[Alex]

Solid advice since people are idiots and things that should have zero effect on a home's value do. However, if when shopping for a home anything in this section affects your decision making process I hereby label you an idiot.

Isn't that special?
The last thing to consider inside your house is furniture and finishing touches. While classic wood furniture will look good in any decade, there are some signs of the times that need to be banished forever.

• If you have upholstered chairs and couches in a dated, splashy print you might consider recovering them in something a little less distracting such as stain-resistant microfiber, Patterson says. Some bold patterns are making a comeback, however. So thumb through current magazines and catalogs to help you decide whether you're truly passé or incredibly ahead of the design curve.
  
• Glass coffee tables with a very ornate iron base can be updated with a simple wood or stone pedestal.

Art is subjective, but here are some things to think about:

• Is it time to ditch the statue with the dancing figures?
  
• Do you really need that statue of fertility deity Kokopelli from your Southwest period?
  
• When was the last time you saw a Nagel-type print outside of a hair or nail salon?

Also, consider the scale of your accessories on fireplace mantels and shelves, Patterson says. Candles and vases sold at home stores today are wider and taller and look better in groupings rather than alone, Patterson says.


And a word about windows: In the 1980s, window treatments were full of flowers and frills, and drapes sported ornate valances. "We are moving away from all those ruffles," Mayhugh says.


Ditch any vertical blinds you have because they look cheap and invariably become mangled and dirty. Replace them with plantation-style shutters, flat-paneled drapes or curtains with a subtle inverted pleat.