Looking for a new home isn’t always easy, especially when you walk into someone’s for-sale home and 20 years of their lives are on display. You have to really use your imagination to figure out how you can that particular home ‘yours.’ Many people choose to remodel and stage their homes when selling, but then there are the vast majority of people who choose to sell their home “as-is.”

While a turnkey home is ideal for people who simply want to move right in and make no changes, there are those “time warp” homes that are actually incredible gems that just need a little updating.

As you step into each home in your search, there are 9 things about a for-sale home that you should “ignore” as you search for your dream home:

An “Older” Home

Old doesn’t always mean bad. Some homes built decades ago have stood the test of time because they have great bones and have a classic style. Don’t always assume that newer is nicer, either. Some newer homes are more affordable because they were built cheaply. Remember that there are many simple fixes for dated homes, and the plus side of an older home is charm and character you can’t find in many brand new homes.

Paint Colors

Ignore the existing paint colors and focus on the structure of the room, the placement of the windows, etc. Paint is a very cheap and easy fix in a home and something you can change in just a couple hours.

Ugly Wallpaper

While it may look like you are on a farm, remember that wallpaper is easily replaced or covered over. So no matter how designed challenged the walls seem to look, it’s easy to change.

Kitchen Appliances And Accessories

The kitchen is the heart of the home and often, the appliances aren’t going to be what you want. As long as you have room in your budget, or a timeline to replace the existing appliances, a seller’s older outdated fridge shouldn’t be a deal breaker.

Ugly Carpet

Flooring options are getting more and more diverse and there are now so many cheaper options that look exactly like their higher-priced counterparts. Don’t walk away from a great house just because you don’t like what you’d be walking on.

Funky Smells

Except for a serious mold problem, there’s nothing a deep cleaning can’t solve. Plug your nose and focus on the home’s internal bones and the potential it has when you give it your own touch.

Curb Appeal

If you’re not wowed when you first drive up, that’s ok. Just envision a different colored front door and some new landscaping, and presto – it might just be your dream home!

Popcorn Ceilings

It’s great at the movies, but not in a home.  Don’t worry! A ceiling specialist can come in and have it all that scrapped off.  It’s easier to have done before moving in, however.

No Privacy

If the house feels too exposed and lacks privacy from the house next door – you can fix that.  Remember “hedges make great neighbors.”

For more information on this topic: