These Relics Could Sink a Sale

Also decidedly on his "out" list: dropped ceilings with fluorescent lights, and dark beams cutting across the ceiling.

Homeowners preparing to remodel should consider which features and trends are headed toward obsolescence, as well as those that are already out. If you've had your heart set on a two-story foyer for years, face it, you've missed the trend.

We can glimpse the future by looking at what new-home builders are doing. Some candidates for the endangered species list, as evidenced by their absence from new design:

• The split-level floor plan. It's probably not obsolete, given the large numbers of people happily living in them today, but you won't find many new ones. I happen to like the coziness, and the compact visage they present to the street, but a lot of buyers don't like the chopped-up spaces. Want to go from kitchen to family room? Go down half a flight of stairs. From living room to bedroom? Up half a flight. Most folks would rather not.

• Living rooms, at least in average-size new houses. "The living room will vanish from the average [new] home by 2015," according to a report by the National Association of Home Builders. They're likely to continue to be included in big, expensive houses, because, well, what else are you going to do with all that space?

• Dining rooms. "We're hardly designing them anymore," said Heather Reeves, spokeswoman for KB Homes. "We're essentially taking out the formal spaces that you walk by to get to where you really live in the home."

• Trash compactors. Not only do they have the shortest expected lifespan of any household appliance, a mere six years according to NAHB, but fewer than 10 percent of people buying an average new home really want one. (Almost half of those buying an upscale home said they do.) Plenty of folks, including me, don't see the value compared with emptying the trash frequently. "In an upscale home, it is still a must," said Gopal Ahluwalia, vice president for research at NAHB. "I have a trash compactor in my home," he said. "My wife doesn't like it."

• The standard 7-by-9-feet garage door. If you're building a new garage, imitate the home builders and put in one that's 8 by 10 feet, which better accommodates SUVs and other big vehicles.

• Wall-to-wall carpet, at least in the main living areas. People still like it for bedrooms, which are supposed to be cozy and quiet. But don't waste your money on it for the main floor if you care about resale value.

Finally, there's what I think of as the pocket-watch category. A pocket watch is a feature that has been replaced by better technology but remains popular among aficionados. I nominate the clothesline as today's No. 1 pocket watch.

Neighbors and homeowners association enforcers may balk at the look, but the humble clothesline is making a comeback among the environmentally conscious. You still can't beat it for making your bed sheets crisp and fresh-smelling.

I'd love to hear your candidates for home features that are obsolete, fashion victims or the equivalent of a pocket watch. E-mail me your nominations, and I'll share them next week.

E-mail Elizabeth Razzi atrazzie@washpost.com.