Why “Neutral” is Vital when Selling a Home

By Catherine Brown

From a young age, we are sensitive to the colours in our world. And as we age, colours influence our moods and frame of mind. They can dramatically affect emotions and behaviours and cause various reactions within our bodies and minds.

Depending on our temperament, we can develop attractions and aversions to particular colours. For example, red stimulates while blue calms. Bright red and yellow increases blood pressure and muscle tension while blue decrease blood pressure and lessen aggressive feelings. People feel warmer in a red room and cooler in a blue room – even though the rooms are set to the same temperature.

Choosing colours reflects personal tastes so if your style leans toward bold, wild, or dark shades prospective buyers may view your home in terms of how much time, effort, and money it will it take to reverse your decorating decisions.

Colour can make or break a sale. While you may love your lavender master bedroom, it's entirely possible that only you love it, which could limit the potential buyers that are interested in paying top dollar for your home.

In staging, colour is used to create harmony and interest. Neutral doesn't always mean off-white or "builder beige." Buyers will not feel motivated to buy a "blah" home.

So, what colours should you choose when preparing your house for sale? Aside from the many choices of warm taupe's proven to sell homes, neutrals include caramel, café au lait, Dijon, and soft, creamy pale yellows. Neutral is up-to-date, never "trendy."

A Royal LePage real estate survey conducted by Maritz Research found that 36% of buyers are willing to pay more for a house with updated décor and freshly painted walls. In fact, it’s one of the top three interior features.

The poll also showed that 75% of Canadians classified the style of their house as "current" or "somewhat current." An up-to-date neutral palette can bridge the style gap in a home where the average Canadian seller is over 57, but the average buyer is only 32.

Adding a fresh coat of “neutral” is simple and affordable…and could mean the difference between a long drawn out sale’s process or a quick turn around for top dollar.

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Catherine E. Brown is an Accredited Staging Professional and owner of Staged to Move. Catherine is committed to helping clients sell their home for the best price in the least amount of time. She can be contacted at (519) 868-7171 or by email at catherine@stagedtomove.ca. Visit her Web site at www.stagedtomove.ca.

Published in Networking Today, November, 2006