The Power of Paint

I often say, if you do nothing else, PLEASE paint! However, I make no profit off of you're paint job. Zilch! Nada! Nothin! However, the power of transformation in a can of paint is so remarkable and ultimately, that's my job. . . to transform your "lived-in" home to a fantastic, market-ready property. There is no better way to make that impact than with a gallon of paint!

Every single day, I walk into people's homes, prepared for my staging consultations and ready to be peppered with questions like "Should I move this table?" "Do I need new rugs?", "Should I buy a new sofa or throw away this bedding?" All of this while we are sitting in an orange Dining Room! Am I the only one who sees the kids crayon drawings on the bedroom walls or the scuff marks on the stair treads?! Can no one see the canary yellow Master Bathroom or the purple accent wall in the Foyer?! I am baffled by their surprise when I say "first, you MUST paint". Their surprise often turns to reluctance because they love yellow or purple is their daughter's favorite color. Or the orange dining room walls are perfect with their grandmother's china set. None of this matters when you decide to put the house up for sale. Not one bit!

Buyers will have a very difficult time evaluating the home when they are distracted by the color on the walls. They will automatically be adding up how much it will cost them, after all their closing costs, to paint the house. Don't get me wrong, we can reasonably expect a buyer to have to do some work when they move in. They may not like the color in the laundry room or prefer a different color in the bathrooms, but if the color of the entire house is assaulting them when they walk in, chances of them wanting to walk further into the home is slim to none.

Remember, we live in our homes very differently than how we sell them. Our homes are an expression of who lives there. Certain cultures prefer dark, rich color tones that flatter and compliment their life styles. Homes with young children often times have bright, colorful bedrooms and/or bathrooms. This is a wonderful way to live in our homes and use them in a way that suits our families. However, when you are serious about selling and need to move the home fast, effectively & at a higher price, the taste specific colors must be changed out for softer, neutral tones that almost disappear, allowing the structure of the home to shine through.

So, when I walk into a home ready to talk "staging", let's talk "painting" first. Because no amount of nice, new staging furniture is going to make a purple Foyer or an orange Dining Room marketable. Staging is about marketing your home. The money spent on transforming your home needs to be spent wisely because it will directly affect your sale. Therefore, as a serious Stager who values the transformation process, I believe firmly and wholeheartedly that you make sure the budget allows for both painting and staging. These two pieces of the puzzle go hand-in-hand and rely heavily on each other. You will be so glad you did!