and singers) come over we DO sing😊. My furniture is old and I've recovered or rebuilt it. My sister says I decorate my house in Old attic. I have creamy white and brown and gold accents and red. I have music students who come to my home and they always say: "Your house is like a home". Many of my students are starting to learn to bake bread (from me) recover furniture, sew and repair. When it comes time to sell, I'll paint everything the color of whatever sells, remove most of the furniture (if I've not sold it or given it away by that time) and take up the rugs.

[@timward3116]

@@singingdane3916 Sounds like a good plan. There really is no point in living in a fad that a person doesn't particularly like and soon grows outdated anyway. And fads do NOT a home make. Many of these "updated" places on KZbin are cold, sterile, and have as much charm as a hospital operating room... and I'd even be afraid to sit down, lest I leave a mark on something. It's a silly way to live, but it certainly does make a lot of money for a lot of designers and industries with a vested interest in convincing people that what they have needs to be constantly replaced. Regarding "creamy white and borwn and gold accents and red," I'm sure that, in the next few years, that will be all the rage again!

[@tammyrussell-rice5508]

"Entertaining" is overrated. It also gets to be expensive if your house always is the gathering place whenever the gang gets together. And, do not get me started on the cleaning required. Personally, I'm over it.

[@HarryTenders]

I don't know if I'm just a different animal or what, but I don't like 90% of this advice. We are millennials that bought a house 2 years ago. When i look at listings, i need to know what the layout of the house is, so the more pictures, the better. That picture of the staircase - great! I want all the angles of the kitchen and living room. Every bedroom, every bathroom needs at least one picture. Here's a big one no one ever thinks about - show me the garage! Including a diagram of the house layout is great. Like you said, the pictures are the first showing, so if you leave out information I won't show up. Purposefully not taking pictures of ugly features won't help you. As soon as I walk in and see the terrible thing youre hiding, I'm turning around and walking out because you've wasted my time. I don't care about trendy furniture. As I flip through the pics, I'm looking for layout, size, and the built in features that will actually come with the house, like light fixtures. I don't care how you pretend to decorate your house, I'm imagining MY things in the house. Will it fit? Where am I going to spend my time? Whats the layout of the living room kitchen area? Is there good countertop space? Is there good cabinet storage space? How big is the pantry? How big is the laundry area? How much room in the garage? How are the showers? Utility. I don't need you to sell me warm fuzzy feelings, I need you to sell me a house. Do not, for the love of everything beautiful, paint the wooden cabinets! I hate it when people do that. If you are not going to replace old cabinets, or remove wood paneling etc, just leave it alone! With paint, its like trying to pretend its renovated without actually improving anything. Just save your time, and don't bother. Paint on the walls is the least important thing. The easiest DIY project. Countertops on the other hand - now that's a worthy investment. Flooring - that can make or break a room. Okay I'll stop rambling now 😅😤

[@2857steve]

I think you are 100% correct but I think what the host is trying to convey is that the buyers are not thinking intelligently they're thinking purely emotionally and this is what you need to do in order to get them into see the house even though in reality it makes no sense. Buyers are just not logical people.

[@vschroeder4062]

I'm Gen X and 100% agree with you. I want the photos of the stairs, and everything else including the garage, but good photos. The one she showed cut off the stair landing, not good. As a soon-to-be seller though I'm wavering on the painted cabinets. I think she's right that most people have no imagination. But painting cabinets is not an amateur's job, it can look really bad even freshly done. Her experience is probably they don't even think to look closely?

[@HarryTenders]

@@vschroeder4062 for us, the kitchen and garage were the two most important rooms--the rooms you spend the most of your waking hours in. We measured potential kitchens in number of "chopping spaces" and how many people can reasonably move about at a time. We would walk around the kitchen pretending to go from the fridge to the stove to the sink 😀 The terrible paint job and the horrible drawers were very obvious from the get-go, however that can be upgraded eventually. Having the countertop space and the ability for two people to cook at once was what stood out even more. I'm glad we didn't get the first three houses we put an offer on, because this house had the best kitchen footprint of them all.

[@HarryTenders]

@@2857steve I'm hesitant to agree with "buyers don't think intelligently." You know, as a buyer myself. I think there are plenty of people who approach home buying in a rational way. HDTV makes it sound like you're going prom dress shopping or something, but it's like any reality TV; it doesn't do a good job of representing real life. I don't think treating/viewing potential buyers as stupid or irrational is a good approach 🤷‍♀️

[@alicewithans]

THANK YOU. Both my husband and I are zennials. This video felt out of touch to both of us. We watched these shows all the time. If anything, I just learned to look for the potential in homes. Sure, staging can be a great thing, but saying that we don’t care to see quality furniture etc. and only care about updated looks 😅 no, not true for us. Maybe a wanna-be influencer? We care about all the things you mentioned. And seeing that it looks clean and maintained. My millennial brother spent around 700,000 on a house totally stuck in the 90s. The location, size and beautiful character of the home was most important to them. They want to update it themselves with what becomes also important to them as they live there. I expected to see more comments like this one, but I didn’t, and now I’m adding mine 😅

[@kathygann7632]

I’ve had painted kitchen cabinets, and I’ve had wood cabinets. Wood cabinets are so much easier to keep up, and don’t show dirt.

[@sherirottweilersforever7772]

I love my grey cabinets but they do show dirt.

[@-OBELUS-]

Yep. We had two white kitchens in a row. They were a PAIN. I kept paint in the pantry for the continual touchups. My current house has unfashionable golden oak cabinets. We decorated around them with a Japanese/Craftsman vibe and it's glorious.

[@lisalindberg9980]

@@-OBELUS-would you mind sharing?

[@KatiSpaniak]

I do agree with that!

[@sharontabor7718]

I've said for years that HGTV and TLC changed the housing market and decorating. And they were totally unrealistic. The prices they quoted did not include labor. The Flips took months, not weeks.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Truth!

[@lisaaustin4561]

I wish the cameras would re visit the house after a year. When the owners have moved back in to trash it.

[@KatiSpaniak]

right!!! but they entertain a lot!!! HAHAHAAHA

[@gigif8566]

So happy I'm not the only one who thinks this. I miss they days when HGTV was really about the house & garden. All they show now is $100,000 renovations & that's just the kitchen, because you NEED a $10,000 9 burner designer stove. There nothing for a first time budget buyer, condo dweller or renter. It's a mythical world were you buy a "fixer upper" & then have $300,000 for a top to bottom renovation.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Truth!

[@melsfabfinds]

So true!!!! And they completely change the entire outside of the house, moving outdoor and indoor walls etc lolol how often does that happen in real life? Almost never.

[@Era515]

I used to watch a lot of HGTV, but there's no gardening programs, and all the other programs are just reno rehashes of each other. They also feed unrealistic expectations of what people should have.

[@browneyedguitargirl]

I am a millennial. If I see painted wood cabinets, I assume they are cheap MDF because why would anyone paint wood cabinets that are made of quality materials? Also, the gray is out. None of the colors of the year from the major paint companies from the past several years have super cool leaning colors. The colors that are “in” right now are warmer neutrals. Overtly cool colors feel clinical and cold, and are already dated.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Some people paint wood cabinets if they have been worn. It is a cheaper option than completely redoing them. As far as paint colors, they switch on and off between cool and warm grey/beige. Thanks for watching!

