These homes suffered from a colorful past - and when corrected the results were astounding. You've seen these homes - ones that are in a dated hue, are too personal or bold. Over 85% of home buyers are looking first on the internet when shopping for real estate. When preparing a home for sale, it's time to hide those wild colors!
Color - it can transform a room from cool to warm, serene to vibrant, stark to cozy. We love color and the affordable and huge impact it can make. It can make a huge "wow" when everything comes together well and the colors are perfect, but when the colors aren't "quite right" or show as dated or too personalized buyers will be turning to more attractive hues!
This home lingered on the market for far too long. We provided a staging consultation and convinced (yes it was a hard sell) the sellers to paint the kitchen. Multiple offers were received and both the agent and seller were convinced the painting and staging were key to this success!
While we loved the paint job on this bonus room - it was far too personal to entice most home buyers that may not have toddlers who loved Elmo! By painting a neutral color and staging it as an office, it has a broader appeal
This living room's color was also a road block in attracting a buyer's attention!
This neutral tone is anything but dull!
I loved this dining room color - and so did the home sellers! However, it did make the room seem smaller and darker, and it may not appeal to many home buyers. After repainting, buyers will focus on the beautiful back yard view, bay window and spacious room - not the room color!
We love homes with colorful pasts - here's a sneek preview of a few we're working with . . .
Don't let your home's colorful past effect the marketability to a broad buyer base! Most potential buyers do not have the ability to envision your home with an updated palette, and will always assume repainting is more work than it really is. Statistics show that buyers want move in ready and are willing to pay more for homes that don't require repairs and updates.
Contact a professional home stager to get the right color the first time and make sure your new look is one that helps your home project a beautiful future.
 |
|
|
Home staging services for Salem & the Willamette Valley-specializing in staging, interior redesign, repairs and remodeling. Let us help you prepare your home for sale or achieve the look you love!
All Dressed Up and Ready to Show!
New Life for Worn Vinyl Floors
Accentuate the Positive and it Eliminates the Negative!
My Secret is Out Because of a Fellow Active Rain Member!!
Does Your Listing Crave Attention?
The Devil's in the Details . . . Let's Heat it UP!
Magic Wands, Fairy Dust and Voo Doo Spells -What Does It Take For Selling Success?
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
Powered by the ActiveRain Real Estate Network
© 2009 ActiveRain Corp. All Rights Reserved
I love the colorful ones and appreciate all the hard work that goes into them. For selling purposes the bland, neutral does work best.
WOW- some of those wallpapers belong in the Smithsonian!!
Bright as they may be I sure so like the toned down look!
Great transformations. Looking forward to seeing your work on the last few.
Selling a home is so much easier when it is neutral. That being said, one room in a bright or dark color, with neutral carpet and paint, won't necessarily hurt a sale. I've had a number of people over the years say "That red is what sold me!"
Really nice home. I did like the red dining room however . The rest were disliked in varying degrees. Good post and great contrast thanks
Sometimes there can be the way you live in it...nothing wrong with color....and then there is the way you sell it...and that is whooooole different story....thank you for the illustration !
Crayola color # 65 - Realtor Beige :~)
Put that toilet seat down! Turn the lights on in every image..and with video get those fans turning so they say hey..this is live, narrated video..that's different, helpful. I agree with Charlie..someone liked the earlier color and bland is so....bland and what everyone does to sanitize and play it safe.
Love those bathroom shots!
At sales meeting this week an agent recounted a story of a phone call from a buyer asking if the house was in the same time warp as most homes in the 'hood. Built in the 60's or 70's.... Since the seller is close to 90 and not up to making changes I understand the house is priced at a discount for being in the "time warp."
Andrew is right toilet seat should be put down... it is like before and after shots of women though... for make-up, hair, etc.
Paint makes all the difference in a world. I wish all seller's would use it and I wish buyer's could get past it.
