Most of us arrange our homes to express ourselves – our travels, families, favorite colors and unique tastes. However, when selling a home, the goal is to create just the opposite – a clean, neutral background that appeals to several different types of potential buyers. They should feel that they could fit right in and be comfortable in your house. You can help to create this feeling inexpensively by simply neutralizing your home before putting it on the market. Here are some tips to do just that.
Use Muted Wall Colors
Unify your house with the same or similar colors in all rooms. While it is ok to use accent walls, remember that less is more. If buyers see brightly colored pink walls, they see work. Remember, buyers are in the process of moving, and are already overwhelmed with the task at hand. Light colors can be very appealing, but remember to stay fairly neutral. Grayed yellows, creams, light browns, and tans are muted colors that create a warmer, richer look. In general, avoid stark white, very dark, or bold colors. If you have dated wallpaper, consider painting the walls instead of replacing paper.
Develop a Neutral Backdrop
Strong political or artistic statements are not appropriate when your home is on the market. Even boldly displaying your college pride can work against you. We do not want buyers to focus on these matters while viewing your home. Large groups of family photos are also distracting. Collections, trophies and projects should be put away.
It is hard for buyers to look past these and visualize themselves in your house. Create a clean, simplified background. Within this background, use nice pieces of furniture, books, art and other objects to add color and beauty. Flowers in the entry and kitchen are additional nice touches. Find the best visual presentation using your furniture and possessions.
Simplify Flooring Materials
Neutral colors will increase the pool of potential buyers for your home. Your home will appeal to a wider audience. Stay within the range of tans, beiges, and cream colors for tile and carpets. Avoid strong colored or white carpets. Wood floors may be variety of browns. Natural stone floors have their own earth tones that work well. Avoid having many changes in floor materials across different rooms, if possible.
Refinish cabinets
One of the problems we often see in kitchens is worn out cabinet finish that takes away from the feeling you are providing by freshening up the floors and walls. Consider painting the woodwork for a fresh new look. Natural wood cabinets can also be improved by lemon oil or wax. New, updated cabinet pulls are an inexpensive improvement to enhance the cabinets.
In summary, neutralize the space in terms of colors and objects on display. Allow buyers to imagine themselves in your home during the showing. The goal is to reach the buyer emotionally, and sell your home quickly and profitably.