[@betmo]

my cabinets are custom...they were put in when the house was built in the mid 60s...they are white 🤷‍♀️

[@user-vo4kj1sn9k]

Anyone who walks into a home expecting it to have everything they want is unrealistic. When I found my home it had beige carpet, beige walls, and beige cabinets. Also wallpaper in bathrooms and dining room. None of this was my taste. And I don't even remember their furniture. But I loved the floor plan and it checked most of my " wish list". I bought it, put down hardwoods, took down wallpaper, painted walls and cabinets. Later on I had the master bath remodeled and I plan on remodeling the other next year. Location, outside presentation, floor plan, upkeep are the most important things to me when looking for a house. I never expect anyone to have my taste.

[@blujeans9462]

I hope others think like you when I decide to list. You're logical and realistic. Falling in love with a house based on furniture (especially cheap staged furniture that would fall apart if you used it) is incredibly dumb. As a realtor, many years ago, I would always remind my buyers that the furnishings won't be there during the walk through. They never listened. Lol!

[@KatiSpaniak]

I am sure you will get a huge return when you go to sell! Thanks for your comment!

[@KatiSpaniak]

Well.. many buyers can't see past the cheap furniture online. It's crazy to watch how the fawn over a staged home!!

[@gingermonette7455]

I totally agree. I'm looking at location, FLOOR PLAN, and good bones. Paint fixes most ugliness.

[@Bobrogers99]

If the previous owners had spent significant money on the carpets, paint and wallpaper to spruce it up, wouldn't you have preferred to get a discount on the price to spend on doing the improvements yourself?

[@1paradox]

Millennials viewpoints have shifted away from the HGTV look, especially post pandemic. More millennials appreciate vintage for the quality and are more opposed to fast furniture due to sustainability concerns. We don't mind old homes with character, built-ins, picture moldings and other wall details, etc. Even wallpaper has made a huge comeback and trends have shifted away from gray and white. However I do agree that good pictures are everything. Great video, very informative!

[@KatiSpaniak]

Thank you for commenting! I think the post pandemic opinions are continuing to change everyday and appreciate the insight!

[@laurena.3038]

Yes, I thought this video was a few years old based on the decorating advice! Agree about the photos and staging being very important- I'm over 50 and would still make the most of my time by doing my first showing virtually.

[@arbur3058]

My thoughts exactly! I'm house hunting right now, and the monochromatic, fake, trendy, staged stuff is a major turn-off for me. I like some charm or funkiness, something a little different

[@arbur3058]

​@@laurena.3038me as well, I was surprised when it was only 2 months old!

[@alecb3332]

As a younger millennial homeowner, I agree with the commenter. This reflects the attitude of my peers. We value sustainability and character. ​@@KatiSpaniak

[@fredashay]

I've seen so many HGTV videos where they destroyed beautiful woodwork in older homes to "modernize" them.

[@KatiSpaniak]

It's always great to get inspiration for your home, even if you're not planning to sell. Thanks for watching!

[@rconach]

Never liked HGTV. That Gaines couple are the worst.

[@cindland]

Just declutter and keep it clean. It will sell.

[@HulaShack1]

"Think hotel"....if you think about what a clean, upscale hotel looks like, that is what people should strive for. Ditch the teddy bear collection, the family wall of shame with 50 hideous pictures in different frames, remove the baselball hat collection, and clean your house. You have 1 chance to make a first impression and a sink full of dirty dishes and a toilet with yellow water is not what anyone wants to see.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Absolutely! Decluttering and maintaining cleanliness can make a huge difference in selling your home.

[@IrishTwinMaker]

I prefer the bad photos over the good photos. The "good" photos told me nothing about the house. The "bad" photos give me a better idea of the layout of the house. I'm not keeping the furniture. I'm keeping the house. Also, i don't really want to strip the paint off the wood cabinets. If you have wood, leave it wood. Painting is a million times easier than stripping it off.

[@jimcandykollath8425]

I'm always amazed at listings with dishes on counters, beds 1/2 made, & towels laying on tubs or shower rod😮

[@KatiSpaniak]

So so gross!

[@makb5354]

So true. I often wonder if they are so stubborn and don't want to clean up or they have crappy Realestate Agent who doesn't tell them to clean up.

[@marylclc1269]

A lot of these are rental houses. The tenants probably don't want to move, so they make the house look as unattractive as possible. But, you're right. I've been stunned at some of the messes I've seen on supposedly "professional" photos taken for listings on the MLS. It's not hard to do a few dishes and put them away, wipe out the sinks and make the beds.

[@Openminded4life]

Because they still sell almost a Million, whatever condition, at least in socal.

[@lauriekerze3461]

Taking pics with toilet with seat up.

[@-OBELUS-]

My houses never look like HGTV and we've sold almost every one within 24 hours for asking or above. We decorate in the English Home style. Pastels, traditional furniture and a wild oriental rug in almost every room. I think you underestimate people's taste.

[@vschroeder4062]

You can sell anything at the right price to the right target market!

[@houseofyarbs623]

My cousin & her husband were on House Hunters years ago but had already bought their house. I was so disappointed when I found out the show was fake lol

[@abundantacre9]

It’s true! We were approached and approved years back. (We had two deaths in the family right after agreeing to be filmed and backed out.) We already owned the home as well.

[@user-fu8ub2rj6q]

Most everything we see in this world, especially on TV, is fake. EVERYTHING.

[@KatiSpaniak]

That does ruin the fun! Thanks for watching!

[@randomletter-5i4]

As someone who grew up in the 70s and 80s, I sooo appreciated what HGTV did to bring fresh modern style to the masses. I cannot blame someone who wants fresh and bright, cheap or not, over dated and dreary. Now we have stores like West Elm and CB2 to give us inspo.

[@jroc523]

I heard two agents talking and one said “buyers are liars” and the other chuckled and agreed. This is what they think of the people that pay them. Cant wait for agents to be obsolete. Over paid for taking some photos with their iPhone, saying every cliches to their clients and chopping some pillows.

[@jill-of-all-trades]

Sometimes. Sometimes not. As in this agent’s knowledge and advice. I’d hire her!

[@aliaturner8101]

Right? This lady is condescending and out of touch.

[@rabczanska]

I've been an agent for years. Listing agents should help with preparing a house to sell, getting it professionally photographed, getting an inspection done prior to listing in order to correct anything that could derail a deal! getting CMA, handling showing appointments and questions, dealing with title company, negotiating the deal... Buyers Agent, getting you access to all the homes, helping you get preapproved, helping you negotiate mortgages, going over you inspection. Letting inspector in and appraiser, negotiating the contract, dealt with title requests. A good licensed and well certified agent will earn their compensation and save the buyers and sellers money in the end.

[@patriciamay6396]

Buyers don’t pay realtors so…

[@jroc523]

@@patriciamay6396 does the money magically appear from the sky? No one gets paid unless there is a buyer. You sound like those agents.

[@timothyrday1390]

I am also a Millennial who used to watch HGTV all the time. There are so many aspects of the house-hunting shows that I like, but the trend towards large kitchen, living room, and dining "spaces" all combined together always irked me. I grew up in an old farmhouse (that my family fully renovated) and I always appreciated the separate rooms with separate functions.

[@KatiSpaniak]

That seems to be more of the trend now. Thx for your comment!

[@susanmarie3425]

This explains why I see real estate listings that include photos primarily of furniture. I'm not interested in seeing part of a wall and the table sitting against it, but there are dozens of listings that have photos like that.

