KEEPING IT REAL ESTATE
Dr. Phil or Dr. No? How much personalization is too much? R
ecently, a property owned by TV’s Dr. Phil McGraw hit the market, and it caused quite a stir on social media. Standout features within the home include vines … on the staircase, in the chandelier, at the gate. Not real vines, of course, but dramatic nonetheless. EclecCHRISTINA RORDAM tic modern art can be found in FLORIDA REALTY every room, and the dining area INVESTMENTS showcases a wall of guns and Christina Rordam is a local black flooring. Did I mention the Realtor and a member of bar in the entryway, complete ORRAs Top Producer Club. with stools fashioned to look For more, visit christilike tree stumps? The home is nasellsorlando.com. said to be occupied by McGraw’s son Jordan and definitely has a distinctive aesthetic. Seeing the very polarized reactions online made me wonder, “How much personalization is too much?” The McGraw estate I mentioned is a multimillion-dollar home, listed at time of writing at $5.75 million by Billy Dolan of Hilton and Hyland. Customization is a key criteria for luxury real estate, and chances are good the next owner of the estate will renovate the home to their own specifications regardless of the current finishes. And although I’ve never personally had the urge to redecorate my home to resemble a mashup of “Lord of the Rings” and “Pulp Fiction,” I say, “More power to you, Jordan McGraw!” So, how many vine-themed — or anything-themed — items in a home is too many? Is too much never enough? Certainly one design type will not suit all potential buyers. And a whole house painted beige and lacking personality may not appeal to those without a vision, so in ideal scenarios, some interior
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flair is helpful. But where do sellers draw the line when preparing their homes to sell?
GOING VIRAL?
With the increase in digital marketing, some owners and Realtors have sought to take advantage of the viral potential of photos on the internet. In recent years, I’ve seen listing photos featuring mannequins in every room and hanging from the ceiling, a person dressed as Ghostface from the “Scream movies” and other bizarre themes. The idea behind this is that the photos are so unique that they will be shared thousands of times or more, thereby creating a viral spread of the listing on social media. Mannequins and a person in a costume are not permanent, but how about a brightly colored ’90s-style manse? Rather than update their home, some owners placed their peak ’90s decorated property online just as it was and it, too, went viral. Sales — in many regards — is a numbers game, so the more people who know about the listing, the better. Hyper-personalized homes and marketing will
At the end of the day, you have to live in the home, and only you and your family can determine if personalizing the home is worth it for you.
undoubtedly shock some potential owners a bit too much and deter them, but when everyone on Twitter is talking about your home, you probably don’t care.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Ultimately, it all comes down to supply and demand. Are homes in your location highly sought after, or do they languish on the market if not move-in ready? If necessary, would you have the resources to de-personalize your property to sell it? If you are hoping to use your home as an Airbnb, keeping that ’90s theme could increase bookings, and the sale of that home could be marketed to those hoping to rent it out in that way. Properties that are hyper-specific in their features may take longer to sell in some cases, so the speed that you need to move the home should be considered as well. Is that mural of dogs playing poker in your game room important enough that you are willing to have it painted over when you move? At the end of the day, you have to live in the home, and only you and your family can determine if personalizing the home is worth it for you. One thing I would caution against — unless you are in an area of very high demand or are willing to fix later — are structural customizations such as removing bedrooms, closets and other useful parts of the home. If most homes in your neighborhood feature three to four bedrooms and you combine rooms — making it a two-bedroom home — you could decrease its usefulness or value for the next owner.
