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The Color of Home Selling

By
Home Stager with Home Stage Decorating, LLC

Before you decide that your home won't need to be painted because the paint is fresh, consider the color.  Did you paint your bedroom that favorite shade of lavender you always wanted?  Are the children's rooms painted to appeal to them in bright yellow and blue?  Well guess what?  It's time to get the paint brushes back out because the color on your walls (and outside your home) mean so much when selling your home you can't afford to leave those colors there, pretty as they may be.

People think that when they start looking they will be able to see past color and of course sellers think that buyers will see past colors too, but the truth is, most people can't.  People want to envision their things in the room they are looking at and if the color doesn't work for them they instantly think that it's a problem.

Recently while watching a program on HGTV, I noticed that a couple who went looking at three different homes kept
commenting about the color of the paint in the rooms.  Although paint is the easiest and cheapest alteration one
can do, this was extremely important in their minds while viewing the homes.  So you see, even the paint color that you would think wouldn't be a big deal to a potential buyer because it's so easy to change and inexpensive too, is a big deal. 

The best colors to go with are neutrals, keeping white to a minimum, especially if you have white furniture. Too much white looks clinical.  A creamy off-white will work where most white exists.  Baseboards and trim are fine being white, in fact they look quite nice white.  Especially if you have a dark home you will want to lighten up with light neutrals.  Dark trims and doors, dark paneling, etc., are not appealing and make your home look dated.  

 Your furniture, although you may not be selling it with the home, actually will serve to help sell your home or NOT.  If you have a loud sofa that Grandma handed down to you and you haven't been able to part with it, send it off to the *storage unit you'll be renting to lighten up your home.  Get rid of anything that is too loud.  Keep your colors to your accessories and you will be safer. While it's perfectly fine to be eclectic and colorful, it's not the way you sell a home. 

For expert advise on home color, seek the advice of a Home Stager.  You'll be glad you did.

*A storage unit is most often needed while you are trying to sell your home.  Contact a Home Stager for more information.

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Home Stage Decorating, LLC - Serving Rhea County, Roane County, and Bledsoe County in Eastern Tennessee.

Show All Comments Sort:
Deborah Ryman
Santa Cruz, CA
M.A. Feng Shui Services, Santa Cruz County
I think it has to do with the community you are in. Where I live (Santa Cruz County), "artistic" paint seems to appeal to the types of people who gravitate here (i.e., artists and students, for two prevalent groups). If the painting has  been well done and the colors are interesting (meaning that they are pleasing, which is subjective but people know it when they see it), then having a little color on the walls can be much more appealing than plain white or beige walls which suggest "boring" and "unimaginative" to many people.
Jul 04, 2007 07:17 AM
Wendy Montoya, REALTOR® Broker Associate, 254-315-4906
Towne Adams REALTORS - Waco, TX

Very good point about colors. But I have to tell you about this one listing I had. Made me rethink the neutral color thing a bit.

I had this great listing that was painted some very bright yellows and oranges. It was actually one of the most charming, warm looking homes I have ever listed. Honestly, if the colors were neutral, I am not so sure the house would have looked very good at all.

But it took a bit to sell. I would get comments time after time about how the buyer would have to paint the whole house, etc. So I gave that information to the sellers repeatedly and they decided they did not want to change the colors.

Well, those colors appealed to someone. A buyer saw the home online with all the photos, fell in love with the colors and yes, bought the home. Said it was exactly like she would have painted it and decorated it herself.

So, you reach more buyers for certain with neutral colors, which is the most important thing, but sometimes those crazy colors done right might just sell the home. 

Note--This was an unusual situation with this home, I have to agree with Debbie overall. Neutralize!

Jul 04, 2007 07:47 AM
Debbie Rhodes
Home Stage Decorating, LLC - Spring City, TN

Thank you for your comments.  I understand that bold, deep, rich and even bright colors are beautiful and may even look better than the neutral colors but the point is to save a potential buyer that lacks imagination or the ability to repaint right away, from seeing those colors and turning down making an offer merely because of such. 

As the one poster said "in California" there are a lot of artists etc., that appreciate the use of color.  This would be an exception not the rule here.  There are always exceptions and if all the other homes that a home is competeing with are offering these hues it may be the wisest thing to "go with the flow".  I stand on the statement that it is best to paint with neutrals.  Rarely will a homeowner be trying to sell their home in one of those areas like the one mentioned, and not have a clue as to what they were doing.  The ones that don't know are the people who need a Home Stager or a realtor who is saavy in this area and willing to let the seller know what needs to be done.  A Home Stager's job is to do that, thus saving the relationship the realtor has with their client. I'm getting off the topic but just wanted to make that point. 

Jul 04, 2007 09:21 AM
Mike Mueller
Tech and Social Media Consultant - Walnut Creek, CA

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Jul 04, 2007 11:48 AM
Deborah Ryman
Santa Cruz, CA
M.A. Feng Shui Services, Santa Cruz County
Good point about offering advise to the seller. I think that is important. Neutral is safer, that is for sure!
Jul 04, 2007 06:23 PM
Anonymous
Debbie Rhodes
Thank you for the welcome.  I look forward to gleaning the valuable bits of information found within this site to help me be a better Home Stager.  I hope that I will be able to pass along some tips that will help others as well.  Now that I've found this site and joined, I plan to do a "raincheck" everyday.  Thank you for the site.
Jul 04, 2007 11:34 PM
#6
Fred Griffin Florida Real Estate
Fred Griffin Real Estate - Tallahassee, FL
Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker

We invite you back to ActiveRain in 2016!

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    Surf some blogs, leave some comments.  Better yet, post a Blog.

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Jan 07, 2016 01:40 PM