New York, NY

When your home is for sale, it is now a product that needs to appeal to the greatest number of buyers. Walls, along with the floors, are the bones of a home and they need to be in good condition and neutral in appearance so that they do appeal to the greatest number of buyers.

• People are heavily influenced by color, and it is difficult for buyers to look past the dark purple or other strong colors on the walls.
• Paint is an inexpensive but effective way to re-decorate a room. It can update a kitchen or bathroom, make a small room seem to be larger, and make architectural details like molding or built-ins pop.
• Dirty and scratched walls and peeling paint turn off buyers.
• Potential buyers will be thinking about how they have to take the time and spend the money to repaint; or even worse, thinking ‘I don't want to buy this place".
• Painting does cost money for both labor and materials, but its benefits far exceed its cost. Even if the buyer is willing to make an offer, you can bet it will be less than asking to compensate for the paint job they will have to do.

Paint Sheens (all Benjamin Moore Regal)

Follow these guidelines for choosing paint finishes:

• Flat - good for ceilings (use Benjamin Moore Decorator's White). Can also be used for walls if the walls have a lot of imperfections as these would be more noticeable when painted with a sheen or gloss. However, flat paint is more difficult to clean than paint with a sheen or gloss.

• Eggshell - good for bedrooms and living and dining rooms. Highly washable, durable and stain resistant.

• Matte - good for busy areas like hallways and kids' rooms as it is a flat paint but highly stain resistant and durable.

• Pearl - good for hallways, bathroom and kitchen walls, and kids' rooms as it is highly durable and can withstand repeated washings.

• Semi-Gloss - good for trim and doors, and also kitchen and bathrooms. It is highly durable, scrubbable and washable. Use a color in the white family to make trim pop.

If you prefer to choose one finish for walls in all rooms, then Eggshell is recommended.

Paint Colors

Before purchasing any paint, test a sample on the wall. Benjamin Moore now sells small jars of the most popular colors, or invest in purchasing a quart. If the wall has a dark color on it, hold a white piece of paper next to your sample. Look at your sample painted swatch at different times of the day to see if it changes color with the lighting.

When painting a home that is for sale, it is best to stick with neutral colors. And that doesn't mean white, as it is very stark and cold. It also doesn't mean it has to be some variation of off-white or beige, but can be a certain shade of green, blue, brown, gold or earth-toned red.

If you wish to "play it safe", the following is a list of colors that are in the off-white or beige category.

Recommended Neutral Paint Colors For Walls

Below are color swatches of my recommended netural paint colors, as well as a list of the colors. Keep in mind that the appearance of the color on the swatch may not reflect it's true color as it depends upon the monitor settings with which you are viewing them.

• Natural Wicker (OC-1)
• Elephant Tusk (OC-8)
• Muslin (OC-12)
• Cedar Key (OC-16)
• Collingwood (OC-28)
• Tapestry Beige (OC-32)
• Misty Air (OC-44)
• Hazy Skies (OC-48)
• Gentle Cream (OC-96)
• Pale Celery (OC-116)
• Celery Salt (OC-136)
• Shelburne Buff (HC-28)
• Edgecombe Gray (HC-173)
• Manchester Tan (HC-81)
• Rich Cream (2153-60)

Note: All Benjamin Moore

Do you have any favorite neutral colors you use or recommend? I'd love to add them to my list.

tAg @ Corcoran/Soho

tAg was wonderful in helping me find my NYC apartment! I posted a request on Twitter asking if anyone knew someone who could help me. And before I knew it, tAg contacted me on Twitter and we got the ball rolling! I would recommend tAg to anyone. Their services make the process infinitely easier and relieve the stress and headache involved in finding an apartment. Omayah Atassi

What is your real estate DNA? Let tAg expertly assess your DNA and provide you with a thorough analysis. tAg us to learn more! Bing us now!

Short for theADVOCATEgroup, tAg is comprised of innovative “Alpha Agents” Stephanie L Davis, Matthew Drennan, and Parish Pradhan. We take a divide and conquer approach to the New York City real estate process. We are here to change the face of real estate, knowing that “Traditional” real estate – more specifically, “deal churning” - is dead. We use a focused consumer-centric approach, and create custom-tailored services for our selective base of clients, who are our “co-agents” in the real estate process.

tAg boasts a combined 19 years of experience and proven expertise in both the Manhattan sale and rental markets. What’s more, we leverage the power of Social Media – ensuring an edge for all our clients. After all, real estate is inherently a social enterprise…and we believe we’re on the forefront. We are true "Visionaries," what we call "Alpha Agents." This is a new world where authenticity is everything. One of the ways our potential clients get to know us is over the internet, and then they choose whether they want to work with us professionally. No pushing, no hard sell.

Concentrating on Downtown Manhattan (categorized as 42nd Street and below), Stephanie, Matthew and Parish are specialists in assembling sale and rental co-op/condo board packages, expertly navigating the apartment inventory and neighborhoods, analyzing comparables, as well as prepping clients for board interviews. We have sold and rented a variety of apartments in New York City, from multi-million dollar properties to budget studios. We are true advocates for our sellers, buyers and renters!

Some quotes from past clients:

When I met with Matt and Stephanie of tAg, I knew they were a good fit for the property we were selling. Our apartment sold within our price target zone, within a week of listing. I would surely call on them again. Fred and Anne Stesney

Stephanie, Matthew, and Parish of tAg were pleasures to work with. They were professional and friendly, loyal to my cause, and always accommodated my schedule. Plus they took the time to answer my questions. Valerie Barber

tAg (Stephanie, Matthew, Parish) spent hours answering any and every question we had about the process and paperwork; even coached us on our Board interview. Rainbow Dickerson & Brett Koppin

© 2009 Patricia Kennedy. Unless otherwise noted, the content, both written and in pictures, is the property of Patricia Kennedy . If you would like to use this image, please email me (housepat@mac.com) with your request. I'll almost certianly say yes, and ask only that you provide a link back to my original content as well as an acknowledgment. The same thing applies to any other material you see posted here on Active Rain or on any of my other blogs.

Investors only. Investment property. 2 Bedroom Duplex with Private Outdoor Deck in Prime West Village. Investors only. ~900 sq ft of living space plus another 450 sq ft of outdoor space on your private roof deck. Serious inquiries only. To directly access this property, use this shortcut: http://www.fizber.com/new-york-buy-condo-townhome-co-op-home-11648649.html

Click below!

tAgazine - First Issue October 2009! If you like, check out our cool take on the traditional newsletter!