What a transformation, Margaret! You do great work! That wallpaper in the bottom shots looks straight out of a Brady Bunch episode. No wonder the homes aren't sold yet. :)
Oh Margaret, talk about eye static....you have some wild wallpaper there! Your afters are great, a client can envision themselves and their things in the home now.
Painting is only one aspect that turns buyers off or on. I've shown homes where the decor was straight from the 60's - hadn't been changed or updated at all, and I've had buyers say they couldn't see past the decor to the actual potential of the house. Sad.
Hey, Margaret. What a difference a little paint will make. The bathroom was scary. Thanks, Jim
Margaret, those old wall papers are wild as well as the old paints. The children's rooms where they are decorated for toddlers I see a lot, and many do not go back to neutral colors as a prep. Big turnoff for buyers without kids. You selected wonderful photos. Plus paint is relatively cheap.
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am totally rolling on the floor laughing! That bathroom with the floral pig is a total hoot! I love the transformation and there is nothing quite like remediating Elmo from a room! Good for you and very well done!!!
Jeani
Lime green paint on the ceiling, oh my! Your transformations will appeal to the many now. Really enjoyed seeing the pics. Thanks!
Loved it! We explain it to our clients as a numbers game: "Half the population loves lime green, and the other half hates it. Why not choose a colour that 80% of the population likes? We're not looking for a winning colour; we're looking for one that is easy on the eyes with broad appeal."
Thanks for sharing the pics. You go, girl!
Margaret I had no idea you had staged that house (elmo house). I showed it when it hit the market because the pictures looked great. I would NEVER have shown it to my client based on those original shots. You did you job in that a client walked in the door...
Just bookmarked this, Margaret. Will be forwarding the link to some sellers! Thanks.
Interesting points and nice work...but perhaps we've all been rendered a bit wacky from watching way too much home makeover programming. When I make that observation to clients, they usually give at least a slight nod in agreement....
Wow - so glad that so many are enjoying these colorful pics -- stay tuned for part two -- we've got so many examples to share!
Wow, amazing differences!! I can see how the after shots have much more appeal!
Have a great 4th!
Dan
Amazing changes!!!!! Thanks for sharing.
Wow, but why is it the sellers just don't believe us?
Hi Margaret,
Thanks for the great pics, and I agree with the comments, nuetral works best to sell a home. Good luck in the future! :)
-Lisa
Margaret your photos are priceless. It is so true that sellers must stage properly including color. Some just take a little longer to believe it has value. Your photos add that value - thanks!
These are some great examples, and the underlying fact it so true. The way you live in your home is not the way you sell your home.
Well, as they say a picture is worth a thousand words. Great post and terrific examples
Margaret, my eyes are finally uncrossed after seeing the wallpaper in the 2 bathrooms. Great blog and great Staging.
Great before/after shots. I'm one Realtor that does not have to be sold on staging.
What is your opinion of painting the ceilings the same color as the walls? I have one Seller getting her home ready to sell -- she's chosen a neutral camel color and plans to paint the walls & ceilings in that; cream accents. I just met with a stager who is going to the client's home with me next Monday, but I don't know if she's already purchased the paint or not.
Margaret - What an amazing staging difference going back to lighter neutral colors made.
A couple of years ago, I recarpeted my house with sage carpet. BUT, I decided to paint the living room walls a color described as Ralph Lauren Capri Rose. I was able to live with that color for about 36 hours. Everytime I stepped into the living room I felt like I was slapped in the face:-)
I once painted a den my favortie color - a salmon/coral shade. This was long before I was a Realtor and knew better. It was beautiful the morning I did it, but as the sun set and the light changed, it turned into a satanic ornage! Never again!
Now I LIKE Crayola Realtor Beige #65!
Tucson Dawn
I feel like I just flipped through a vintage 70's magazine. Too funny! Love the Elmo transformation...you increased the value of the house by thousands! I also love the living room transformation...did you paint the brick, it looks great!