[@KatiSpaniak]

It fakes out the buyers that it’s trendy

[@marinaoc7147]

Exactly! I am much more interested in the details of the house than the fake staged “emotional” pictures

[@canuckviolet3322]

The whole thing is pretty unethical isn't it? Including the suggestion to buy something, use it and take it back. 🧐

[@barbarat5729]

That staircase is beautiful no matter how it was photographed.

[@karengarber8257]

I would never want to buy a house that had painted cabinets over the original finished wood. The finish won't hold up if not done correctly. A definite NO for me!

[@Lisa-sp5if]

I have to say, though, you’re in the minority. As a staging consultant… If the paint is done very well, it’s a very inexpensive way compared to ripping out dated, not real wood cabinets or really beat up wood cabinets.

[@KatiSpaniak]

It is not the first option. Wood cabinets can be beautiful but if you have old, worn or fake wood, a good paint job can be a cheaper way than dealing with buying new cabinets. Thanks for watching!

[@SlapHappySewing]

Even though I live in New Zealand I think a lot of this still applies. Reminds me that my taste looks dated to the young ones. Got to say though I couldn't bring myself to paint good wood cabinets having spent years ripping paint off doors to expose the lovely timber :)

[@KatiSpaniak]

I get that!!

[@Bobrogers99]

I agree about the cabinets. My kitchen has solid red birch cabinets installed 24 years ago, and I'd burst into tears if someone painted them. Years ago, my neighbors painstakingly removed layers of paint from the woodwork in their antique Cape, even scraping out the moulding contours with broken glass, and the new owners painted it all bright yellow!

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

Yes, that one kitchen had maple cabinets, which i absolutely love. It would have broken my heart to see someone cover those in paint.

[@joanwyatt9945]

Really enjoying your videos and learning a lot. One thing I can’t stand is the wide angle lens in all the real estate pictures. The rooms are so distorted that you can’t tell the actual size or the proportions. It is like false advertising. I insisted on taking my own pictures for the two houses we have sold, and they came out really great. Both houses sold immediately. I would like to see before and after pictures of small, less expensive homes for people who are downsizing as we are.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Yes. We agents can make any room look good!!!

[@thatgirlirish5492]

I hate listings with those fishbowl/wide lens pictures! They are VERY deceiving and too many do it. I was constantly disappointed every time I went to a view a house after looking at the listing… 😒 always was wayyyy smaller and disappointing. No go.

[@AP-qk3we]

Yes!! Thank you for pointing this out!! It totally distorts the houses when seen in person.

[@bobbray9666]

It amazes me how many people touring prospective homes oogle over furniture, wall hangings etc. when they most likely will move with the current owners. Smart potential buyers see through all this crap and see how it could look for their preferences. We bought a 1970 Frank Lloyd Wright inspired home, designed by a famous architect, that was in total disrepair for $490k and some said we were crazy. We put $500k into renovations and sold it for $1.5M because we furnished it like the original mid century modern it was with stuff we bought on Craigslist. Had it been empty of all our stuff, we would have gotten a lot less. That home sold in one day with 4 cash bidders and we probably should have listed it for more. Ridiculous but that's how you profit from other people's lack of vision. Too many sheeple in this world.

[@EMSpdx]

This. My home showed empty with builder basic cabinets and cheap appliances. Did not care. I refurbished the decor and fixed the structural issues and have a really nice, clean comfortable home that is stylish and sound.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Staging is very important in todays market. It really can change the price!

[@bobbray9666]

@@KatiSpaniak I don't disagree. Many people can't visualize spaces and what can and can't work in those spaces.

[@DrewMarigold]

In Ontario (Canada), by code, you can have a pendant light suspended above a tub, but it must be secured to the ceiling -- picture an upside-down table lamp. Lights suspended by chains are a no-no.

[@sherirottweilersforever7772]

I hate it when houses for sale have the toilet seat up in the bathroom picture. It looks like guy just peed in there!

[@KatiSpaniak]

Yes! I always tell my clients to close their toilet seats in photos and for showings. Nobody wants to see that!

[@Wannabecrafting247]

Or a bag of pads sitting beside the toilet. Or the countertop LOADED with cosmetics!

[@cindland]

You know your comment is part of the problem she’s talking about, right? Do you know that when you own it you can keep it down? What’s the big deal? What do you think a bathroom is for. You think no one pees or poops? If you want a house with an unused bathroom, you need to build your own. Oh wait, it won’t be unused bc the construction guys would’ve peed in it! So why are you looking for at any houses for sale?.

[@susanmcinnis3276]

Haha! “I love to entertain!” Drives me nuts!!😂

[@KatiSpaniak]

Hilarious

[@scullyfox4271]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. I can't believe how snooty and uncreative the modern buyer has become. When I was house shopping, the only thing I cared about was the bones of the house, knowing I would repaint and decorate myself. That was part of the fun.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Thank you for watching! I also look at good bones - the small projects can be fun!

[@daniellescrochet]

When home buys are being expected to shell out 3/4-1 million dollars for a home I think they are justified in being snooty. For that amount of money the house better be perfect.

[@janesawyer3495]

When I look at a home, I don't like it staged. I'm very good at imagining where I would put my own stuff. I find staged homes distracting.

[@KatiSpaniak]

I get that. Many people do.

[@mainlittlerock5422]

Most don't, IMO. They want to see new, on trend, clean (clean windows make a huge difference), open & spacious... I want it now, because it's perfect. Easy no work, just move in. Agent has to keep buyer on track. Yes, it looks perfect for you & also has excellent freeway access. In 5 years it will not be new and not going to be easy to sell. Fences & fountains don't help much to cover up traffic noise from a busy street or freeway. Lol. Great video. Most of the crappy pics looked to be from bad angle.If a professional photographer took them, I hope they didn't quit their day job.

[@cdiehr-xm3mc]

I agree, I want to imagine myself and my family living there, not some designers ideas. And yet I do think most buyers get caught up in the emotions of the staging and don’t look at the important stuff. Who cares which rugs and curtains are there if the roof needs to be replaced or there aren’t enough bedrooms?

[@mamalovesthebeach437]

I ended up shooting my own high-end home and property photos after seeing what the "professional" shot. I also wrote and put together my own marketing flyer. The realtor copied my flyer template and used it for their high end clients homes. We had 5.5 acres with about 2 acres landscaped and the rest is redwoods and oaks. You photos and descriptions of what sells a home are spot on. Anyone selling their home would do well to listen to your advice.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Thank you so much! I appreciate your comment. I have worked in the industry for quite a while and pride myself in my honesty and professional eye.

[@RG-hf4et]

Someone I know had a professional photographer come in & photograph the house. The house was lovely and with the right lighting in the photographs, it really shined like a house you wanted to visit. Good photos make a world of difference.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Truth

[@markgoodwin183]

I wouldn't necessarily trust an agent's design ideas. They DO NOT all have good taste and know what looks good. Also, it is very difficult for buyers to believe spending money on staging will bring them more money, no matter how much they hear it.

[@anitah2404]

I had a real estate agent tell me 10 years ago that I should paint my front door black because it was trendy. I didn’t listen to her and left it chocolate brown. The current owner has never repainted it.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Totally agree with you. That is why you need a seasoned agent. I am very aware of what looks good, but I am not always sure how to get to the point... so I do rely on people who are more decorators to tell me what we should do based upon what we are looking to accomplish. Thanks for your comment.

