HOME DESIGN TURNOFFS

Before putting your home up for sale, it pays to take a good look around. Is your home décor out of date? Will it appeal to prospective buyers, or send them running out the door?

Barbara Ballinger, architecture coach and columnist for the Style, Staged and Sold blog, says that while vintage features may appeal to some buyers, they could cost you a sale. Here are a few designs that could turn off potential buyers.

· Excessively bold or dark paint or tile colors, such as deep plum or jet black

· Walls painted with lacquered or high-gloss finish, faux- and sponge-painted walls, and wallpaper

· Worn, cracked laminate countertops and backsplashes

· Outdated bathrooms with small sinks, short toilets, squat bathtubs and tight shower spaces

· Stained and worn wall-to-wall carpet or worn linoleum

· Bedrooms decorated with a theme that is incorporated through the carpeting, walls, ceilings, light fixtures and furnishings

· Too many mirrored walls, ceilings and doors in a single room

· Ceilings with too many recessed lighting spots