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Do’s and Don’ts of Colour

As a seller, there are two things you have control of when it comes to listing your house: how the house looks, and the list price. A staged home sells faster and can even sell at higher prices than homes that aren’t. Staging your home helps position it competitively in the marketplace and maximizes equity by showing its best features. If your house needs a bit of facelift, a low-cost and effective solution to modernize your space is with a simple coat of paint. Where it can get tricky is choosing the right shade amongst the thousands of paint chips in the store. You have your greys, greens, blues, whites, browns and all the varied brands and shades in-between. It’s safe to say that we have a pretty good handle on what potential buyers like to see when they enter a home. The palettes that consumers tell researchers they like for the interior of a house are neutral shades of grey, white and even natural-looking greens. Loud, vibrant oranges and reds may work for you – but to the average buyer, that just looks like a big headache to them to cover up later. The key here is not to distract the buyer with a style that may not give them the warm and fuzzies. With a neutral palette (subtle colour), the buyer can see your home as a blank canvas for them to work with.

A study by Zillow Digs referenced on realtormag.com showed that homes with with light green or khaki bedrooms, dove or light grey living rooms and creamy yellow or wheat-coloured kitchens sold for $1,100 to $1,300 more than properties decorated with less popular colours, those being: slate grey, terracotta, dark brown, and off-white/eggshell.

If your house is feeling outdated and needs a bit of a refresh, paint can be your friend. It is the most cost-effective and impactful way to update your living space. Remove distracting and outdated wallpaper and add a fresh coat of paint. Low-sheen products help reduce imperfections if you uncover any scratches or marks on your walls. Sheen levels reflect the amount of light from a painted surface, which can either hide or highlight imperfections. When it comes to painting those high-traffic areas such as hallways and bedrooms, eggshell offers a soft-glow and is easy to wipe away markings. Paint can also work wonders in making your space appear larger. You know that feeling of unease you get when your house is cluttered, dark and disorganized? When a buyer walks into a space like that, they get the same feeling. Maximize the space in your home by brightening it up with light neutrals to bring the room to life – and of course, find a spot to hide all that clutter. Painting the ceiling can make a huge impact to livening up your space. Using a flat paint allows for easy touch-ups and is preferred for ceilings due to its non-reflective qualities. If your trims, holdings and doors are looking a little beat up, semi-gloss paint is very durable and will stand up to repeated cleaning.


When you list your house with us, we can help you with staging and offer expert advice to get you the price you deserve. Contact us today!

Data is supplied by Pillar 9™ MLS® System. Pillar 9™ is the owner of the copyright in its MLS®System. Data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by Pillar 9™.
The trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service® and the associated logos are owned by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify the quality of services provided by real estate professionals who are members of CREA. Used under license.