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There was a great, thought-provoking article in the New York Times online Opinion section that discusses home design from two schools of thought.  The first is that homeowners strive to design their homes for maximum resale potential.  The other is that homeowners set resale value by the wayside and design purely based on their own style.  In the wake of the housing crisis, the author argues that more people are planning on staying in their homes longer and that allows them to begin thinking of their homes as homes, rather than investments.  She asks:

“At what point did the house become more about the future tenant than the current resident? It’s hard to trace the moment, but let’s hope it’s passed. Because for too long, home design has been hijacked by the allure of resale value. Maybe now we can begin again to think of our houses not as investments but as homes.”

This is an interesting concept to ponder.  Home buyers generally try to find homes in strategic areas: neighborhoods with higher property values, good schools and a sense of community.  Once they find their home, when does the desire to please the next owner stop?  My husband and I have been in our home for approximately two years.  I consider ourselves very lucky to have found a house that was modest in size and updated to our satisfaction – meaning modern while still staying true to its 1940s style.

We were lucky to find a house that fit our style as it didn’t require us to make any major decorating investments or decisions.  We are remodeling our basement and we plan on decorating it as we like, without giving too much thought to the resale value.  That being said, I think we’re sensible people.  When we were house hunting we certainly toured some homes that made it nearly impossible to see the potential beyond the…interesting decorating choices.

How much does the resale value of your home inform or dictate your style/decorating choices?  If you are planning to refinance in order to make some home improvements – how many of those home improvements are things that you want to do and how many are things that you think you should do?  I think that people can find a balance between decisions that will please them as well as a future owner, but what do you think?  We’re interested in hearing your feedback in the comments!

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