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I would repaint in a neutrals throughout - no blue white paint in the bedrooms. I would paint a warm neutral not a cold netural like white. We sold our house for the asking price in 3 weeks and we used a netural Pottery Barn style palette throughout.
Yep, I'd say stick to the neutrals, or as one of our real estate agents called it, "transfer beige". It's worked well for us. We've sold our last 3 houses at above asking price, each within one week of listing. We've moved a lot and I hate looking at houses that have "color" on the walls because I don't want to decorate around the tastes of another. Typically I do repaint when I buy a new home, but if I don't get to it immediately, I don't want to look at someone elses color choices. And lots of people don't want to paint at all. They just want to be able to move in and start living. I wouldn't do white, because its just to stark and sterile.
If you've got clutter, get rid of it. I've always taken down all personal items and really limited the nick-nacks. One thing we learned early on was to get all excess furniture out of the house. We rented a self storage unit and filled it with all the extras, including stuff from the closets and the garage. If closets are small, move out all of the out of season clothes. It will make them seem much larger. It made the house seem so much larger.
Even if you move out, I would leave some furniture. Some people have conception of a space without some piece of furniture to serve as a reference point. For example, I was looking at an empty house with a friend once. She was sure that the master bedroom wasn't large enough to hold a king sized bed. I don't remember the dimensions of the room, but it was in fact huge. Big enough for not only a king sized bed, but a sitting area as well.
I would definitely do something with all your pets. I am an animal person, but lots of people aren't. People can be very judgmental about homes with animals. Every showing we had, we took our dog with us when we left the house. We put her bed, and all her things in the garage, and her food and water dish on the back patio. When we left the house during the day, we would put her in a kennel on the patio (she's a pro at getting out of the fence) in the shade, just in case they came to show the house while we were out.
oh I love it "Transfer beige" that is PRICELESS, but I do agree, I think it works best.
Because even if you don't ,love it, it is easier to live with than say green or blue...
oh I love it "Transfer beige" that is PRICELESS, but I do agree, I think it works best.
Because even if you don't ,love it, it is easier to live with than say green or blue...
This was in an area of Houston were lots of people who worked for major oil companies lived, and people were transferred in and out all the time. Her business partner referred to it as "big oil beige".
I bought and sold houses for a lot of years. My last house hadI ha strange colors. Green, yellow, pale lavender, beige with white trim. What I've learned over the years is most people come in and repaint anyway. Women buy the houses. They want to see move-in ready, clean, spacious, decluttered, curb appeal and cool features like they see on tv.
When I start ed thinking about selling I started to think about how I could stage the house with the least amount on feeling guilty because I bought a $15 light from Italy that originally $ 90 bucks. It was the last one at Menard's. When they get down to the last 2 or 3 light they rally slash prices. I bought a pari of fans with light kits for $19 each at Lowe's.
Aside from the toilet I had alrady relaced I boight a set of cheap faucets with interthangeable handles, a corner shower catcher cost $10 at Walmart. I bought a wall cabinet, mirror and lights for the bathroom and spent $50 for sale items. The other bathroom had twin sinks. I added towel rods above all the sinks. I also bought new shoer curtarins, bath mats, johnny rugs and towels/washcloths to add the color. I my small bath I added a small basket filled with sample products for women. Most of them were free from the makeup counters in places like Kohl's.
The kitchen was the biggest expense. it was 109 years old. I added a new sink, a faucet I found on sale at lowes that had the pull out sprayer, and replace the ugly fan with some modern lights. I added about 6 outlets. I had a breakfast counter. I staged it with new mats and new dishes. I wanted it anyway. The back porch was screened in and ugly. I painted the floors a chocolate brown, the walls a very light beige and trimmed in white. My really good paint came from Sherwin Williams but the porch paint came from Walmart. I trimed out he door in dark turquoise and painted the mailbox and wrough iron hand rail charcoal black matt. My fornt port was covered and enormous. I had bamboo shades, and two seating areas. What made the house pop ws the ceiling. I found an old painter who knew what the old echru and egg shell colors were. I mied 1/2 & 1/2. I wound up with a white that looked clean and bright but not sterile or brand new. Then I staged it . two chairs in the living room., 2 by the tv in another room and joked my house as tastefully decoraged in oxygen lines. It was. The smallest bedroom I stacked boxes. but I did not block door or windows. No one cared about the rest. I put low level lighting along the sidewalk for curb appeal. The yard was manicured and there was no clutter in it.
