Are Fake Plants A Red Flag?

According to Zillow, the average time a home is on the market in the U.S. is about 25 days.  This number varies based on your location and property conditions.  However, the general rule is that urban and suburban homes sell faster than rural homes.  However, you probably don't want to waste your time sitting on an unoccupied home and should instead make every effort to sell it.

When you're preparing for an open house, the way each room is laid out is important.  On the one hand, you want to show home buyers the potential of the space and how well you've taken care of it.  Additionally, if your room is too unique, it may turn off interest for some home buyers.  Everyone will be looking for red flags when they walk by your home; buyers will detect the overuse of fake plants and may draw conclusions based on their presence. They may be easy to use when staging your space, but they may end up being one of the reasons your home lingers on the list.

Fake plants reflect lack of maintenance

Fake houseplants can leave a negative impression on potential home buyers.  According to the Engeldo Group, their presence may be a sign that you're not taking good care of your house, since you can't even keep natural plants alive.  Additionally, home buyers must be concerned with more than just the aesthetics of the home; once they legally own their home, if something goes wrong, they'll need to fix it on top of a new mortgage.  Seeing a home filled with fake plants can be a red flag that the homeowner is trying to hide problems with the home.
Decorating with plastic plants also indicates that your home cannot sustain live plants.  People love natural light in their homes as much as they love plants, and hate living with only cold artificial lighting.  According to No Vacancy Home Staging, real plants add warmth to a space, making it more appealing to potential buyers.

In addition to hinting at something wrong with the house, fake plants can make things look dirty.  Plastics collect dust and look impractical, so adding them to your decor may harm the appearance of your home.

What plants should you use

Using real plants to decorate your home is often the best option.  Be sure to include healthy plants that will thrive in your space, as a dark room filled with plants can feel unnatural.

Ferns are a great choice because they add a lot of texture to the decor.  You can place them in flower pots or hanging baskets.  They also recommend using succulents and cacti to add different colors and unique shapes to your home.  There are even plants that can make a room appear larger; ground plants, such as palm trees, are good at drawing the eye upward, creating the illusion of more space.
However, if you need to purchase plants for an open house, it's best to stick with small plants.  Why?  The bigger they are, the more expensive they are.  So before purchasing any plants, you might want to see if your family or friends would be willing to borrow their plant collection for an open house.