Thanks for bringing this up, @Jocelyn Gardiner! I have often wondered this also, and @Bill B. and @Taylor L. bring up some good points but also some misconceptions.
I think it's not talked about much because of the misconceptions...one of which is that everything has to be plain Jane neutral to sell because homeowners are just going to change it anyway...that belief will get many investors into some real hot water. In fact, I know of a big player here in Houston who lost NOT 10s of thousands of $$ but up to the tune of $200k on a couple of properties that he REFUSED to make sure the design (colors, kitchen layout, special fixtures, and finishes) set that property apart from the rest. He and I went round and round and I told him that he could spend a few thousand $$ to fix, instead, he chose to lose even more money on holding costs and lowering the price because everyone that walked into those homes walked right on out because they were just plain ugly. I tell my clients "DON'T LET THIS BE YOU!"
Buyers are WAY too design-savvy today! They don't want to walk a house and say "oh that light fixture is cheap and ugly, we'll have to replace that. Oh and this flooring is terrible that's gotta go. And why didn't they install the cabinet hardware, we'll have to find someone to do it for us after we move in." Who wants that!?!? They want to walk into a house and there be some WOW! factor that speaks to them on an emotional level and make that house their "dream home". You'd be surprised at the herd mentality of home buyers that latch onto certain design trends on the market today. It's pretty easy to give your flip character without turning off buyers.
I agree that as a designer, I can't go too crazy with finishes and fixtures that stand out too much but I certainly can, and do give the home some character, and that touch of WOW! factor that really draws them in. I also have a strong understanding of real estate and investing. Which if you do ever hire a designer, they MUST know and understand the goals and budgets of real estate investors so they don't design beyond what the market can bear.
Lastly, hiring a design not only helps increase the value of your property but they also save investors a TON of time. If you just want to be a boring "builder basic" flipper, use the same fixtures and finishes for years and years but if you want to set your flips apart and help them sell faster, you have to mix things up a bit and picking those finishes is TIME-CONSUMING! We help take some of that responsibility off your shoulders and leverage your time to go out and find more deals!
Hope that helped answer your question, Jocelyn!!
