I wonder if this has to do with the fact that people don't live their whole lives in one place as often anymore.

If I think I'm going to live out the rest of my life in my house, I'll want to change it to suit my taste, maybe even multiple times if new artistic styles crop up and I like them better.

If I'm expecting I might need to sell the house in the next five years, I'm going to prioritize having the widest possible potential buyer pool.