Margaret - These are great pictures to help explain how staging makes it easier to sell a house.
Margaret- You have a remarkable vision when it comes to preparing a house for sale. You rock!
Excellent post. It's amazing what a little paint will do and it is also amazing how difficult it is to SELL the idea to our clients. Even with all the HGTV expert watchers out there when it comes to looking at a home many people can't get past the '80s wall paper or on the other hand to get some color into the house so it will sell at the appropriate price.
This were very demonstrative pictures. I really loved seeing the kitchen transformation and the family room as well. The new paint made SUCH a difference!
Margaret...
Excellent post with supporting photos, but it was your title that drew me in! Good job.
Margaret, What a beautiful job you did. I too loved the colors if I were iving in it but certainly not to sell it. Your pictures made a huge transformation and I'm sure the homeowners are thrilled! Wonderful post and pictures to show what Home Staging does for a listing!
Great before and after - amazing how much difference some paint makes -- some of those before photos were a bit scary!
I just had this discussion with a seller today! I need to figure out how to send this to her!
Ha! What a great post. What a difference a remodel makes. Beautiful transformation from blah....old.....to something beautiful and stylish. Nice post thanks,
Patricia Aulson/Portsmouth nh
Margaret, some of your photos look similar to my Salem homes in the 70's. Hopefully they have since been changed. Love the transformations and the trip down memory lane. Back in the day I used a lot of wallpaper.
Wow. I guess you'd frown on my "paprika" kitchen for sure! Love the photos.
What we live with and love, and what sells a home can be 2 totally opposite things. Great work!
This is great testimony as to how different a home can show just from changing the coloring or removing wallpaper. You got my attention.
You definitely have some colorful ones to work on in the future. And, you're right, many buyers can't see past the color.
Margaret: Your work is awesome, and so is your blog. You have a great voice, style, and conversation. I was thinking about just this a few days ago... My kids and I have this commute comedy conversation... I don't know the address, but you know where the florecent green house is, that glows in the dark? Yep, I do... meet you there...
Great before and after shots. The kitchen looks especially great. There are so many neutral tones in there, the color was really fighting with all of them. While the neutral from the red is pretty, I too have had people love a saturated color when it was done well and decorated tastefully. But all in all you are absolutely right.
Sharon
Oh man, that is what I am talkin about. Great post! That is some real inspiration there.
The office is nice, but I.... I kind of miss Elmo... (is that normal?)
fimallygetting round to looking at this! Great job as usual, can't wait to see how you handle the green tomorrow in my listing. I am so excited!! Enjoy your day and see ya tomorrow!
I like the dining room better with the red. I have to agree with you though sometimes a fresh paint job is all it takes to get an offer.
One question was raised in the comments by Lori about my opinion about painting the walls and ceiling a camel color. Personally, when the ceiling is painted the same as the walls sometimes it gives more of a "builder beige", we spray painted everything quickly look. I think it provides a much more open and rich look to have the ceiling several shades lighter in the same tone.
I did hate to recommend painting over that play room which was so adorable. It was located right off the living room and many people would use it for a sun room, office or family room. Here's another example of some great paint talent I saw last week.
That is adorable! The problem is people spend a lot of time and talent painting on something that is not permanent. It's like the sidewalk chalk artist. When you see something that good, you want to keep it forever. Maybe someone should invent some kind of removable wall size canvas.
Wow! See what happens when I'm off of AR for a few days. This is amazing.
Congratulations. Your post is being featured in the group; Home Staging Before & After Pictures.
Kathy
Great pics and an excellent way to show huge change. Paint is such an easy way to change up a home. Nice and very timely post. I miss Elmo too;)) but that pig in the bathroom is priceless.
Interjecting colour is great. There is a time when some of these colours have to be released. Great examples of how colour can affect the ways a space is presents itself.
Paint is soooooo cheap and so effective - why dont sellers get that ?
I can not wait to see photos of the rooms once they get past their colorful pasts.