When you're selling your home, you want to appeal to the widest audience possible, so you can attract the most buyers and the most offers -- perhaps even create a multiple offer situation!
One of the best ways to do this is to update your home with neutral colors when you put it on the market.
Bright colors will have limited appeal. Imagine walking into a home and finding bright orange or blue walls (like you see above). That may not make a good first impression. Buyers may immediately think, "Ugh, I'll need to spend time and money painting these walls." That can be a serious turn-off.
By the way, when I say "neutral," I don't necessarily mean white, which can be too stark and industrial. Go with cream, beige, or a soft grey instead. Talk to your Realtor® about what colors are popular with buyers at the time you're getting ready to sell.
Your to-do: If you have an accent wall or bright colors all over, either pay to have them painted over or do it yourself.
The lone exception to this can be a kid's room with a theme. Blue walls with an ocean theme or lavender with a garden theme, for example, will probably work -- but only if you also have furniture that complements the theme. Otherwise, go neutral on all the walls.
Not Just Walls - Flooring, Too
I once listed a house with bright blue carpet throughout. The carpet was in great condition, and the seller resisted the idea of changing it out for a more neutral color. We priced the house a little lower to accommodate the issue, and it sold quickly despite the carpet. But to this day, I wonder sometimes how much we might have sold it for had he replaced the carpet with something less distinctive. Use a neutral carpet, tile, etc., for your floor covering when listing your house.
Implementing these changes can help you put your house's best foot forward. When a buyer walks in and nothing jars them, but instead they are surrounded by a cohesive color scheme, the house looks more attractive, and that often leads to faster and better offers.
- Cari McGee