Ugly House Photos

Too many dolls is just plain creepy.  And throw in pale green sponge paint and fake plants.  They overpower the room.  Buyers won’t even notice the fireplace.  All they will talk about is the creepy doll house.

See the Mrs. Beasley doll from the 1966-1971 TV show “Family Affair” (blue dress, left side of photo above)?  As an added bonus today, here are some “Family Affair”-inspired bedrooms designed in 1970 for House Beautiful Magazine.  First one was for Buffy or any girl.

Another bedroom for Buffy.

Here’s a bedroom for Jody, “where a boy can be a boy.”

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I don’t think this Mesa bathroom qualifies for what’s hot in 2008.  Mark Nash, a Chicago-area Realtor, wrote about a hot trend for 2008:  Destination bathrooms.

“I think the big shift is that people are really starting to nest in their bathrooms. It’s kind of like this personal refuge within the home,” Nash says.  These huge bathroom getaways tempt you to linger and are outfitted with everything from wine chillers and espresso machines to his-and-hers TVs, says Nash. “I asked one woman, ‘Do you have that much time?’ And she said, ‘I make the time.’”

Someone needs to take the time to remodel this non-destination bathroom.

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What do you say to guests when they walk into your living room and see this?  What will buyers say when they enter this house?

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Uh, yuk.  Yellow and blue paint everywhere.  A shame because this home shows light and bright and very clean (which buyers love).

Too bad the living room with nice wainscoting is ruined by sponge painting.

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Here’s a Phoenix house that missed a real opportunity.  It has a new/newer electric panel ($2000-2500) and a newer A/C ($2500), but buyers won’t even notice it because of the back yard.  Dirt landscaping with holes, a cluttered patio, and security bars do not thrill buyers.

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Showerheads that imitate rain showers are very popular.  Why spend $2000 on a fancy showerhead when you can have one for free in this Phoenix home?  And it’s real rain water, not tap water pretending to be rain.

Open shower stalls are also popular, as seen in the bathroom of the same house.

Here’s the back of this house with its homemade room addition.  It’s doubtful the add-on has a building permit.  Look how the roof line slopes back toward the house!  The rusty evap cooler is impressive.

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Toning down the color and patterns here might help attract more buyers.

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To the buyer who wants to be unique:  here’s your dream house.  Don’t even worry about all the time & energy needed to change out the tile later.

The tile pattern continues into the kitchen.  Love the pink walls and pink tile.

From the web article on What’s Hot & Not in 2008, Mark Nash, a Chicago Realtor, writes about mosaic tile:  It’s “on the way out,” says Nash — but not because homeowners don’t love it. “People love to install them,” Nash says of the decorative tiles. The problem is resale. The tile is such a personalized design statement that it scares off would-be home buyers who may not have the same taste. “The cost and waste to remove intricate mosaic is overwhelming to buyers, especially if it has been recently installed,” he says. “Even the most expensive but not agreeable tile could kill an otherwise acceptable property.”

Whether it’s expensive tile or cheap 99cent tile, unique tile patterns can be a turn-off to buyers.

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Big lot with “lots” of potential, especially removing weeds and adding landscaping.  Nice drive-through carport.

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Family photos dominate this family room.  I count at least 55 photos.  This makes the room too personal.  Buyers will feel like they are intruding, and they will not be able to see themselves living here.  Buyers will not be impressed by the ceiling fan power cord or the security bars.  The paper plate on the floor is a nice touch.

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