Why are so many houses so similar?

[PoorOldCat]

I get updates from rightmove every day and I think about 90% of the houses have really similar interiors.

Everyone seems to have laminate floor, brown leather sofas, the ubiquitous 'feature wall' in some awful oversized floral pattern, steel and black framed things and huge tellys. And the kitchens and bathrooms all seem to be the P shaped shower bath and the varying shades of beige tiles.

I don't understand why, it's like looking at a display in B&Q over and over again. It's so ugly. But most of all it's so dull.

Do people like this stuff or is it just fashion, which no one really likes aside from the fact it makes your house look identical to other people's?

Finding a house to be proper nosey at, that has some sort of identity of its own is hard work.

I'm not sure what I'm trying to do or why it pisses me off so much, and I certainly don't want to offend anyone who does like their house this way...all the agents seem to say these are beautifully presented and will be very popular, so maybe it is just me who hates it, in which case, I'll take the flack

But why is it so popular to have your house like this? Because I just don't understand.

It's pretty round here as well, so plenty of scope for local artists.

Low incomes? How is it about that?

I'm on a pretty low income. Just so you know.

The people doing up these houses (often in a short space of time, it appears, in order to sell on for a profit) are probably far better off than me.

The Range is for people in my income bracket I imagine but it doesn't mean I have to buy their awful tat.

About the budget - I think at least some of it depends on your circumstances of getting the furniture, not just your basic level of income.

Back in the days of rented furnished student flats and similar, we had the "luxury" of picking out the odd nice (but cheap) piece from charity shops and second hand stores, basically whenever we happened to see something we really liked and could afford. It's a whole different situation if you're suddenly having to buy several major bits of furniture to your home. You won't be guaranteed to find the things you need used in a price and location that's convenient.

And that's how you end up with all these very common £10 Ikea bookshelves etc. just because you really needed a bookshelf quick and didn't have the time and money to hunt for a more individual piece.

I love The Range. But I go there for the kitchen stuff and the arts and crafts. I never look at their home furnishings.

I've often bought something temporary only to let it go later when i find something that's better made, or looks nicer etc.

Nothing wrong with Ikea anyway

When I think about it more, it isn't the people who don't have time, don't really care too much about decor, or don't have any choice that I am even talking about (though that may not have been clear, because it wasn't clear to me to begin with)

It's the people who HAVE got the funds, and the choice, and are going in there deliberately to 'improve' a house so they can sell it on for more money, often very quickly.

Often I think they just ruin it. There is a LOT of it round here as it's a vast student town and so buy to let has become almost the biggest use of homes locally. It's really sad.

I will try and find the link to my parents' old house which they sold on to a student landlord a few years back - they wouldn't have, but they had very little choice because he already owned houses all around them, and so no one else wanted to live there.

What he did to it is insane.

here you go

By the way that was a 3 bed semi once upon a time. he's turned the living room into a vast fitted kitchen, and what the actual Jeff are the stairs doing going into the ceiling?

It's all a bit beige and isn't to my taste either, but for student let it looks very practical. I can't understand why you are getting your knockers in a twist over that.

I don't think a student would really care that much about the internal decor as long as the place was warm, dry and clean (although I'm not sure some are even bothered about that ).

I have been in some hideous student digs and that house is luxurious compared to most I have seen.

i think that's ok for a student let, and tbh it's the sort of thing most students expect these days

that room with the half-stairs and the shower IN the bedroom is weird though - that's the LL squeezing as many people in as possible and being able to say all the rooms have en suites

The room with a shower doesn't have a loo though.

The details haven't been proof read as it states 4 bedroom in the features and 6 bedroom in the description.

Unusual bookcase in that one bedroom!

It's fine for students. Clean, practical - that will rent really easily. No character of course, but does what it says on the tin.

My house is a 70s job, we've just completed a major refurb and it's a bit barn like at the mo. Big rooms, massive windows (no curtains in some), needs more furniture etc.

Not everyone who renovates houses does a job like that!

I didn't really look for a nicely decorated house, me and my husband just looked for a house that had the right amount of space and shapes of room, along with a good front and back garden. We mostly thought of how we could decorate it our selves, because like to decorate it to our own personal taste rather than trying to find a house that is already to our taste (which would take far too long as everyone has different tastes).

The whole house is apricot. But he's done that for a student let, most people when they decorate tend not to make their houses look like that, unless of course they like that look.

OP, don't miss Amanda Lamb, Tuesdays on more 4. whole series about making houses neutral for sale. enjoy!

But that house hasn't been done up like that by the person because they like the style and want to live in it. It is done like that to rent to students. Really poor example to prove your point, I think.