You know you need to do some repainting when preparing to sell your house in order to make it more appealing to buyers. You may get by with just some touch-up, or you may have to repaint large portions of both the exterior and the interior. Either way, you need to choose the right color(s) – some colors can increase your chances of selling at a good price, and other colors can definitely work against you. So lets’ delve into the psychology of color and see how to use color to sell your house in Santa Cruz.
Overview of Using Color to Sell Your Santa Cruz House
For a long time, we’ve known that different colors elicit very different psychological and emotional responses in people. And that’s the power you have to harness to use color to sell your house in Santa Cruz. For color can either help you make a sale or scare buyers away.
The first thing to be aware of and keep squarely in mind is that there is a huge difference living in a home and selling that home. And this means that there can be an enormous difference in the color for a living space and for a house intended to appeal to buyers. That’s why marketing experts recommend that “when planning a color scheme, owners use color sparingly and with caution. Deep reds and purples may look beautiful with the staging furniture, but bright shades are difficult to cover should the buyer wish to do away with them after the purchase. . . . Bold colors may look great, but the goal is to have viewers leave thinking of the high ceilings or the wonderful bones of the home, not the bold color choices,”
The first rule, then, in using color to sell your house is to avoid dark colors and bright shades. If you’re not certain what this entails, contact your local agent for some expert color guidance. (To discover more, call 831-588-2334.)
The Emotional Impact of Various Colors
So let’s take a look at what some popular colors do psychologically and emotionally:
YELLOW
Typically, yellow is associated with bright emotions – happiness and light. It can be used to create a sunny, joyful feel in close, windowless spaces like hallways or in gathering areas like the kitchen. But, design pros warn, yellow is a “statement color.” “People either love yellow or they hate it. . . . If you want to use it in your home . . . stick to soft yellow shades in a warm buttery base.”
GREEN
Often associated with nature and natural growing things, green is typically calming and soothing. And this characteristic makes green a good complementary color in most rooms. “For example, paler greens like seafoam or sage have a calming effect best suited to bathrooms, while darker, earthy shades of green such as moss and evergreen create a sense of quiet and peace – perfect for a cozy den space.”
BLUE
Different hues of blue can elicit different emotional reactions. It’s generally best, though, to stick with light hues because these serve best to create a sense of tranquility. While dark blues like navy are sometimes recommended for, say, dining rooms, such dark colors can be offputting to buyers and are best avoided.
GRAY
Gray is often recommended as one of the neutral tones that work well to help you sell your house in Santa Cruz. A light shade conveys a sense of softness, which can foster feelings of calmness and relaxation in viewers. But you have to be careful with gray.
“Gray is a tricky, tricky color. . . . There are so many different hues of gray that if you’re not careful, you can end up with an icy cold room instead of a warm retreat. The key is choosing a gray with the right base color, For example . . . a beige-based gray will create warmth, while a blue-based shade will have more of a cooling, icy effect.”
BROWN
Brown, like green, is a color associated with nature and can also have a calming effect. “Richer hues create a sense of coziness and quiet, making them perfect for a den or entertainment space where buyers could imagine spending time with their family. Lighter shades such as beige are quiet and calming, perfect for a formal living room, study, or hallways.”
Colors to Definitely Avoid
Certain colors that you may have been told are or seem to be good choices to help you sell your house in Santa Cruz really aren’t, for example:
DARK BROWN
Yes, we just recommended brown – but not dark brown. People just don’t like it. According to a Zillow study, houses with bedrooms or bathrooms painted dark brown sold for significantly less than expected. The Australian government even considered using dark brown on cigarette packaging to make the product less appealing.
OFFWHITE/EGGSHELL
White is often recommended as a good color for selling your house, and any old white should do, right? Wrong. That same Zillow study found homes with kitchens painted in offwhite sold for less than “Zillow estimated they would.” A much better choice for a kitchen is wheat yellow, which can actually boost the selling price. White is a good choice for spaces with plenty of natural lighting, but not for small dark areas.
SLATE GRAY
This is another color that proves the trickiness of gray. Homes with dining rooms painted in slate gray, Zillow found, saw a loss in selling price of more than $1,000.
TERRACOTTA
Another color that will not help you sell your house in [marekt_city] is terracotta, even muted shades of terracotta. Any shade or hue of orange is almost always a loser at sale time. “The negative reaction to orange walls isn’t too surprising, considering surveys have found it’s one of the least-liked colors in the world.”
Fresh paint can, no doubt, help you sell your house in Santa Cruz faster and at a better price. But get it wrong, and you could lose money or even a sale. With all the subtleties and nuances involved, why not let an experienced real estate agent help you get it right.
