Desktop - NO SLIDERS

small-space entryway

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Don't think you have room for an entryway? Yes you do. Your vertical space has room for all the essentials.

murphy desk

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Go-away furniture isn't just for the bedroom! Rig a Murphy desk that hides the office when the whistle blows.

plumber's pipe garment rack

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Think outside the closet! If your clothes can't live in a proper closet, put them on display in a stylish DIY wardrobe.

kitchen pegboard storage wall

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From big saucepans to the kitchen's myriad little doodads, everything gets its proper storage…even if cabinet space is at a premium.

PLAY AGAIN

high maintence features like a pool

10%

90%

I can deal

deal breaker

PLAY AGAIN

high maintence features like a pool

No deal!

10%

90%

I can deal

deal breaker

PLAY AGAIN

readers agree!

high maintence features like a pool

10%

90%

I can deal

deal breaker

I can deal

high maintence features like a pool

SEE RESULTS

SKIP QUESTION

CHOOSE ONE

outdated decor

91%

I can deal

deal breaker

NEXT QUESTION

outdated decor

91%

I can deal

deal breaker

NEXT QUESTION

No deal!

outdated decor

91%

I can deal

deal breaker

NEXT QUESTION

readers agree!

deal breaker

I can deal

outdated decor

SEE RESULTS

SKIP QUESTION

CHOOSE ONE

noisy, nearby transportation

40%

60%

I can deal

deal breaker

NEXT QUESTION

noisy, nearby transportation

40%

60%

I can deal

deal breaker

NEXT QUESTION

No deal!

noisy, nearby transportation

40%

60%

I can deal

deal breaker

NEXT QUESTION

readers agree!

deal breaker

I can deal

noisy, nearby transportation

SEE RESULTS

SKIP QUESTION

CHOOSE ONE

someone died in the home

15%

85%

I can deal

deal breaker

NEXT QUESTION

someone died in the home

15%

85%

I can deal

deal breaker

NEXT QUESTION

No deal!

someone died in the home

15%

85%

I can deal

deal breaker

NEXT QUESTION

readers agree!

deal breaker

I can deal

someone died in the home

SEE RESULTS

SKIP QUESTION

CHOOSE ONE

10%

90%

I can deal

deal breaker

popcorn ceilings

NEXT QUESTION

No deal!

10%

90%

popcorn ceilings

I can deal

deal breaker

NEXT QUESTION

readers agree!

10%

90%

popcorn ceilings

I can deal

deal breaker

NEXT QUESTION

deal breaker

I can deal

popcorn ceilings

SEE RESULTS

SKIP QUESTION

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older constuction

18%

82%

I can deal

deal breaker

NEXT QUESTION

older construction

No deal!

18%

82%

I can deal

deal breaker

NEXT QUESTION

older construction

18%

82%

I can deal

deal breaker

NEXT QUESTION

readers agree!

deal breaker

I can deal

older construction

SEE RESULTS

SKIP QUESTION

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formulaic new constuction

10%

90%

I can deal

deal breaker

NEXT QUESTION

formulaic new construction

10%

90%

I can deal

deal breaker

NEXT QUESTION

No deal!

formulaic new construction

10%

90%

I can deal

deal breaker

NEXT QUESTION

readers agree!

deal breaker

I can deal

formulaic new construction

SEE RESULTS

SKIP QUESTION

CHOOSE ONE

deal breaker

is it a

One person’s deal breaker is another’s dream home. So we asked Apartment Therapy readers who have bought or are buying homes what scenarios they’re willing to live with…and which ones they’re not. See what they said, and see how you compare.

EXTERIOR SOLUTIONS

bryan & catherine’s backyard

First-time homeowners Bryan and Catherine saw potential in what started out as a scrubby, stark backyard. They installed a simple cement paver patio, built a deck with custom benches using pallets and decking wood, planted grass and flowers, and stained the existing wood fence. They created a comfortable and stylish yard, with a garden, a space for lounging and a dining area.

EXTERIOR SOLUTIONS

john’s curb appeal

John bought his house in 2004, when it was pretty rundown. He made many changes both inside and out over the next two years, but the real transformation came about 10 years later when all the landscaping work he’d done was finally mature. Bettering his house was an exercise in patience — 13 years of it — but it’s evolved to match (and even exceed!) his original vision for it. And now that it’s back on the market, that work and patience will pay off big.

STORAGE SOLUTIONS

thalita’s laundry room

The original layout of Thalita’s laundry room made the room both dysfunctional and ugly. Which didn’t exactly inspire her to do the chore she hated most. She and her husband hired a contractor for the heavy-lifting jobs (moving walls, tiling, electrics, and plumbing). Then they did the wallpaper and painting on their own, and even DIY’d a custom countertop and cabinet doors using a mix of pre-fab and custom-ordered materials. Thalita’s tip: Plan for washers and dryers to need at least 6 inches from the wall.

KITCHEN & BATHROOM SOLUTIONS

bryan & catherine’s bathroom

Bryan and Catherine used a variety of reno tricks to make their bathroom into the luxurious room it has become. Some were substantial undertakings, like updating the dated tile with white subway tile stretching all the way up to the ceiling in the shower; others were small switches that made big impacts, like switching the way the door opens and moving the shower curtain rod higher to make the room feel bigger. It was a full gut reno that makes for a striking after shot.

KITCHEN & BATHROOM SOLUTIONS

erika’s retro kitchen

Erika loved the 1950s house they just bought, knowing it would take a full gut reno to become the home she wanted it to be. The kitchen was the biggest hotspot in need of a fix, with termite-damaged cabinets and gross stained countertops. Working nights and weekends, she and her partner (and some kind family members) did most of the work themselves. There were missteps and “learnings,” like a mismeasured countertop that set back the schedule, but in the end she has the happy gathering spot she wanted for her family.

KITCHEN & BATHROOM SOLUTIONS

claire's white kitchen

The previous of owners of Claire’s home told her they couldn’t see the potential in the dark, dingy kitchen...but Claire could! They worked with an architect to knock down walls and make the space bright and open. They also hired a local cabinet maker to help create bespoke cupboards, which actually proved to be less expensive than the big kitchen brands. The addition of an island, wine fridge, and window seat transformed their kitchen into the social hub they wanted it to be.

before & after solutions

BEFORE/AFTER SOLUTIONS

DAYSAVER DIYS

DEAL BREAKERS DEFINED