Colour is powerful.

Red is stimulating, which is why it’s rarely used in classrooms. Dark blue is calming, while yellow evokes cheerfulness, much like sunlight. Green displays peace and stability.

Colours can bring up memories of people, places, or times – some positive, some negative. When preparing your home for sale, it’s crucial to avoid evoking the wrong feelings.

Opt for neutral, reflective colours like white or ivory for interiors, and use white, light grey, or tan for exteriors.

Colour can effectively create optical illusions that downplay a home’s shortcomings.

For example, lighter colours make a small space appear larger, while warmer colours can make a room feel smaller. To visually shorten a long, narrow room, paint the walls at either end in a dark, warm colour like deep brown.

To lower a high ceiling, use darker colours like coffee tones, greys, or dark green, ensuring the room is light enough to balance them. To make a low ceiling appear higher, paint the walls darker than the ceiling.

Busy walls with doors and vents can make a room feel smaller.

Using a flat tone for the entire room, including these features, helps them blend in.

Many experts prefer paint over wallpaper, but there are times when wallpaper is the better choice.

Especially if it covers a cosmetic issue or enhances a home’s historic charm. However, avoid large patterns, strong colours, and unusual designs.

Vertical stripes can make a room appear taller and hallways shorter, while horizontal stripes widen a room and lengthen hallways. Regardless of the design flaw being camouflaged, keep wallpaper as nondescript as possible.

Generally, the rule is to keep walls, ceilings and floors neutral and add colours with accent items.

Temporary splashes of colour can be added with all types of fabrics – area rugs, table cloths, napkins, sofa cushions, window curtains, bed spreads and quilts.

Kitchens can be spiced up with canisters, dish towels, framed prints, curtains, window blinds, wallpaper boarders and green plants. Just be sure to keep the plants watered.

Bring bathrooms to life with matching towel sets, bath mats, shower curtains, hand soaps, silk flowers, curtains, blinds and wall hangings.

In bedrooms, throw in colour through comforters or quilts, sheets, window treatments, area rugs, and plants or flowers.

Just keep in mind that these items are to enhance the look of the house. They are not to add clutter or make a statement.

You want the house to speak for itself.

Spend a Little, Get a Lot

✅ Use the proper type of paint for each surface you need to cover. Kitchen and bathrooms require paint that can withstand heat and moisture.

✅ Create a booklet with property tax statements, maintenance records, service work, utility bills, and warranties for the roof, electrical systems, and major appliances.

✅ Before showing the house, make the home inviting by cleaning windows, opening the drapes, turning on lights and playing soft music.

✅ Keep under-the-bed storage containers handy for last minute clean up. Fill them with clutter and move them out of sight.

✅ Light a couple of lightly scented candles to give a feeling of warmth and add a nice aroma.

✅ Purchase a new door mat to give the front door area a fresh look.

✅ All repair work can be negotiated. Don’t be afraid to ask for a better deal.

✅ To create a spacious feeling in the house, turn on lights in each room and leave every inside door open.

✅ Holiday displays and Christmas cards should be removed and stored by the first week of January.

Want to know what your home is worth?

Before you put your house on the market, you need to find out how much it’s worth in today’s market, so you can make your plans based on the most current information available.

We can prepare a detailed Pin-Point Price Analysis for you that shows the most current market activity in your area for homes like yours, and we can recommend an optimal marketing price range that will give you the best odds of selling quickly – and for top dollar!