Colors that sell your home:
02/01/2009 08:35 PM by Gretchen Schauffler
There is a fear factor when it comes to selling a home: paint colors (other than white) will make it hard to sell. Trust me, paint is not at the core of this urban fear. Maybe, just maybe, it was wallpaper too difficult to remove, obsolete avocado appliances that coordinated with obsolete harvest gold Formica countertops, or possibly the wall-to-wall shag carpet that retained every aroma from the past. Regardless, word came down from somewhere above that said, “Keep it neutral and it will sell faster!” That’s when white became the purgatory color for walls during the home-selling process.
As a proud owner of a home, you need to make it the best it can be, everyday, whether you live in it for 3, 5, 10, or 25 years. If done right, paint color will add great value to your home while you live in it and when you go to sell it.There is a right way to add value with paint with colors when you’re selling and a wrong way. We are all familiar with the “wrong way”; Homes with colors that when you walk in through the door you can’t help but say to yourself: Shut it Down! No need to expand on that. I will, however, expand on the right way to paint colors so your home sells faster, and generates lots of enthusiasm. I am certain because I have many testimonials about how Devine Color on walls sells homes faster—and apartments and condos rent out easier.
There are 2 things that the right paint colors will do for your home that will make it sell even faster:1-The right wall colors really make a home stand out in the market by making it look updated, well-kept, and well-designed. Furniture showrooms know that vignette wall colors sell merchandise, and the same goes for choosing the right “vignette wall color” for your home.
2- The right wall colors also make older outdated colors and design look newer, and this makes buyers forgive a multitude of sins. The right color makes older surfaces brighter, slightly-used areas cozier, and transforms lighting into inviting atmosphere.
While Real Estate agents advise sellers (rightfully so!) to un-clutter the home by removing personal pictures and extra knick knacks so new home-buyers are able to visualize their own decor, you don’t need to white-out wall colors that are a part of the home’s color scheme. This is how you do it right:
Look at the non-negotiable, non-removable parts of the home like flooring, wood surfaces, stone surfaces, paneling, tile, cabinets, painted shelves, countertops and find common colors among them, then follow the Devine Color Process with our Trend-Proof Paint Palette.
You might end up with beautiful neutrals like Devine Muslin, or Macadamia and accents like Devine Cocoa, or Devine Hosta as colors that make your home look like a must-have palace, show room, castle, cottage, mansion, or lair. The walls may end up being light or rich depending on what looks good with your non-negotiable surfaces. A home with luxurious color on the walls that has the same flooring, kitchen surfaces, bath surfaces, and trim as a home with builder-beige walls will more likely resonate with consumers emotionally as a beautiful environment . Emotion SELLS! Are you ready to sell your home…?
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As a Professional Home Stager in Vancouver, WA, I agree with the comments in this post. A home doesn’t have to be just vanilla white, which is what was recommended in the past. Now people want and expect updated color, personality, and a sense of design in a house. A plain white house looks like an apartment, which we all want to move away from! Buyers are delighted when they feel that the work has been done for them. Make your house stand out from the crowd and give it luscious color and style!
— Peg Prather 01/20/2009 05:19 PM #
Way to go! That’s what I’m talking about…
— gretchen Schauffler 01/20/2009 10:10 PM #
Wonderful info about painting your home. I often have clients worry about picking a certain color and how it might effect the resale of their home down the line. I beleive that paint can only enhance the look of a home, and not deter the selling of a home. After all, I always remind my clients that they should “live” in and enjoy their homes. Paint can have a huge impact!
— Kelly DuByne-Distinctive Interior Designs 01/27/2009 12:01 PM #
My kitchen looks like I’m celebrating Halloween all year. The cupboards have an orangey hue that I’m stuck with. (Don’t like orange) My counters are black, my back splash tile is white with black and extends from counter to cupboard. I have a one foot headspace above the cupboards that I want to paint. Kitchen is very small and appliances are black. Kitchen and dining room share a wall. Dining room and Living room share a wall. In my living room, I’m looking at Devine Maple, Devine Filbert & possibly Cypress or Swell for a good contrast. What do I paint in my kitchen to tie it all together?
