These Wood Tone Flooring Options Can Hurt Your Home's Resale Value

Everyone has different preferences, but some choices could prevent your home from either selling quickly or selling for the price you want. One thing that could negatively impact your home's resale value is wood flooring in an undesirable tone. Choosing flooring in the wrong wood tone could prove disastrous when it's time to put your home on the market. For example, you should avoid gray wood tones (sometimes referred to as gray wash) and excessively warm-toned wood flooring.

While buyers can always redecorate, many like to imagine themselves living in a place upon the first viewing. By finding out which wood tones are definitely not in and which ones probably won't go out of style, you'll be able to get ahead of the situation so buyers can more easily envision themselves in the home. If you want to make sure you're helping your home's resale value rather than accidentally hindering it, we have all you need to know about which wood tones to steer clear of and which ones to opt for instead.

If you're thinking of renovating your home to add value, you should avoid gray wood tones. This is not to say that gray is ugly; It's just tricky to style. Unfortunately, It only looks good with gray and neutral furniture and, more often than not, has a cool tone, which makes finding a complementary wall color difficult. Gray wood flooring can also lack personality and look a little bland compared to richer, warmer-toned woods. Because of this, if you have gray-wash flooring all over your home, you might want to consider swapping out for carpet or a different wood tone in some rooms.

On the other hand, excessively warm-toned woods with bold yellowish or orangish hues are also a no-go, mainly because these types of wood were everywhere during the 1980s. For some, this could be a major plus. However, others won't like the retro look and could think it dates your home. Plus, the shiny finish that often accompanies warm-toned wood floors could make your home look cheap and put off potential buyers.

If you can swap your existing wood floor for something different, try one of the following options. Light and mid-tone brown shades evoke a natural look, as does texture. And when it comes to texture, the more, the better. Hardwood floors and reclaimed wood naturally have texture, but if you're opting for vinyl or laminate flooring, go with a style with added texture. Natural wood is having a major moment right now, as is the reclaimed wood floor trend. both of which are timeless enough that you don't need to worry about potential buyers not liking the floors a few years down the line. 

Patterned wood floors, specifically herringbone, are another safe option. Patterned wood flooring is experiencing a comeback, but herringbone in particular has a classic, timeless air. You can recreate a herringbone look with both hardwood and imitation wood flooring. Generally, unless you're specifically renovating to improve your home's resale value, you can afford to disregard trends in some areas. However, swapping out an outdated wood tone for a timeless one could be the push your home needs to sell.