Fashion faux-pas can bar home sales

Despite taking pride of place in Del Boy's front room in the long-running BBC television comedy series Only Fools and Horses, the "drinks station" has been considered a greater home furnishing crime that mock fireplaces or animal print rugs.

Textured walls were found to be the biggest interior design no-no of the last three decades, according to the survey by the Post Office.

Of the 2,002 people interviewed as part of the poll, 23 per cent said built-in bars were the worst furniture mistake of recent decades.

It topped a list that also included net curtains, futons and reproduction "antiques".

When it came to interior designing faux pas, textured walls were deemed to be more offensive than woodchip and fake laminated wood floors.

Mike Cook, head of mortgages at the Post Office, said: "Making improvements to your home before you put it on the market can make all the difference between a forever lingering 'for-sale' sign and sealing the deal.

"Whilst some prospective buyers will always see past outdated decor, sellers who still cherish features such as built-in bars and textured walls might want to consider making some modernisations to appeal to the rest."