[@lynndupree1205]

We bought an old house, in terrible shape, and contracted with all the subcontractors for the remodeling. We got to choose everything, including changes to the floorplan, flooring, fixtures, paint, and even new wood trim. Yes, it was a lot of work but in the end we got the house we really wanted for a lot less money than buying a flip.

[@prayonkreutz2398]

You can paint over wallpaper if it's bonded to the wall well. Do the HOT water test. Prime, & paint over it. It will actually make your walls smooth & not the usual orange peel.

[@MrBalletHippo]

You are the only one who tells us that we are selling to the next generation or even the one after that. Best advice ever.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Thank you SO much!! That really means a lot!!

[@sara_387]

I said this to my mother when she was selling a few years ago. That she was selling to our generation or younger. I also said that she had to think that it was no longer 'her' home, instead what would appeal to the greatest number of buyers. It was a struggle, and she doubted us the whole way through, but she sold for a great price and people raved about our staging.

[@sharontabor7718]

Tha's just pure common sense. Houses last longer than we do.

There is no-one in the next generation that will be able to afford my 4-bedroom house. Neither of my two daughters can afford to buy a house. They will probably inherit my house when I die.

[@Moving.To.Charleston]

Definitely 👍🏻

[@bonniemcmaken3966]

I have a midcentury ranch. Thank God I got it before anyone "improved" it. No. I keep it in good shape and work with the natural charm of what it is. I hate the fixed up, cookie cutter houses.

[@whatevergoesforme5129]

I guess it is really a generation gap thing because these kind of rooms look more like hospitals instead of homey. I prefer a warm clean place that is obviously comfy for everyone to just relax and not to be on tiptoes making sure that the room is not dirtied given the almost all white paint job.

[@KatiSpaniak]

It is dependent on area and space. In my experience, most homes with painted cabinets are more appealing than wood.

[@akapam57]

You can do that easily when move in.

[@whatevergoesforme5129]

@@akapam57 Well, if the wood was painted on, then it is going to be difficult compared to people who prefer painted wood so when they buy a place with non-painted cabinets or other wood decor, they can easily paint the wood.

[@whatevergoesforme5129]

@@KatiSpaniak It is a matter of taste, a lot of the older generation tend to prefer to see the brown wood but younger ones prefer painted wood.

[@jeannineterese1037]

You’re so right! I’m 50 but I was sold on my house just by the pictures. The showing was just a formality!😂

[@KatiSpaniak]

Exactly!! You are right!

[@jeannineterese1037]

@@lindakincaid4530 I always repaint when I move in.

[@whatevergoesforme5129]

@@lindakincaid4530 I love antiques and houses that have been preserved to look the way they were supposed to look. I don't like a lot of modern furniture or artwork. They are cold and not really beautiful or classic.

[@Fuzzmom903]

Staircase is a winner! It tells me I’m not gonna need to remove carpet from stairs or replace metal rails! It tells me someone has taste and makes me want to see more.

[@lauralaforge558]

. The house I lived in longest as a child has a curved staircase that all members of my family had fallen on. I would nerve get a house with a curved staircase. So i agree-pic is helpful. I never looked at a listing and thought too many pics.

[@ezde711]

Just want to rant as non typical buyer; all I want is a fixer upper with a good foundation at a reasonable price. I don't want your pre-flipped cheesy garbage folks. I can decorate for myself, and have the ability to see past paint and fixtures. Don't put staged furniture in to cover up the house. I'm not buying your furniture, I have my own. Every house I'm looking at is vacant and run down, exactly what I'm looking for. There are too many houses that have foundation problems, which is just a shame that people don't know how to take care of their homes. The problem I'm seeing in houses with good foundations, is when I do an estimate for materials cost to fix it up, I'm over the neighborhood's market cap and I haven't even paid myself labor. So, why should the seller get paid for MY labor? All they did was sit on their butts and let the house get run down. I think the most important thing you can do with your home while you live in it and are thinking about selling it in the future is just to take care of it. Most important maintenance in your house includes making sure the roof and siding and foundation are in good condition and keeping the elements out. Next would be mechanical functions like electrical, plumbing and climate control. Everything else is just cosmetics and very easy to do.

[@hejshari]

👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@saul2007t]

Exactly, as long as the basic structure, foundation and most If not all utilities are reasonably up to date and or accessible to repair/replace...it may be a good deal... especially if you're just flipping for profit.

[@joanwebster602]

Where did this gray trend start? Office cubicles? Morgues? At any rate, it seems to have found its way into all our decorative textiles, furniture, and paint, now so decolorized it's almost impossible for those of us whose interior palettes revolve around warm or lively tones to find anything to match.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Good news is that the colors are tending a bit more GRAY/WARM... like these www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101112399-15488772

[@rconach]

The only gray paint color I like is BM’s Gray Owl. All others, ugh!

[@irsho54]

I feel like you are neglecting a major component, which is the buyers' imagination. What do I care about towels the sellers are using, or what chairs THEY own? I know, when I see the "canvas", how I will paint and dress it.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Many buyers have zero imagination. If they see mold in the bathtub... it makes them "feel" bad and gross. Don't underestimate the emotions that buyers have going into purchasing a home.

[@RachelLWolfe]

​@KatiSpaniak mold is one thing, decor us another. One is an obvious moisture or cleaning issue, the other is someone's taste in decor. Realtors need to help their clients think outside the box.

[@prayonkreutz2398]

I am 56. I do the same thing. If I scroll thru Zillow & I see pictures of a house for sale that is messy in pictures, it conveys to me that the homeowner doesn't care. If they can't make an effort to clean up the mess, what else haven't they made an effort to do? It tells me that they have just given up & let their house go. If you are selling your house, CLEAN IT UP!!! Show that you Care about your home!

[@KatiSpaniak]

It is definitely scary! Make sure your agent is honest about the condition of your home before photos. You don't want to be 'that' house on Zillow. Thanks for watching!

[@PaulClay46masonWV]

I'm glad I bought my dream home in 2020 and (timing) got a 3% mortgage, so Im thinking I will be here for life

[@kananimiranda3376]

Yes, we thought we were buying at the top of the bubble in may 2019, but luckily it was not so we got that low rate too and for the house that we love (because we reno’ed it right away). So no matter how this bubble bursts with prices, it would have to drop 50-60 percent for us to lose equity. So hopefully that is probably an impossible drop, knock on wood. So yes we feel grateful to have bought our house at the perfect time too.

[@KatiSpaniak]

That is great! Thanks for watching

[@aprilsullivan2405]

Couple of observations with this video - for one it's captioned HGTV has destroyed the real estate market but then the video is about how to redo your house to look like the HGTV houses and take photos that look like HGTV photos - your house doesn't need that. Also curious as to why this person said buyers don't care about quality, this is completely untrue. The most important thing you can do to increase the value of your home is to keep it clean and well maintained. If you don't keep up on repairs and general maintenance then a $10 repair can end up costing you thousands years later. I have sold so many homes that weren't updated but they were very clean, very well maintained and had even though some items were outdated they were very good quality. Buyers are not dumb, they can tell when you have installed cheap cabinets and floors just to make a sale, or as this agent states "faking it". The next thing is hire an agent that has a professional photographer shoot the photos - if they can't spend the $200 to get your home photographed then why think they would do anything else for you, those agents are what we call paycheck chasers. This agent should be disclosing that when you reach out to her to get a recommendation on an agent she is also getting a cut of that agent's commission, she isn't doing it to be helpful. Finally - if your agent is suggesting "HGTV" fixes to your home - such as the advice this one gave for the one kitchen that had the wood cabinets and the gray walls and she suggested painting the cabinets, don't listen to them. Painting kitchen cabinets can be very expensive and you may end up with something that a buyer won't even like. The best thing to do is change out the hardware to something a little more on trend and then using some light staging tricks, wood cabinets are having a resurgence, so assuming a buyer will want them painted is completely false. The best thing to do is see how creative your agent can be with updating your home on a tight budget - some agents have an eye for design and can quickly envision something that will make your home look great by only spending a couple hundred bucks, if your agent can't do that and is making suggestions that would cost thousands then interview another one. The only reason I ever suggested a remodel or rehab is if the house is really beat up.

[@marinaoc7147]

I love your comment and absolutely agree with what you said.

[@amberlywatson3325]

This explains a lot. I hate looking at listings that the photos are centered on furniture and decor. I want a picture of the whole room so I can visualize what I would do in it.

[@KatiSpaniak]

I completely understand where you're coming from. Visualizing the entire room layout can make a big difference in deciding if a space is right for you.

[@mapratt]

Ooof. So many recommendations to paint gorgeous cabinets, when replacing the countertop and staging would have been plenty, and the cabinets were such high quality wood. Yes, i have painted cabinets, but they were lower quality and badly scuffed. My homes generally stay on the market one day and get multiple offers. Having said that, overall thank you for putting this video together. Lots of great information in a concise and relatable format

[@KatiSpaniak]

Thank you for commenting! I appreciate your feedback

[@leonaowen9234]

I live in Waco, Tx Fixer Upper is a big joke and they have ruined this town. NO ONE that lives here likes them in any way.

[@thatgirlirish5492]

I can believe that. Now that they’re so famous everything with their name on it has a ridiculous price tag attached to it.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Huh! Very interesting!! I didn't know that!!!

[@hsmd4533]

Say more about this….why is Waco ruined?

[@tammyrussell-rice5508]

Well, the Gaines certainly are better ambassadors than the Branch Davidians for Waco. Just sayin.

[@lindabuck2777]

@@tammyrussell-rice5508🤦‍♀️🤨😂 oh my you went there!🙏🏻

[@newsnowurmom5491]

Thanks HGTV, I'll never be able to buy a house now.

[@KatiSpaniak]

You will... just keep in mind that you are being totally faked out!!! :)

[@Bobrogers99]

I stopped watching HGTV. The British "Location, Location..." eliminates the phony conflicts and gives a more authentic vibe, and the houses and apartments are way more interesting! I'm 85, and I will soon be selling my house. It hasn't had so much as a lick of paint inside since I had it custom built 24 years ago, so it will need a full paint job, all new flooring and new kitchen counters for starters. I hesitate at this, since my tastes will not be the same as the new owner, so I'd rather reduce the price to allow them to make the upgrades. Also, it's the property it sits on that will sell it. 45 acres along a beautiful brook doesn't come available every day, and over the years I've planted lots of shrubs to enhance the yard. I would post very few, if any, interior photos.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Thank you for taking the time to comment! There are many strategies to sell a home that has not been updated and you are aware. If you do want to update your home, many agents are able to tell you what to update/paint. 45 acres is a dream - I am jealous!

[@daniel_sc1024]

My dad and I used to watch and make fun of "Fixer Upper." It didn't matter the house or the clients, EVERY house they did had the same four interior design elements: shiplap siding, open shelves, subway tile, and a barn door. 🤨

[@KatiSpaniak]

Totally true!

[@dewaynesmith1718]

And every house kinda had that modern farmhouse esthetic. It was like u were watching reruns

[@daniel_sc1024]

@@dewaynesmith1718 They all looked like a Joanna Gaines house - the designs said nothing about the supposed clients.

[@5onCover]

This is the problem with AirBNB too. We have DeChateau floors, Cafe appliances, Brizo fixtures, views and people complain. I guarantee they don’t have those finishes at home.

[@lauralaforge558]

Yup airbnbs are major issues. Hopefully they go away.

[@holleyjohnson7197]

Great advice. I’m always amazed by people who aren’t willing to get their homes ready to sell then complain when they don’t get top dollar

[@KatiSpaniak]

Truth!!

[@StacySanseverino]

I love that point about telling sellers to act as if you are selling your house to your adult children. Brilliant. I’m going to use that in my next Listing conversation!

[@KatiSpaniak]

Thanks!

[@whatevergoesforme5129]

And here I am believing Millennials complaining about not being able to afford a house but now I see that they actually want to buy houses based on TV shows.

[@oreotookie]

Millennial here. We can afford a house. We want a house with good bones. My little sister desperately wants a house but the only house she could get had a MAJOR leaking problem and parts of the buildings on the property were also on neighboring properties. It most definitely is because they can’t afford it (for the vast majority of millennials.

[@jaysonx5576]

I was 5 minutes in before realizing this video has very little to do with explaining why HGTV ruined the market. 😂 I honestly got lost on the focus and couldn’t connect the title to the video. As someone who’s pitched a lot, I recommend setting up your thoughts akin to chapters “this section is about ___.” For example. Verses what feels like a run on sentence. Then no one will lose the through-line thread. It’s the reason in the film/TV world we don’t pitch plot. Too easy to get lost. Human nature.

[@KatiSpaniak]

I would say that 50,000 other people disagree with you. But thanks for your comment! I take everything into consideration!

[@roguered706]

Same. I hung in for about half the video. Gotta love her response though- I guess some people can't take even constructive criticism.

[@jaysonx5576]

@@KatiSpaniak It’s unfortunate that you reject constructive feedback. I didn’t say your content was bad. I get notes on how to be better all the time by A-list producers and my response is “thank you.🙏🏾”

[@KatiSpaniak]

Oh no! I actually completely took your comments as constructive!! I am a real estate agent... not a youtuber. I would just say that a lot of people disagreed with you. Everything I do here is a learning experience for me!! I've had some real losers I've put out there!! I think I'm getting better every video!@@jaysonx5576

[@jaysonx5576]

@@KatiSpaniak Copy. We’re all always learning, IMO. I didn’t find the content to be bad. I’ve subscribed and believe I will learn something from you. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge! 👍🏾

[@dearyvettetn4489]

(…sigh 😔) as a prospective home seller and a trained interior designer, I know that you are 100% right about properly marketing your home in a style that is appealing to current taste, and the male aversion to painting a wood finish. I want a quick and top dollar sale on my home, but I’ll be listening for my father turning over in his grave as I apply a few coats of paint to my 20-year old maple with cherry finished kitchen and bathroom cabinets. But I intend to do some serious research to see if I can avoid it and make them work with new hardware and better surrounding decor. Thanks ❤

[@KatiSpaniak]

I know!! Painting beautiful wood is a bit painful!

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

No, no, don’t do it! Money is great, but you want to feel good about it at the end of the day. There are older buyers with money who will fall in love with your wood. But do take great pictures!

[@dominaevillae28]

@dearyvettetn4489 I’ve seen pictures with older cabinets, even 80s oak, that look good with a more neutral paint color, new counters, backsplash,and/ or new flooring. Not necessarily all of that, but changing whatever makes it look the most dated. When it comes to style, 80s/90s builder grade white appliances affect the look of an older kitchen the most.

