May 2006

DECORATE TO A THEME THAT WORKS

When accessorizing a room to a theme – such as sports, a hobby or a fairy tale – make choices carefully and consider whether they will add to your home's resale value.

Before you get that Elvis mural painted on the wall of your music room or redecorate Dad's office in a golf motif, complete with green wall-to-wall, pause for a moment of decorative reflection and ask the experts. While themed rooms can personalize a home, making smart design choices can help maintain your home's resale value.

When Bucks Country interior designer Nancy Regan was hired to decorate a friend's home in Manahawkin, N.J., she enlisted life preservers, lighthouses and a blue, white and yellow color scheme without hesitation. Choosing accessories that gave the home a "Nantucket feel" was a decorating decision that embraced the assets of the home in a style that Regan dubs "timeless."

"The nautical theme will always be appropriate and current in a beach house," she said.

But for us landlubbers in Bucks Country, Regan urges a bit more caution. Themed rooms can be costly to assemble and homeowners' tastes may change over time. Accessories, she says, are the key.

"You need to make sure that the basics of the room, such as color palette, floor covering and furniture, can stand the test of time. Accessories can always change. Accessories are the things that give the room personality. They can be swapped out at any time," said Regan.

Considering these factors ahead of time can improve the appeal of your home when it's time to sell, according to Realtor Mary Mazza, of the Linn and Mazza team at Long & Foster Realtors in Yardley. She has found that homes with an abundance of owner-specific décor can be more difficult to sell. For Maximum sales appeal Mazza encourages homeowners to limit this type of decorating.

"If you have very specific tastes, pick one room to customize and decorate the rest of the house in a style that would appeal to the masses," said Mazza.

An exception to this is children's rooms. "We've seen everything from boating to princess and Thomas the train rooms. Some are done with very expensive hand-painted murals and are just exquisite," she describes.

Mazza says the quality of décor in these sometimes enhances the sale, especially if the buyer and seller have children of a similar age. She also points out that buyers may repaint or renovate a house after purchase regardless of the décor.

"It's more important to most parents for their children to be comfortable and enjoy their room while they live in their home, than to worry about the resale value," said Mazza.

Mark Caola of Team Caoloa at Keller Williams in Newtown has also found that certain types of themed rooms often add value to a home.

"People tend to like rooms that have entertainment value. Turning unused spaces like a sitting room or an empty space over a garage into a game room or media room adds to a home's value," said Caola, explaining that these rooms are appealing to many of his buyers.

Thinking through any significant room décor decision is always a good idea. "People need to be very careful about what they do to a room. They need to enjoy it while they live there, but they need to realize that any changes may affect their home's value," said Caola.