When you tour prospective new properties, it is critical to distinguish the “skin” and the “bones." The “bones” are the property’s aspects that cannot be changed – location, lot size, physical configuration, environment (social & physical), services and other fixed features.
The property’s “skin,” on the other hand, represents superficial features, such as carpet and paint color, wallpaper, landscaping and window coverings. While the skin can be readily changed, it is beneficial to your budget to keep in mind the related costs.
In evaluating your prospective property, it can be more important to evaluate its bones than skin, because you can change the skin to suit specific needs and tastes. Simultaneously, don’t get too taken with a property’s décor, if your own tastes are radically different or the times have changed. To the fullest extent possible, try to imagine the property empty and “skinless.”