The Top Home Improvement Trends 2020

In the current situation, we are going to be spending more time in our homes. Whilst we are uncertain of what lies ahead, it’s important to stay positive and find joy in smaller aspects of our life. We need to keep active, find structure and give ourselves plenty to occupy our minds.

So I propose sharing lots of ideas and tips for updating your home in an easy practical way. 

Image: Lime Lace

I want to help you prepare for life beyond the virus, but also give you some ideas to focus on now, and help you stay active inside your homes, making it a more pleasant environment for the whole family. 

With that in mind, today’s post is all about the trends we’ve adopted over the last few years and how they affect the value of our homes.

I think you’re going to be pretty surprised, I know I was. 

Conversely, we’ll look at the home improvement trends that work best for your home, particularly if you plan to sell it in the future.

These trends may seem less personal of course, but some take planning and more execution than others so it’s worth bearing them in mind for when the sale time arrives. 

I’ve also put together a few hints and tips for ways to improve your home to make it more saleable according to the research, and if you have embraced some of the recent trends which turn buyers off, how you can update them without spending a fortune. 

This research came from Rated People.

To produce the Rated People Home Improvement Trends Report: 2020, the team at Rated People carried out the following research:

1. Analysis of 821,850 jobs posted on Rated People throughout 2017, 2018 and 2019 (organic jobs only) – constituting a 26% sample of the total 3 million jobs posted on the platform during the three-year period
2. A 51-question survey to 1,038 UK homeowners in December 2019, with survey partner, Censuswide
3. Q&A’s with 619 Rated People tradespeople in December 2019

And these are the results:

15 of the Top Trends which Could Devalue your Home

1. Rooms painted dark blue – 52%
2. Rooms painted dark grey – 49%
3. No bath (only a shower) – 43%
4. Dark blue kitchen cupboard doors – 41%
5. Black taps/ shower fittings – 35%
6. Painted floorboards – 35%
7. Dark grey window frames – 32%
8. Dark grey kitchen cupboard doors – 31%
9. Original sash windows – 31%
10. Wooden double glazing – 31%
11. Patterned floor tiles – 29%
12. Tiled floor in living spaces – 29%
13. Copper taps on kitchen sink – 28%
14. White metro tiles in bathroom with dark grouting – 28%
15. Open plan layout – 27%

So according to the that list, I would struggle to sell my home! I have at least 8 of those trends in mine and, apparently they would put people off making an offer on my home. Of course that’s ok for now as I don’t plan to sell. 

Image: Walls and Floors

There are ways to easily update these trends which don’t always take drastic DIY and won’t cost a fortune either.

These are some of my ideas for a few of these home decor looks:

Rooms painted dark blue

If you’re worried about dark blue walls putting off potential buyers, but don’t want to lose the bold colour completely, you can lighten the space by repainting just one of the walls in a lighter colour, preferably the one you see first as you enter the room. If you won’t want to live with white, use a pale grey, but neutralise the space and your home should appeal to a wider audience.

Painted floorboards 

If you have painted floorboards and can’t afford to replace them with a new floor, then rugs are going to be your best friend. Choose a good quality neutral rug, but look in charity shops or through second-hand marketplaces for some great priced pieces.

Copper taps on kitchen sink

Image: Wren Kitchens

Copper accessories are very popular in home interiors at the moment, even though they might not be to everyone’s tastes. To make this look more appealing, coordinate with other copper pieces like a vase, utensil holder or even a copper kettle and toaster. Rather than change these items, style your home to make them more integrated in the overall space and give the buyer the vision of how great they can look.

If you want to see the full list of my ideas head on over to the Rated People website where they’ve created an informative piece showcasing all of my tips. 

Now let’s take a look at the kind of decor trends which these fussy buyers actually like. How many of these do you have in your home?

If you have these features in your home, you’re more likely to attract buyers and gain an easier sale. 

15 of the Top Trends which Attract Buyers 

1. Downstairs toilet – 58%
2. Built-in storage (wardrobes/cupboards) – 54%
3. UPVC double glazing – 54%
4. Separate shower cubicle – 52%
5. Lawned garden – 51%
6. Separate living spaces (opposite of open-plan) – 49%
7. Security system – 47%
8. Paved patio – 45%
9. Outdoor lights – 41%
10. Underfloor heating – 41%
11. Marble worksurface in kitchen – 38%
12. Kitchen island – 37%
13. Bi-fold doors to the garden – 35%
14. Composite Decking – 33%
15. White window frames – 30%

Ok, so in my own home I have just 7 of these. I feel like I’ll never sell my house!

Right so again, I’ve pulled together lots of tips on how you can change, adapt and update the home to replicate or give the illusion of these features.

Image: Lights4Fun

Of course I’m not going to suggest you go and install a downstairs loo overnight or rip up your garden and lay a lawn, but there are ways to you can modify what you already have, on a budget, to appeal to these buyers. 

UPVC double glazing 

Whilst it’s not always cheap to replace windows and install UPVC double glazing, brand new windows can really help to attract more buyers. One cost-effective way to achieve this is to upgrade the windows at the front of your home only. Another solution if you want to ensure your heating bills are reduced, is to install window film to single glazed windows at around £40 per kit to create a quick fix double-glazed effect.

Outdoor lights

There is a huge range of great value, and stylish, solar powered outdoor lights which can be fitted anywhere in the garden. Adding sensor-controlled wall lights is a great security feature, and decorative garden lights come in all shapes and sizes and really bring the outdoor space to life. There’s not always a need for more costly hard-wired lighting when solar lighting offers so much versatility and choice.

Bi-fold doors to the garden

Image: Brayer Design

Installing a set of bifold doors in our homes isn’t always practical or cheap, but by making the most of the windows and doors you already have, you can achieve a similar look. Ensure they’re clean and bright, use blinds not curtains for clean lines, and if possible, consider replacing a window with French windows – although these aren’t quite the same as full bifolds, buyers will love the feeling of bringing the outdoors in.

Again, you can see my full list of recommendation for updating and modifying these trend aspects of your home on the Rated People website. 

What do you think of the reaction to these trends? Are you surprised?

I am somewhat sad actually that many buyers are turned off my creative decor and I really thought we’d moved away from such conservative decoration. Perhaps I live in a bubble; maybe as I’m surrounded by colourful and experimental interiors all day long in my job here on the blog, I lose sight of what is really happening in people’s homes.

I’d love to know if you think I have. Do you believe this is what a buyer really wants?

Jen x

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