[@potpourrioflife]

We are not millennial, but goodness, the one thing I refuse to pay for is an unkept home, painted wood (wood is beautiful and shows character), pretend fireplaces, etc. Many show just a few rooms then tons of landscape...looking out at mountains. Okay, I got it on the 1st pic. I loved the staircase, but what I am looking for is a home where the owner cared about the home. I don't care if it needs a few updates, I just don't want to have to re-roof, remove mold, etc. We are in the midst of getting our home to move. We are not in a hurry b/c the market is ridiculous. I want a buyer who appreciates the new driveway, the updated roof, gardens, real wood (my husband custom did our windows, our kitchen, some really cool inset cabinets). I realize not everyone will like it, but we made a small home functional with love and care. Definitely NO bold colors. Gag me. It takes too much paint to recover. Also, I realize people are living in their homes, as they should, but I will not visit a home that is not at least tidy. This was bad advice. Most people are looking for a home to make their own. At the prices, many are struggling to find one. We want to sell and move, but not in this market. I was hoping for more practical advice.

[@MT-sb2oe]

Thanks for putting so much work into this video. The pictures were excellent and really helped to make your point.

[@KatiSpaniak]

So glad you liked this!!! I appreciate your comments!!

[@kristiseaton1557]

We were selling a luxury mcmansion to downsize after empty-nesting. A nice home built in 1989. New roof/HVAC/double level deck and new carpet in a finished basement. So much buyer feedback about wanting things "updated". Had we "updated" every suggestion given we would've sunk tens of thousands of dollar. People had no imagination for making our house their home. I cursed HGTV

[@KatiSpaniak]

I have had this happen many times to me and my sellers. A lot of people see past the big ticket items (or the important items) and go straight to the cosmetics

[@kimroller3609]

I would just clean up my home and do some touch ups to sell. People are never happy with what you do, and will always pick at the home as an excuse to offer a lower price.

[@cindland]

Right like being told to paint the whole house when we all know the new owner will go in and paint everything the color they want!

[@ReadGameCraftCook]

We sold our first family home last year, we didn’t do anything that we wouldn’t want done already in a house we bought. We replaced windows, got the house freshly painted, new furnace and central ac, privacy fencing, and resided the house and garage, new gutters fascia and soffits. The kitchen alliances were all about a year old. Granted we did these things before deciding to sell it. All the buyers had to do was move in and redo or replace the “fun” stuff at their leisure. When I buy a house I won’t want to see things too updated inside because then I feel like I can’t change it. I have very particular tastes and they usually are not trendy.

[@kbaz6658]

Many say that gray is out. Good. Always looked like cement color to me. Big mistake to paint gray walls with brown tone floors or tile. It just doesn't look right. When wood cabinets LOOK like they were painted, not good. Depends on the style. Seems almost everything comes and goes. Don't overspend on improvements when it doesn't make a difference whether it sells. Buyers may well rip out what you put in. Learned that the hard way.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Everything does come and go, that is true but for now this is what is in and getting things sold. Thanks for watching!

[@familylifetoo9541]

Always loved/ love HGTV shows but realized that is all fantasy. Not everyone can live afford decorate etc... especially now. I feel it's like po r n for housing real estate. Now having said that I don't have cable TV anymore...yet I see how we all get hooked on these ideas. Yes though looking online you notice the gray / white clean nuetral houses colors etc... but HGTV is fake .

[@KatiSpaniak]

Totally fake!!!

[@jannajacob219]

I stopped watching a long time ago because it made me feel deeply unsatisfied with what I had and what I could afford. I felt a lot better about myself when I stopped watching even if there are things that need to be done. Housing porn indeed.

[@familylifetoo9541]

@@jannajacob219 true you have to take it as what it is a big production. It's lovely but it probably takes lighting crews etc. To make it look perfect. I still enjoy House Hunters

[@hannibalspice]

"Fake out the buyers" but remember you are a buyer, also. I sold a house in 2016 and it was sold again in 2019 and is now on the market for rent. They are still using all but one of my pictures....I highly doubt the house looks anything like I left it.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Yep! But my channel is for sellers! If I do one for buyers then it will be about exactly what you said!! :) And that agent shouldn't be using your pictures unless they have permission from your agent. FYI.

[@uberfine]

I'm a healthy, active senior with an excellent credit rating and my own money. I'm downsizing and refuse to look any newly remodeled. I'm not afraid to do my own kitchen, bath remodel, but I'm not paying for some youngster's taste. Keep aiming for HGTV & lose sales.

[@susanjeffries5108]

I've only sold one home, and I completely agree with you that pictures online are extremely important! The problem was, we had no control over the pictures that were released. We had lived in the house and then rented it, and the renters had completely destroyed the carpet, so we already had an appointment for the home to be refurbished with new carpet. We simply could not sell it in its current condition. The realtor insisted that their photographer come and take pictures of the home with its terrible carpet and when we were upset by that, she told us that the photographer would just edit the carpeting to look good. This didn't sit well with us, but we were given zero choice in the matter, and it turned out that photographer did NOT adjust the pictures, so the pictures that were online showed an enormous black ring of grimy disgustingness in the living area. I think the renters had cleaned guns or something in the house because it was oily and black and absolutely appalling! And this was a nice house! I went in and patched up all of the many, many holes they had left in the walls, repainted all the walls, did a ton of landscaping and painted the exterior of the house, but that carpet was an absolute BLIGHT and it took months for that house to sell, when honestly it should have sold quickly because the market was good and the house was honestly in great shape and very cute. We had replaced the carpet with something nice and neutral and had updated a lot of things in it. New air conditioning, for example. It should have been easy to sell. It wasn't. I was so furious at our realtor and she was so blase about it. You would have thought she would have been a little more motivated to get it right. She insisted on staging everything herself as well, and I really didn't like the choices she made. Next time we sell a house I will definitely vet the realtor better!

[@Anona_Meows]