I sold it in 5 days. The woman walked in and said, "I've wanted a Craftsman all my life. She left and I and I had my contract that night. I never did meet her husband but she got a carpet cleaning credit.
I completely painted inside and out. invested $2k and got $20K back.
I wouldn't use any HGTV colors. I do think that one designer (kind of mixed race) is hot, hot, hot, but her colors are never neutral. Navajo White has always worked for me, and seems to cover the easiest, without light/dark issues.
Yep, I'd say stick to the neutrals, or as one of our real estate agents called it, "transfer beige". It's worked well for us. We've sold our last 3 houses at above asking price, each within one week of listing. We've moved a lot and I hate looking at houses that have "color" on the walls because I don't want to decorate around the tastes of another. Typically I do repaint when I buy a new home, but if I don't get to it immediately, I don't want to look at someone elses color choices. And lots of people don't want to paint at all. They just want to be able to move in and start living. I wouldn't do white, because its just to stark and sterile.
If you've got clutter, get rid of it. I've always taken down all personal items and really limited the nick-nacks. One thing we learned early on was to get all excess furniture out of the house. We rented a self storage unit and filled it with all the extras, including stuff from the closets and the garage. If closets are small, move out all of the out of season clothes. It will make them seem much larger. It made the house seem so much larger.
Even if you move out, I would leave some furniture. Some people have conception of a space without some piece of furniture to serve as a reference point. For example, I was looking at an empty house with a friend once. She was sure that the master bedroom wasn't large enough to hold a king sized bed. I don't remember the dimensions of the room, but it was in fact huge. Big enough for not only a king sized bed, but a sitting area as well.
I would definitely do something with all your pets. I am an animal person, but lots of people aren't. People can be very judgmental about homes with animals. Every showing we had, we took our dog with us when we left the house. We put her bed, and all her things in the garage, and her food and water dish on the back patio. When we left the house during the day, we would put her in a kennel on the patio (she's a pro at getting out of the fence) in the shade, just in case they came to show the house while we were out.
I completely agree with Debz - a beige or light coffee colour allows for almost everyone's furniture and accessories to tone, match or complement. It's also an easy colour to paint over later if the new owners decide on a change. I would definitely not buy a house with a yellow bathroom (I'd have to buy all new towels etc!!), and I can't stand blue in decorating. As someone else commented, green is a very tricky colour - best avoided when you're not using it for your own benefits.
Ok, looks like I'm going with somewhere between khaki and light coffee throughout the entire house. Curb appeal is what I've been working on lately. My arms are killing me from the rest of the hideous old flower bed removal. Putting in a basic porch instead, moving the cottage to behind the wall in the front of the pasture by the barn and moving the gazebo to by the house facing the moutains in the front. Will just hang a basic swing in there and one on the front porch.
Lots of work to do. Still need to replace kitchen cabinets and finish the master bath. We'd considered putting in a third bathroom upstairs, but there are hardly no homes here with a third bathroom, so we're not going to bother. Will head to the store this weekend for tons of drywall, paint, etc. Bought tons of storage containers this past weekend and am taking down all of our stuff, just leaving a couple big things on the wall so it doesn't look empty. Next few months are gonna suck! LOL Hoping it'll be worth it in the end and the house will sell fast. Fingers crossed.
Is it possible for you to see what other comparative houses in your area are on sale ? If they are online, with interior pics online - like some houses may be - see how they have staged or set it up. You may get some good ideas and you may also see what you are up against.
Also you mentioned pets - please don't flag me as a spammer - but may I suggest some Scentsy plug-ins or warmers. They don't have a flame, so you can leave them on like a light or lamp - 24x7 - even if you do move out. The house will smell good and inviting and you don't have to worry about whether you have a candle left burning or not.
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