The housing downturn means home sellers have to be extra cautious about all aspects of their homes when preparing them for market. That includes carefully weighing the pros and cons of every color on every wall.
The old saw that a home’s interior should be neutral may apply in many cases, but some real-estate agents insist using the right bold hue can help seal a sale.
David Stauffer, a Realtor with Trenka & Associates in Denver, said it’s hard to argue with the conventional wisdom regarding a home’s interior.
“You’re always going to get the Realtor to say the safer approach is (using) earth tones and more neutral colors,” Stauffer said.
More progressive Realtors suggest a different approach. A professionally designed color scheme can have a positive impact on a home’s marketability — assuming the right tones are selected.
If hiring an interior designer threatens to break one’s budget, Stauffer suggests checking out the latest Pottery Barn catalog or resort brochure for inspiration.
“See how they use color, and use that color scheme conservatively,” he said.
Color makes an impression
Joan Cox, a broker associate with Metro Brokers — Turning Point Real Estate in Centennial, said sometimes leaving the walls white can be helpful. But she has heard complaints of late from some potential buyers that the homes they were seeing were too white, too bland for their tastes.
Anyone who thinks a home’s interior colors don’t influence a potential homebuyer should consider this — on average, homebuyers take about 15 seconds to decide if they like a home, according to the Colorado Association of Realtors.
Michael Kearns, a managing broker with Re/Max City Horizons at Stapleton, said today’s home sellers and homebuyers have an advantage over their predecessors. They watch HGTV and other cable home-decorating shows.
“A lot of them already believe they have expert opinions,” Kearns said.
Kearns frequently works on Stapleton properties, newer homes that often lack the antiquated design flourishes older homes typically have.
“If (buyers) walk into a house that doesn’t have color but has beige carpets and beige walls, the house doesn’t make a lasting impression on them,” he said.
Find the right tones
Many home sellers today are competing in the same neighborhood as builders who hired professionals to paint and decorate their properties.
“If you’re competing against that, and your house has no color, you won’t be memorable,” Kearns cautioned.
Even the wrong color might have a positive impact.
He recalled one home that had garish purples and blues sponge-painted on the walls. The seller apologized for the color scheme, but “everyone who walked through it remembered that house,” he said. “You’re showing buyers 10 to 15 houses or more at a time. Having that one room that stands out is a newer trend.”
Had they sponge-painted the whole house, Kearns said, it might not have worked.
Erin Levendusky, an interior designer with Ashley Campbell of Cherry Creek North, often helps clients tweak homes’ interior colors to prep for a sale. She counsels clients to lean toward “warm and inviting” neutral colors.
“When someone decides to paint crazy accent colors, nine out of 10 times the buyer is going to change that color,” she said.
Levendusky doesn’t adhere to the notion that the right color is crucial to standing out. Sellers should give potential buyers as blank a canvas as possible, she said.
“I’m all about keeping it neutral, classic and clean,” she said, adding the occasional accent wall can be a distraction. And avoid cool colors, particularly white, if possible.
“I’d go for a tone that will go with the (home’s) woodwork, and keep it warm,” she said.
Finding a scheme
Here are additional color rules from Realtor David Stauffer:
Lighter equals larger: Lighter or more neutral shades can make a space feel larger. Contrasting colors add emphasis to architectural details or add definition to hard-to-define spaces.
Reds and yellows are hot: They can inflame passion or appetite, or just make you feel warm. Use thoughtfully to warm up a cold space.
Blues and greens are cool: They are serene and comforting, but too dark or too much can be depressing.
Earth tones add warmth and serenity: Leave stronger colors for accent features to show signs of life.
Wallpaper’s bad rep: Wallpaper doesn’t appeal to the majority of buyers. Fabric and natural elements can be used sparingly.
Faux-finish follies: Faux finishes had better look professionally done and truly mimic a more expensive technique or surface.
