New Hampshire Home Stager reveals secrets to selling.
The biggest bang for your buck, by far, is using paint to improve your home's appearance. Paint will make a room cleaner, fresher, brighter, and more stylish. It gives buyers the impression that the house has been well maintained and cared for. It makes your home more competitive with new construction.
Paint can be used to help minimize negative features and to help showcase positive features. It can be used to create a flow throughout the house and to create a lasting positive impression.
Many people have trouble choosing paint colors or are afraid of making the wrong choice. Many times sellers choose colors that they personally like, without taking into consideration the need to be appealing to all potential buyers. It is very important that the colors you choose are neutral, but not bland. Most professional home stagers offer Color Consultations as one of their services, and it is a smart idea to seek the advice of a professional before purchasing your paint.
If you currently have your house on the market or are planning on selling your house in the near future, then this seven-part series was written for you.
Previous Tips:
Tip #1 Update Lighting Fixtures
Tip #2 Identify Red Flags
Tip #3 Pre-Pack Your Stuff
Tip #4 Define Space & Function
Tip #5 Maintenance Means Money
Tip #6 Don't Underestimate The Bathroom
Tip #7 Transform With Paint
In addition to the traditional use for paint, improving the general appearance of a room, I would like to share some other ways paint can be used to help make your home more appealing to buyers.
Prior to staging, this library lacked impact. The built-in bookcases and fireplace were great features, but they were not being showcased. Painting the walls with a rich, warm color made these features POP.
The opposite of the previous example...this den was dark and needed to be lightened. A brighter room was achieved by painting the dark woodwork a lighter color. Painting the shelves and the wall behind them the same color created a more custom "built-in" look.
This laundry room is one of my favorite transformations and is featured on my website. This was valuable real estate space that was not being properly marketed. By painting the cabinets white like the appliances, a cleaner and more pleasant room to do household chores was created.
Walls and cabinets aren't the only places to use paint...
these worn steps were given new life by painting them a rich black.
Other cost effective ways to use paint to prepare your house for sale:
Paint old furniture to give it new life
Update brass light fixtures and brass fireplace screens with black or bronze spray paint
Improve the appearance of mirrors
Update artwork by painting the frame
Use spray paint to revive patio furniture and flower pots
This concludes my seven-part series on The Secrets of Selling. I hope you have found it useful and informative. For more information on preparing your home for sale, visit my website ... or search online for a professional home stager in your area.
Consulting with a professional home stager before you list your home
is the most important "secret to selling" there is!
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Professional Home Staging services for the New Hampshire Seacoast
Portsmouth Rye Greenland Hampton North Hampton Exeter Dover Stratham
603.661.8524
Sharon - Excellent series and I love the way you tied them all in at the end. Each one of your posts were packed with information to get that house sold! Love the before and afters.
Sharon, I always tell sellers paint and carpet go a long way to making a house seem fresh. Excellent detail you provided with this section.
What a difference in that laundry room! It never ceases to amaze me what a difference even a new home can have with a painted wall anything other than white. Great info and series.
You are incredible! LOVE LOVE LOVE the black stairs, would nave NEVER thought of that, and what a HUUUUGE difference!
Judy: Thank you! I hope the series is useful in helping to get sellers to understand the importance of really putting some effort into their preparation.
Gary: I agree with the recommendation of new carpet and paint. Good advice! Thanks for commenting.
Lee & Carol: I appreciate the comment, thanks!
Janna: So, tell me how you really feel about the black stairs...thanks for the great, great, great comment!
Sharon- great pictures to illustrate the use of paint to highlight a home's features. I especailly like the paint used in the laundry room. The blue contrasting with the white appliances gives the room a crisp clean look! Great series.
My favorite blogger-I am loving this series. Great photos...those stairs look so fantastic!
I know, I have a customer that has a beautiful home, but it is chocked full of oak. It's so outdated, but she is head strong to paint it, she doesn't understand whay everyone won't love it!
Hi, Sharon.
I had a listing with a kitchen painted sort of a dark mint green (gah).There are NO home stagers here but a friend of the out-of-state seller offered to paint it for her and she chose a color called "Maple Sugar" which was both warm and neutral. It was amazing what a difference it made and the home is sold now.
I really enjoyed your series! Your pictures say it all; they're terrific!
Such a big difference and so relatively easy to do! The laundry isn't a scary place to hang out anymore. I love all the pictures and great information. Thanks!
Kathy: The blue walls were existing, I just suggested the cabinets be painted white. That blue really came alive when the white was added.
Cathy: That is so nice to hear! Thank you so much!
Cindy: Sometimes you just can't convince people that you are there to help them. Too bad!
Leslie: Now what is not to love about anything called "maple sugar." Sounds yummy! Thanks for the comments throughout the series, I'm so glad you liked it.
Ana: Thanks, I am really trying to get that point across...it is relatively easy and doesn't have to be expensive to improve the appearance of your house for sale. I appreciate your comment!
Oh how right you are Sharon, paint the biggest bang for the buck in the staging arena! Wow what a nice transformation concerning the room w/ the washer & dryer! It changed the entire look and made it more cohesive.
Cynthia: Thanks, I really enjoyed working in that room and I loved the final outcome.
Great post Cynthia! Paint is by far the most economical and effective way to transform, accent and update the look of a home both inside and out!
Jeannene: So many sellers don't realize this. We have to keep educating them. Thanks for the comment!
Sharon-I just used this for a re-blog. Very well written and as you said one of the easier, cheaper ways to prepare a home for sale. Especially if they don't have alot of other options for one reason or another. Great job!
These are all such great tips Sharon! I love your series.
Debra: I appreciate the reblog. Thanks!
Debby: Thank you! I'm glad you find the series interesting.
Shanon - I just found this series and will be bookmarking it. You photos really emphasize your point that a little paint can go a long way. I recently purchased a home that really looked rough. We only let a few close friends see the inside before we started remodeling. We still have a long way to go, but the painting is done and each of our friends is stunned when they come in. They think we did so much more.
Erik: That is the wonder of paint! I wish you the best with your remodel!
Sharon, What a wonderful series. You have given us some great information in a perfect format. Each post concentrates on one idea and they all tie together. I especially like your before and after photos. Great explanations, too.
Gary: Thank you very much, I appreciate it. I hope the series is useful to you and your clients.
Hello Sharon,
What a great post! Love your before and after photos! What a difference a little paint can make! Thank you for sharing! Terrific blog! You did a fabulous job!
Rita
Rita: I love your enthusiasm! Thanks so much for the support!