Millennial home seeker here! 👋 I've looked through TONS of homes! Both new builds and lived-in. I am also upgrading my house to sell. She makes some good points, but I have to disagree on some items. I think there is a major difference between her idea of "quality" vs ours. Simple, clean design does not mean cheap. We think this looks higher end. But this style also allows a method for us to make our spaces look expensive without breaking the bank. There are plenty of very expensive "simple" design items. However, affordability influenced this minimalist style. That and sure, we don't want ornate Tuscan design for example, it's simply outdated. She has a point regarding the influence of hgtv. But she skips over the vast importance of KZbin/diy tutorials. You couldn't previously learn how to wainscott a wall or wire light fixtures easily before KZbin, even if Bob the builder could. And we often can't afford upgrades unless we do them diy. That translates to: because I have painted so much, I know when the edges look like crap. Because I've done it, I know what to look for with cost and quality. For affordability references, my parents' first home was 35k. That same house now is valued at 525K. Inflation is too high for what most millennials make. It's not that we can't recognize quality, sometimes we just can't afford it. (I personally love Scandinavian mixed with mid-century modern.) My point, if the house does not look "HGTV ready," which lets be honest most don't, I'm analyzing how much stuff I want to change, how long it might take, and how much that adds to the total cost. It's really the TOTALITY of the home as far as both design and quality, for the price and location etc. I don't want to pay for a new DR Horton or Lennar build if it's cheap and will fall apart after 10 years. I also don't want to totally renovate an outdated home top to bottom. She is totally correct about having a lot of photos. I'm moving to a different state, so not only are apps with photos convenient, it's needed. I'm definitely comparing homes im my price range to eachother. I consider the square footage, design, quality, yard, location, year built, and hoa/taxes etc. Look at comparable homes in your area on Redfin and see how they compete with yours. The annoying aspect ratio in photos is absolutely true. I hate when a room is so elongated, that I can't tell what it looks like. Take more photos of the room in different corners and angles over totally distorting the space. She is correct on carpeting. Hardwood or lvp is much better! But what she is missing is the overall thought process. First, we see carpet as cheap and unsanitary. It soaks up stains and bad smells, especially if you have pets. For us, hard flooring = Quality I'm thinking "how many rooms are carpeted vs lvp/wood? Are they rippled and stained? How much is it going to cost to rip this out and replace it? You don't want to imagine yourself in a new home with other people's mystery stains lingering around. - Cleanliness is a big factor with the minimal aesthetic!- The living areas and steps are most important. Neutral toned floors are better, as she advised. Avoid super warm and dark tones, like cherry red. (Red and orange undertones are the worst.) Contrast is not always bad either. If choosing any darker tones on cabinets or whatever, cooler chocolate browns mixed with a white tone look good. (Like in the steps photo.) It's about balance and contrast. And the all gray sad homes are out. Please don't install straight up gray floors, like she said. It doesn't need to look like mental institution white either. You can't guess what someone might like though, so imo the goal of a painting and upgrading is to make the "lived in" spaces look new again. Clean and bright. High ceilings and open concepts are def preferred. If it has popcorn ceilings, holy 1965, get rid of it. As a rule of thumb, be mindful of the space looking cluttered and overstimulating. Like she said bright colors. Or when every room is totally different, covered in ornate wallpaper, or has poofy, heavy drapes. Think clean and inviting. Overly busy and cluttered spaces with heavy tones is the absolute worst combo. It makes the space appear dark, grimey, and the room appears smaller. You don't want us to be able to tell that grandma definitely just croaked there. If you can smell the mustyness just by looking at the photo, update the space. (Unless it's way cheaper for us to buy as is.) A huge example of how she is SO wrong to say we don't recognize quality too: She hates the photo of the steps. I TOTALLY, 100% disagree! For one, when I look through photos, I want to know where every room leads. Most homes don't have a blueprint, and I want to understand the layout. If I don't like how the square footage is utilized, I don't want the house. Period. BUT more importantly, those steps she showed are WOOD, complete with a curly tail and all. That's a huge upgrade in new builds, and most don't even offer anything but carpet on steps. Steps are expensive to have installed, because you pay per step on both material and labor. And are time consuming. I know this is quality and I would want to see this photo! Steps with carpet have so many edges and get frayed over time. Remember carpet = gross. Many new build companies simply say "pick a lot, it comes with this style house and design." So even if you want wood stairs, your only option would be to rip the new carpet out after purchasing. They also drywall the sides of the stairs, unless they give you the option to pay for an upgrade. That stairwell represents thousands of dollars. And anyone who has sat through this sales pitch for a new neighborhood build that actually offer upgrades, knows how quickly the cost increases. It's a rip off too, bc it's way more expensive than paying someone yourself. They have to finish the floors to be "move in ready"- and hope that you don't notice the actual cost. They trick people by saying "adding it to the loan only increases the mortgage by $50 a month." (Or whatever it is.) Yeah, each month for 30 YEARS, plus interest. Builders today are the ones who don't care about quality. It comes down to doing what we can and still being able to afford a house. And anyone who has done dyi projects, knows the cost and time it takes to do a good job. I notice the standard construction grade boob lights and ugly bathroom fixtures vs someone who chose quality lighting. I notice the plastic yellow-white receptical plates vs metal. I learned how to change mine out. Don't take us for idiots, we know both hard work and quality.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Wow!!!! I cannot believe you spent so much time on these comments!!! I am super impressed and really will take it all to heart!!! Thank you!

[@Anona_Meows]

@@KatiSpaniak Yass! Btw you have great information and years of experience to back you up. I'm just one person, so I can't speak for everyone. But since I'm knee deep in renovations and trying to work out a deal on purchasing a home in a wild probate case, I've had time to do my honework and learn a lot. 🤪 Probably more than the average busy millennial to be honest. But some of us are very mindful of what we are getting into. Especially bc of the cost of living. The year I started working after college was the year the housing market crashed. Those things might make us difficult and picky. But for me anyhow, it's more that I'm trying to make a very smart and calculated decision. I am imagining myself there, like you said. There is 100% an emotional response the house I want. But also I'm running the numbers. 🤔😎

[@KatiSpaniak]

Good luck and thank you again for participating!!@@Anona_Meows

[@trumax33]

Great comments and insight. You had me until your last line. YOU know about hard work and quality, but unfortunately, not everyone in your generation OR mine does.

[@Anona_Meows]

@@trumax33 Thank you. I was of course speaking in general terms, not of every individual millennial. In the same way she was also speaking in general terms about millennials. I don't know what generation you personally are a part of. But as someone who worked two or more jobs at once for years after the crash, right after I graduated college and entered the workforce, it's frustating when the very people who caused our economic misfortune (boomers), claim our hardships are due to a love for avocado toast and pure lazyness. Esp when they got to buy their homes for 10 raspberries in 1987. Lol. We have worked hard. Now into our 30's and early 40's, trying to make it work. But we don't have the overall wealth of boomers at this stage of life. It's not for a lack of trying. There's a subjective aspect to what quality is. And yes someone like my husband would never notice an upgraded light fixture or a detailed crown moulding lol. But I think overall many of us do pay attention to homes and interior design trends etc as well. Esp bc homes are so expensive and we often need to be savvy.

[@SoulfulVeg]

As a buyer, I am looking for something kind of old fashioned that I can do minor updates to. But the house that I sold last year looked like an HGTV home.😂 I took so much stuff to storage, which made the house look so spacious. No one really lives like that. I also replaced my nice ethnic art with some basic/neutral art from FB Market. It was pretty before, but it was unrealistically HGTV basic/neutral/prettt after.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Personal touches make a house a home! Thanks for watching!

[@adz5bneweng589]

I do the dishes before I go to sleep every night. I try to do a 5 minute tidyup in each room every day. I do laundry when my hamper is full... no overflow. Breaking everything down to smaller, daily tasks just makes my life easier and rarely does anything get out of control anymore. I still have more decluttering to do to make it even easier! My 3 words for 2024 are "Peace Over Possessions."

[@KatiSpaniak]

That is great advice! Thanks for watching

[@ethanwelte6402]

21 one year old here, the HGTV look might be popular now but be prepared, I’ve heard many times online and in person how much people my age hate the lifeless greige look 😂 we’re also broke right now so milk this while we can! Edit: 33:40, this would be well received, the wood with the trendy furniture looks warm and fresh at the same time

[@rconach]

I will not consider looking, much less buying a flipped home with cookie cutter decor.

[@trinaroe5132]

Don’t agree with you about the staircase picture. When I bought my house I gave my agent ONE requirement. It had to have a foyer with an open staircase that I could decorate for Christmas! 😂 I didn’t care how many bedrooms or bathrooms, but did want bedrooms and at least one bathroom on the second floor for privacy. But the open staircase was non-negotiable for me and I reminded my agent of that every time she tried to show me a house without one!

[@globalfamily8172]

I like the bannister - it's so much better than a sheetrock railing!

