Don’t underestimate the power of paint!!!!!
When you live in a home – you want your home to feel “like” you!!! When decorating, you choose colors that reflect your style and personality. This goes for the interior and exterior of your home.
However, when it’s time to move on, you might want to adjust your color palette BEFORE you put your home on the market. After all, prospective buyers might not share the same decor style.
This home had been on the market for over 3 months – with only a few very low offers. Once the house was painted and staged, it sold in just 5 days at 98% of list price.
The biggest difference? A fresh coat of WHITE paint!
Paint is one of the easiest/greatest value additions to any home. It makes the greatest IMPACT with the least cost and time invested. Paint has the power to enhance or detract. When selling a house, it needs to enhance the key selling features of a house.
A newly renovated kitchen is one of the TOP key selling features of any house. When buyers see “work” to be done – they immediately see cost / $$.
Buyers also tend to overestimate the cost and time that will be involved in doing the work – which translates into lower offers – lost potential buyers – and more time on the market. In this house, the red paint color was detracting, rather than enhancing, the beautiful kitchen.
Red is a very strong color and it is known to increase appetites when used in eating areas. However, it is very polarizing color; you either love it or you hate it. Definitely not universally appealing – which is what we strive for when helping our clients prepare their house for sale. Red paint is also known for being extremely hard to cover up, often requiring multiple coats to keep the color from bleeding through.
This all just adds to that feeling of “too much work”. Dark paint, especially near ceilings, tends to make the ceilings come down in appearance, making rooms look smaller. This is especially true when used on bulkheads.
Tip: When selecting a color, you need to consider how the paint looks in all types of lighting (natural vs. artificial) and throughout the day. You also need to consider how it changes the color of items situated next to it. The reflection of the red paint actually made the square table – look more red toned rather than its true wood color.
The idea is to create a blank canvas – to help people envision themselves living there. Call me for assistance. I know trusted painters that can help – and I can advise you on just the right color.
Trust me – if you go to any paint store – you will find there are many MANY options for “white”!