Page 11 - Baltimore Fish Bowl - Home Guide

c c o o l l o o r r. . I I f f y y o o u u ’ ’r r e e j j u u s s t t m m o o v v i i n n g g i i n n , , H H o o u u z z z z recommends (somewhat counter- intuitively) that you choose the paint color last, when you can best judge the light and the combination
of artworks, rugs, and furniture in the room. If you are considering selling, the more neutral the color, the better.
bAnd What Doesn’t Pay
arn doors are for barns. One of the trend-
iest items over the past few years has been installing a sliding barn-style door. Although they are not expensive to install, barn doors are a very specific trend and will immediately date your house to 2015. Fine for a stable conversion, but not really appropriate for a city or suburban home.
You may dream of a man cave, but who really wants to be stuck in a dark, low-ceilinged basement watching sports all day? Below-grade improve- ments are expensive, because of access and egress. That built-in media center will soon be the wrong size for the next technological upgrade, and the bulky furniture is hard to move around. And se- riously, would you ever say “man cave” out loud?
Wall-to-wall carpeting was once a “must have,”
b b u u t t p p e e o o p p l l e e n n o o w w l l o o o o k k a a t t i i t t w w i i t t h h suspicion, wondering what it’s covering, or worse, what it’s harboring. Hardwoods, and even engineered floors like Pergo, are more expensive to install than carpet, but they are easier to clean and add a more contemporary
look. uIn The End
ltimately, it’s all about you and how you want
to live. No one wants to decorate with an eye on a future buyer — where’s the fun in that? We all want our houses to reflect our personalities, but today there are many ways to accomplish this us- ing non-permanent fixes and features. Homebuy- ers who are aware of changing markets will have no problem adding character and value at the same time.
Home & Real Estate Guide 9