[@Anona_Meows]

100% agree and just also commented on this. Wood/lvp steps are so expensive to add to a home with carpeted steps too. You pay by the stair. And the banister is totally an upgrade in new builds, as the other person said. The more photos, the better. I want to see every single area, especially since I am moving 2,000 miles away and relying on photos to give me an accurate idea of what the whole house looks like. I want to see every hall way, room, closet, views of the yard, the sides. All of it

[@KatiSpaniak]

I totally hear what you are saying. It would have been a better picture if it had shown more of the staircase in relation to the foyer and the openings in the room. That is the case of not "Taking It" correctly. I didn't make it clear in my video that is how they should have taken that photo differently. Thanks for your comment!

[@KatiSpaniak]

Agree

[@KatiSpaniak]

I actually would have liked to have seen a better picture of how the stairs related to the home so you could see the flow of the house. So you are one of the people who won't come to a home because you've seen too many pictures of the house that you've ruled it out!!! HAHAHAAHA :) What I mean is that is the reason that, as a seller, you shouldn't include every single picture to document. Because buyers are so "on top" of every detail in the home that they won't come to the house if there is something that they don't like in the photos. I mean, sometimes I'll show a house to a buyer and they will know every little detail about the home... more than I do because they've studied it. They know the neighbors, they know the comps. They know everything! And I will tell you I have had to drag buyers into homes even though they've ruled them out online because of the photos. And it ended up being the house they ended up buying. A picture just can't convey the feeling of the location, the feeling and energy of the house. So, yes, buyers will not come if they don't like one specific thing in the home. Because they don't want to waste their time. So make sure that all of your pictures look awesome and that there is nothing about the photo that would be a reason someone might not want to come. This video is for sellers to sell their homes. Meaning that you are absolutely right in how you view homes online. And I'm telling sellers to watch out that THIS is what the world is like right now! I've said all of this in the spirit I hope it was intended... which is thankful that you spent them time on this and gave me an understanding of how you actually do view homes in other parts of the country!! Thank you!!!!

[@NeoSoulCrew]

Millenial here. No idea what HGTV and dont care. Im buying based on layout and square footage. I dont care about staging either. If people won't buy a house because of boring gray paint, that just makes it easier for me....who focuses on what's important. Walls can be repainted.

[@suburbanmomma9093]

Millenial here too and how do you not know what HGTV is?

[@marisamartini1975]

I know all pig homes can have that lipstick changed to a color I prefer. I'm more concerned with the engineering of the home. Such as Hvac system cleanliness, water source system, sewer system, electrical, types of pipes, pests, flood plain location, structural type and quality, location and type of water heating system. What direction the house faces. How many trees may of grown its roots system into the foundation. Foundation, windows and roof integrity. Floorplan room sizes, so easy to do so why is this not drawn up and posted on listings?

[@rl3810]

A friend of mine bought a flip, and she refers to it as "lipstick on a pig." Nothing was done correctly. It looked so nice and upgraded and started falling apart within the first 2 years. Sad part is, she had an inspection and the guy caught none of the problems. She's now fixed it, but has lost all love for the home. She bought a forever home, not an investment property, so she's making it work. Jist be aware of bad Inspectors.

[@KatiSpaniak]

That's a tough situation for your friend. It's important to do thorough research and inspections when buying a home.

[@willsx2]

I am amazed to hear that you feel buyers prefer stainless appliances to panel covered. In my area, panel covered appliances are the most popular, although pricey. Also, I assume when you say to get all cheap Wayfair/ Target type furniture, you are recommending using a stager and not proposing people go out and buy furniture as a disposable commodity

[@KatiSpaniak]

Good comment. Yes. They want stainless steel. How old are you? :) Just wondering if you are on the millennial side or the Gen X side like me. :) As far as buying furniture. Some people will buy just cheap accessories to help the house brighten up as they will use it in their new home. But yes, get a stager who will take the furniture back with them when you are done with it.

[@willsx2]

@@KatiSpaniak older than both. I just squeaked into the Boomers 😅

[@karenpowers2225]

Great video! Thanks for this information! I also noticed some of our local paint stores really know what neutral paint colors are in demand. They seem to have almost a list of suggestions. They've been exceptionally helpful in color and finish selection.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Great point!

[@trumax33]

Thank you! I'm quite sure you're not talking about the particular store I work in, but we do our best to assist our customers in choosing the correct paint for their project and give them guidance on selecting paint colors for their homes.

[@user-wk5ls4ps6d]

Every HGTV picture had enormous windows and tons of natural light. Hard to fake that!

[@steveloux4709]

That chandelier over the tub is TOTALLY illegal and unsafe.

[@KatiSpaniak]

YOU ARE SO RIGHT!!! HaHa!! But it looks good!

[@toomanymarys7355]

It's not illegal in the US. Just weird. Maybe illegal in the UK.

[@steveloux4709]

I'm not sure why you would make that statement. NFPA 70-2020- 410.10(D) "Bathtub and Shower Areas. A luminaire installed in a bathtub or shower area shall meet all of the following requirements: (1) No parts of cord-connected luminaires, chain-, cable-, or cord-suspended luminaires, lighting track, pendants, or ceiling-suspended (paddle) fans shall be located within a zone measured 900 mm (3 ft) horizontally and 2.5 m (8 ft) vertically from the top of the bathtub rim or shower stall threshold. This zone is all-encompassing and includes the space directly over the tub or shower stall. (2) Luminaires located within the actual outside dimension of the bathtub or shower to a height of 2.5 m (8 ft) vertically from the top of the bathtub rim or shower threshold shall be marked suitable for damp locations or marked suitable for wet locations. Luminaires located where subject to shower spray shall be marked suitable for wet locations. Not only does it appear the chandelier is immediately over the tub, it appears to be below the minimum 8-feet, and I highly doubt that that fixture is rated for damp or wet locations.@@toomanymarys7355

[@eattherich9215]

@@toomanymarys7355: it's definitely NOT a thing in the UK and may even be illegal.

[@arwyn1025]

I built a new house with a chandelier over the bath tub and it passed inspection in Ontario, Canada.

[@vkat4167]

I actually was more attentive to details in the houses with professionally staged beautification. “Cosmetic fixes” may cost you more later to fix it properly. I bought the house with poorly done staging, bathrooms were original from 1954… I liked the layout, the size of the rooms, and the main thing - the view to the ocean, unobstructed from both levels. The neighborhood was quiet and safe. The house had leaking roof, almost falling apart deck.. I hired an inspector who wrote 65 pages in his report… I was interested only in the foundation, structural issues, termites. All other things are cosmetic. I replaced the roof, added 2 skylights, pained walls,few years later remodeled bathroom… I saw many houses. Many of old houses had such remodeling that I wondered why they spend so much money for expensive materials doing so unpractical and ugly design, but those houses were sold anyway. Every pot has a lid 😏

[@KatiSpaniak]

It is important to see good bones! Glad you found your home!

[@brittanyallenpizano6149]

Thank you! As a millennial, I totally agree with your decor suggestions. As a frequent buyer, I cannot tell you how much money I have saved buying houses with ugly listing photos! I always look past the surface, but I've bought several "ugly" houses that just needed some paint and better decor to look beautiful and modern.

[@KatiSpaniak]

Thank you for sharing your experience! It's so inspiring to hear how you've turned those "ugly" houses into beautiful homes.

[@johnlabus7359]

The tiny rug under that coffee table in the last photo is laughable! Also, it's a large room and everything is pushed up against the walls. While the pieces seem quality, the way it's arranged looks terrible IMO.