FOR homeowners, one of the most important things to consider when carrying out any work on your place is how it could potentially affect its value.
Home improvements can cost thousands of pounds and involve loads of hard work, so you want to make sure that all that effort is having the desired effect.
And while many of us turn to social media apps like TikTok for inspiration, not all of the suggestions will boost the value of your home.
So James Newman, interior designer from luxury home company Raffle House, has weighed in on the four trends which are best avoided if you don’t want to waste your money – and in fact, could make your place trickier to sell.
His first warning is against dodgy DIY projects, including homemade plant walls and wooden seat covers.
James explains: “DIY projects often cost more than most budget for and without the right skillset will often cheapen the look of your home.”
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“When it comes to the time to sell your home you could put potential buyers off with your DIY, as they may start to wonder what else you built in the home.”
The design whizz suggests that if you really want an addition to your home, “you’re always going to get a better result when hiring a professional as they know the right materials to use and how to do the job at hand to get the finish you want”.
James’s second no-no is quirky wallpaper, which he claims “won’t add any value” to your place however swanky you might believe it looks.
The interiors guru explains: "Wallpaper is a personal choice and while quirky wallpaper can look good on a feature wall, most of the time it's going to put off potential buyers and it is something you should remove when selling your home."
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"Quirky wallpaper can be expensive depending on the sizes of your walls and it's a cost you won't recuperate when you sell."
His third feature to avoid is a “media wall”, despite the trend having more than 240m views on TikTok.
It usually consists of a large flat-screen TV, LED lighting and a built-in fireplace; but while they’re popular right now, they could end up dating your place.
As James puts it: "When you buy a home you often don't want to purchase other people's technology such as TVs as they go out of date quickly.”
“The biggest problem I have with media walls is that they often are built for large TVs. If you move home and take your TV with you, the new buyer then has to buy a 65+ inch screen to fill the gap.
“Not to mention they will need to rewire the wall.”
And the final tip from James is to dodge any wooden panelling in your home, which he describes as a very “hit and miss” trend.
"When done correctly, panelling can add style to a home, however on TikTok the users are often using slat panels which are thin and look cheap.
“Once again, panelling is going to be a personal preference and if someone doesn't like it, they will have to pull the panelling down and replaster the walls, which is an added expense someone won't want when moving into a new home."
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“Even if you do like the slat panels, they can be expensive to purchase and won't add any value to your property,” James concludes.
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