Dear Esther: We have been in our home for 20 years, and in that time, have made it our own. We’ve painted bedrooms colors to please our kids and enjoyed decorating according to our tastes. My husband is relocating, so we have to sell. Is it important to get rid of the colors, which we love?
The colors that you love, that are specific to your taste and lifestyle, will not necessarily be the colors that others appreciate. Your job in selling is to make your property appeal to as many buyers as possible, and neutralizing your home will do that.
This does not only include repainting walls and woodwork with an off white color. It also involves removing family photos, collections and trophies; replacing old and bright area rugs with more toned down ones; and scraping off colorful or busy wallpaper and borders. Your purpose is to create a clean, simplified background… A home that buyers can visualize themselves in.
You may feel like offering an allowance to potential buyers to pick their own carpeting, and paint makes more sense. But, purchasing a home is an emotional decision. Buyers need to love your home when there. Too much color and personal items can get in the way of them appreciating the beautiful home you’re selling.
I suggest that you contact a real estate agent who will help you make decisions about what colors to use and what to remove. She is in the business of helping sellers make their homes as appealing as possible to the most buyers. In doing so, she will guide you through the repainting/removing/de-cluttering process step by step. And then, before you know it, you will be packing and moving on.
If you have real estate questions, feel free to contact Esther Prosser, Stoltzfus Realtors, at esther@stoltzfus.com or 484-269-7153.
