Design, style and ‘clutter’: Do they affect appraised value?
The answer is...it depends. As an appraiser, I'm often asked some version of this question: "My house is a mess and I just found out they want to send the appraiser tomorrow. Do you think it'll make a huge difference to the appraised value?" And more recently, in the era of minimalism, I also get asked whether a more 'maximalist' approach to interior design will negatively impact value. The standard, professional answer is, of course: "No, it won't affect value.…...