— JoLynn Yates 01/22/2009 08:49 AM
Jolynn:
It’s a familiar picture—the one you describe! Lets boil it all down to color. Lets create a more sophisticated look and connect the black-white-orange combo to a design style. See if brick reds like Devine Ginger, Devine Spice, or devinegreen: Orangutan will make the kitchen look more Mediterranean. See if colors like Devine Roast, Devine Hazelnut, or Devine Cocoa make the kitchen more contemporary. By adding a color from the above suggestions to Devine Swell, Devine Cypress, Devine Fescue, and Devine Maple you can make all the colors in the home (paint colors and permanent surfaces) become beautiful together as a color palette.
— gretchen Schauffler 02/01/2009 11:56 PM #
hi there, i was wondering if you could help me ,im doing my kitchen, i have ebony black worktops with black gloss bevelled tiles and a slate floor and i have maple worktops,the cupboards are in a L shape so i was thinking one colour where my cupboards are and the other side in another colour but dont know what colours at the moment im thinking greys what do you think .
— dawm 11/01/2009 03:38 AM #
Dawn:
We have so many great ways to go with what you are describing. Try Devine Buffalo, Rain, Comtesse, and Fog…all beautiful gray tones. I can certainly give you a ton of suggestions that may, or may not, strike your fancy. I want you to make that home, your home. When you go through our Process, with our Trend-Proof Color Collection, at home, you work with all the colors—”at home”—and can follow them like a roadmap. Seeing the entire Trend-proof Color Collection among your own things, in your space, and interacting with each other, will allow you to see colors that are perfect with your natural surfaces, like the medium cabinets, dark granites, neutral fabrics. The Process guides you there. You will understand how many color combinations are possible and pick the direction you love the most. If you need further assistance, (SO WORTH IT!) we have Virtual Colorization’s. We take over and give you visual color advice (See examples). Either way, we are here to HELP! But first, empower yourself with Devine Color’s smart Trend-proof Color Collection, and go through our wise Process. I can then help you narrow down the many great choices you have at your finger tips.
— Gretchen Schauffler 11/01/2009 12:14 PM #
Room has windows on South and West walls used as office\third bedroom in 3-bedroom rambler of 1989 sq. feet.
— Frank Coffey 01/08/2010 11:25 AM #
Frank:
I tell people all the time we have a philosophy that arms you with the information you need to take amazing & fantastic risks with colors that turn out beautiful every time if you get the Trend-Proof Collection and follow our wise Process! Once you see how many possibilities there are to fall in love with, I can help narrow down your choices or ideas. If you want me to shoot at you some color ideas to get you started… take a look at Devine Beluga, Seastar, Peacock, Manzanita, Glass, Mocha, Peanut, or Buffalo.
— Gretchen Schauffler 01/09/2010 01:10 PM #
Hi Gretchen, in regard to my kitchen colors (old blog below 1/22/2009) I am looking to find a bright cheery kitchen color to go with my living room colors which are: Devine Silver and Devine Bavarian. I am currently looking at Devine Maple or Devine Cypress for the kitchen but want to make sure I do not bring out any more orange in my already orange cupboards. What would be your suggestion that would tie all 3 colors together nicely…Devine Silver, Devine Barvarian and ????
— JoLynn Yates 02/05/2010 02:23 PM #
This is so much fun!!!!! Yep, you are right, greens and yellows may bring out the orange too much—under the circumstances—so lets see if we can cheer you up with beauty:
Devine Silver, Bavarian & Sarsaparilla…
Devine Silver, Bavarian & Blush…
Devine Silver, Bavarian & Moss…
Devine Silver, Bavarian & Dust…
Brick reds will energize the kitchen, neutralize the orange, and make it fun…what do you think?
What do you think?
— Gretchen Schauffler 02/08/2010 10:28 AM #