Shut The Front Door

The €250K Mistake

Style is subjective, and that’s the beauty of owning your own home. You get to make it yours. Knock a wall, combine rooms, go all-in on dark marble and gold fixtures, it’s your space, your money, your call.

But here’s the reality: just because it suits you doesn’t mean it won’t be a hurdle for someone else down the line. And that’s where so many property owners get caught out.

We once assessed a property for a client, and the footprint was incredible: over 4,000 sq ft of potential. But the interiors had been so aggressively tailored to the previous owners’ taste, think gothic timber, heavy stone features, dramatic lighting, and a crazy colour scheme, that undoing the design work would have cost the buyer nearly €250,000. The client walked away. Not because of the house, but because of the effort, time, and money required to unpick someone else’s dream.

If you’re planning major changes to your home, just pause. Expanding a bedroom might shrink your market. A kitchen redesign might suit your lifestyle now, but will it still function if your needs change in five years?

No one’s saying don’t do it, just do it with open eyes.

From the buyer's side: don’t let surface style blind you to substance. Paint can be changed. Tiles can be replaced. Even a wall can be moved if the structure allows. What you’re really buying is bones, light, layout, and location , not wallpaper.

For What It’s Worth

• Own your space, but future-proof it. Every bold choice could become someone else’s problem or deal-breaker.
  

• Style isn’t structure. Buyers: don’t get put off by taste. Look deeper than the décor.
  

• Ask yourself: Will this change add value, reduce it, or just add cost for the next person?