Selling Your House: 5 Color Considerations

Interior Color Selection is Important When Selling Your House

Once you decide you’re selling your house you need to assess whether it is “color worthy” from your target buyer’s perspective. The last thing you want is a buyer walking in your front door only to turn around and walk right back out because all they see is a big paint job ahead of them. And before you decide it’s too much work to paint, remember that everything you do (and don’t do!) will affect offers. So here are my top 5 color considerations:
1. The colors currently in your house reflect how YOU live. They reflect your personal tastes and have been chosen to work with your furniture and accessories. If you have used strong colors such as red, green, dark blue, brown and/or any wallpaper, chances are prospective buyers will be turned off.

2. When selling your house, consider what today’s buyers are looking for. Top of the priority list? Move-in ready! The less work buyers feel they need to do, the more they’re willing to pay. They want to bring their family and their belongings into the house and have everything “work”. To that end, consider using the same color throughout the house. This has the added benefit of promoting uninterrupted color “flow” and allows potential buyers to see the space, not a coloring book.

3. Consider the latest trends in color and be careful! Color arrangements in the design world typically don’t work for selling. It’s better to be safe (remember you’re trying to appeal to a broad variety of potential buyers). This means white ceilings and trim, and complimentary wall colors. This is NOT the time to get creative!

4. Consider the style of the house in selecting colors for staging. There are enough neutrals to go around! A century home may have an unpainted trim of either cool or warm toned wood and requires the appropriate paint color tone to work with it. A smart condo on the lake or the park may well have the current favorite – very dark wood floors, stainless steel and a more industrial look that demands a different approach to color. But use neutral colors that enhance the best features of the house. Check the many websites that address this topic, such as the Benjamin Moore suggestions on Pinterest.

5. When selling your house, consider an assessment by a qualified professional who can point you in the right direction. Remember you are using color to sell, not decorate and a color consultation can help you focus on getting the colors right, and helping you maximize your sale price.

Jill Ackerman, MHA, CCSP®, CCC™, RRPM, VSS*, is the founder of Stage Right, a Home Staging company serving the Hamilton, Burlington, and Oakville areas.  If you are thinking of selling your house this Spring, call Jill at 289.880.0550  to book a comprehensive consultation or contact Stage Right through our website.