As a pushback to the pressures of social media perfection, there's a new trend on TikTok called the "normal house" trend, where people are showing off their average, non-aesthetic homes online.
The TikTok trend normalizes regular homes that would never be featured in glossy magazines. These lived-in houses have clutter on the counters, stacks of mail on the table, and dirty dishes in the sink.
For years, the prevailing wisdom has been to make sure a home is "staged" to perfection to sell. Does the adage remain true, given how viral this trend is getting?
The 'normal house' trend, explained
Examples of people sharing their normal house on TikTok are growing.
Sarah Bonds posted a video with this title: "What my non-aesthetic, normal home looks like at 5pm on a Monday."
It showed a relatable home in less than pristine condition, with toys on the floor, clutter on the coffee table, and Amazon boxes to put away.
Sarah Bonds gave a "normal house" tour on TikTok, featuring laundry on the bed.(sarahbondsofficial/TikTok)
"You're so real for this. Thank you," one person commented. "You have no idea how many times I sit back and think, 'What's wrong with me? Why can't my house look spotless like the rest of TikTok?'"
TikToker MazingMimi posted her normal-house video with the following caption: "Let's remember that social media is a highlight reel. So here’s a glimpse into the real parts of my home."
Her video showed dog hair on the floor, scuff marks on the walls, and handprints on the windows.
MazingMimi gave a normal-house tour on TikTok, where she showed off her non-aesthetic book collection.(MazingMimi/TikTok)
One of her commenters said, "Yesss let's normalize REAL LIFE as a mama." Another added, "Thank you for being realistic."
Selling a normal house would be difficult
Even though such normal houses are gaining popularity online, that doesn't mean they'd get the same reception in the real estate market.
"As a real estate investor and agent, I have seen firsthand how presentation impacts a sale, and quite honestly, everything should be perfect," says Brett Johnson of New Era Home Buyers in Englewood, CO. "A house that looks social media-perfect—including no clutter and professional staging—will always sell more quickly."
Even though people know real life isn't picture-perfect, buyers are still drawn to homes that are.
"Although I tend to tell people that they do still live in their house while trying to sell it, that is not an excuse to leave it untidy for showings, photo sessions, or open houses," says Robert Dodson, sales manager and broker at Charles Burt Realtors in Joplin, MO. "People still want that 'wow' factor."
The more polished a home looks, the more money you'll likely get for it.
"It has been proven time and again that a property that is well-prepared and beautifully staged commands top dollar," says Cara Ameer, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker who operates in California and Florida, "especially when compared to similar homes in the same price range that haven’t been staged or properly prepared."
Shirin Sarikhani, CEO and founder of Seattle Staged to Sell and Design, has been staging houses for two decades. After she recently staged an elderly couple's home, it got 18 offers.
"As stagers, we highlight the features of the home while minimizing the issues," Sarikhani says. "This is why staged homes sell faster than homes that come on the market as is."
The more polished a home looks, the more money you'll likely get for it.
"It has been proven time and again that a property that is well-prepared and beautifully staged commands top dollar," says Cara Ameer, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker who operates in California and Florida, "especially when compared to similar homes in the same price range that haven’t been staged or properly prepared."
Shirin Sarikhani, CEO and founder of Seattle Staged to Sell and Design, has been staging houses for two decades. After she recently staged an elderly couple's home, it got 18 offers.
"As stagers, we highlight the features of the home while minimizing the issues," Sarikhani says. "This is why staged homes sell faster than homes that come on the market as is."
But aren't people so over homes looking social media-perfect? Maybe in real life, but not in real estate.
"Showing a home how people live every day would require a huge societal shift away from polished perfection in photos, to what’s real and raw, but I’m not sure consumers are ready for that yet," says Ameer.
Buying a normal house
While normal houses garner praise on social media, prospective homebuyers typically don't gush over these types of houses in the real world.
Walking into a messy or unorganized home for sale "would give me clues as to how well the house has been cared for," says Michael Clark, a homebuyer in the market for a new house in Santa Clarita, CA. "I would be questioning if maintenance has been kept up and would probably look a little deeper into some of the bigger-ticket items—like the roof, plumbing fixtures, and HVAC—to see if things look like they've been maintained or deferred."
A house that's messy or cluttered can introduce doubt into buyers' minds, which isn't a good thing.
"Buyers could be sloppy and messy themselves, yet they expect to see a home well-presented in person," says Ameer. "This is the single largest transaction people make in their lifetime, and most buyers expect a home to appear well-maintained unless it is a bargain-basement price."
If there is a lot of clutter, a buyer might not see past it to appreciate the home’s layout, room sizes, or views.
"The problem with the normal house trend is that individuals have wildly different opinions of what is normal and what is cluttered," says Ryan Dossey, co-founder of the real estate brokerage SoldFast in Los Angeles. "If you check the comments on any 'normal house' content, you'll find the sentiment split 50/50 between 'Oh, thank God, I'm not alone' and 'I can't believe you live like that.' The last thing we want when selling a house is for it to be a turn-off to 50% of the buyer pool."
That's why, at this point, normal houses aren’t the new normal in the housing market—at least not yet.
Article by Julie Taylor for Realtor.com
