By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR(R) Magazine
Emerald may be this year’s color of the year and hot hue, but which colors should you avoid?
Color research tells us some colors to avoid. Colors that can be considered, as some researchers note, “eye irritants” and can even cause headaches or mess with your vision.
According to color research, the worst offending color: Continue reading »
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR(R) Magazine
Home interiors are going green this year. Pantone has named “Emerald” its color of the year for 2013.
Pantone describes the jewel-like hue as a “lively, radiant, lush green” that can offer sophistication and luxury.
“Green is the most abundant hue in nature – the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “Symbolically, Emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal and rejuvenation. This powerful and universally appealing tone translates easily to both fashion and home interiors.”
Emerald paint, accents, and accessories will likely be decorating more home interiors this year. Pantone says that Emerald can be used to add luxury to an entryway, powder room, dining room, or study, or it can help transform a living room by using it as an accent wall. Emerald-colored bedding, pillows, and bath towels will also likely be making its way into more decors this year, Pantone says.
Emerald replaces last year’s color of the year — the reddish orange color known as “tangerine tango.”
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine
Photo Credit: Paint Quality Institute
Springtime is the best time to give a home a fresh coat of paint, according to the Paint Quality Institute.
“By painting in moderate weather, you’ll likely get a longer-lasting paint job,” says Debbie Zimmer, paint and color expert for the Paint Quality Institute. Zimmer says that exterior painting is best to do when temperatures are above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but not when it gets too hot. “Very hot days can cause the paint to dry too quickly and impair good paint film formation,” she notes.
Some more tips for exterior painting from Zimmer:
By Erica Christoffer, multimedia Web producer, REALTOR® Magazine
Looking for quick, easy ideas to bring a home to life, add value, or prep for sale without spending a lot? Learn from the pros! Designers who presented at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando last week had a plethora low-cost, chic ideas to make to most of an interior space.
1. Transform closets: Your clients might consider turning a smaller, awkward closet into a built-in with cabinetry and shelving, or if there’s enough space, even a desk nook. Add dramatic dimension with disc lighting on each shelf. Buyers are looking to maximize every inch of a home with workspaces and storage solutions they’ll actually use. (Jerry Collin, Kay Green Design) [Here are some great before and after closet transformations from Real Simple.]
2. Create a ‘Garage Mahal’: Make the garage an attractive space with a dedicated recycling area, wall mounted shop-vacuum, and maybe a mini (or big) refrigerator for adult beverages. When in doubt, hang it up – provide hanging areas for bikes, tools, equipment, etc. Consider installing a workbench and storage. (Jillian Prichard Cooke, DES-SYN)
Example of a grey color scheme in a great room.
3. Avoid seasonal colors: Greys and stone colors are the new neutrals. Accent them with bursts of bright blues, oranges or reds. (Marc Thee, Marc-Michaels Interior Design)
4. Provide simple luxury: A foldout cabana, two outdoor lounge chairs, and a small table is an inexpensive way to give a backyard living space a sense of luxury. Stage it with candles, flowers or cool drinks (iced tea, lemonade, water, etc.) that you can serve during an open house. (Jillian Prichard Cooke, DES-SYN) Continue reading »
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine
Did you know the color you choose for your home can at a subconscious level psychologically affect you or others? Choosing a wall color may have just gotten a little more stressful!
Scientific research has long pointed to the connection between color and its emotional or mental pull on our psyche, even if we do rarely realize it. And as a former psychology writer, I can’t resist the urge to bring back some of this scientific color research for you to consider when selecting paint colors.
After all, you can use such research to harness the positive energy of color when staging properties for sale.
A company called Colour Affects, based in London, is based on helping organizations and individuals learn how to draw from the psychological influence of color on human responses and behaviors.
Here are some of the insights they’ve drawn from color research, along with some of my “try it” tips for how you may be able to apply the information in your staging.
RED
This powerful pop of color can grab a person’s attention first and foremost, and has even been found to raise a person’s pulse rate. A 2009 study by researchers Ravi Mehta and Rui Zhu also found that red can actually improve a person’s cognitive performance too, making a person even more accurate and attentive to detail.
Try it: We all want buyers’ eyes drawn instantly to those selling features, right? Maybe a red accessory on the fireplace mantel or a vase of red flowers on those sparkling granite countertops can help you get buyers’ eyes right to where you want them.
BLUE
Blue is known as a soothing color that can be mentally calming. Blue actually tends to surface universally as the world’s favorite color, according to research, so you’re probably not going to turn off too many buyers by incorporating blue. However, you also don’t want to give people the “blues.” Sometimes blue has been found to be perceived as cold or unfriendly, so don’t overdo it.
Try it: A soft blue color in the bathroom or bedroom may just be the calming retreat you want to create in a home you have for sale.
Also, since blue has been found to make people more creative (studies have shown people in a blue room were found to be twice as creative than when they were in a red room), blue might be a good choice in a children’s room too.
YELLOW
This color is known as having the strongest impact psychologically. It can lift your spirits and is known as the color of “confidence and optimism.” Just don’t go overboard with it: Too much yellow has been found to make people feel emotionally fragile, depressed, or even suicidal–not the impact you want to have on buyers viewing your property!
By G. M. Filisko, contributing writer, HouseLogic
You’ve preached to sellers that curb appeal goes beyond making a good first impression and that the way their house looks from the street can impact its value and shorten the time it takes to sell. But have you given them concrete curb appeal tips they can implement today?
Get “8 free tips for adding curb appeal to your home” now available in the August “Curb Appeal” article package at the REALTOR® Content Resource. Here are just two of the tips you’ll find there:
1. Paint the house. Hands down, the most commonly offered curb appeal advice from real estate pros and appraisers is to give the exterior of your home a good paint job. Buyers will instantly notice it and appraisers will note it on the valuation. Just make sure you stay within the range of accepted colors for your market. A house that’s painted a wildly different color from its competition will be marked down in value by appraisers. Continue reading »
By Erica Christoffer, Web Producer, REALTOR® Magazine
Our 2010 List Issue should be arriving in your mailbox any day. In it you’ll find 281 business tips from the real pros — our readers. The Home & Design section is loaded with information, from “How to Spot Common Energy Leaks” to “6 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Home Stager.”
In “5 Ways to Add Condo Curb Appeal,” Debbie Rumsey with Century 21 Sea Coast in Encinitas, Calif. suggests sprucing up the front door to attract would-be buyers. Here are a few more tips for getting that condo door looking great for showings:
Pay attention to the details, such as removing cobwebs from the front door light fixture, says Maureen Bray from Portland-based Room Solutions Staging. If the door has a window, don’t forget to wash it inside and out. Curb appeal does not stop at the front door, she says. If the condo/townhome has a garage, make sure that door is clean and in good, working condition.
Consider the plethora of front door looks you can create by upgrading exterior door hardware, paint/stain color, exterior light fixtures, and unit numbers (if allowed by the HOA), says Kimo Stowell a real estate merchandiser with JDS Consulting: Hawaii Home Staging and Decor Design in Oahu, Hawaii. “Stoop accessories can create a virtual endless combination of eye catching details to your condo front door,” Stowell says. Continue reading »
By Erica Christoffer, Contributing Editor, REALTOR® Magazine
Looking for some quick home staging ideas that don’t cost a lot? Here are five inexpensive “Hip Tipz” from stager Charlene Storozuk that will help you show off a home with painting techniques and found objects.
1. Paint bedroom furniture antique white and the walls a darker tint. Add crystal hardware such as a chandelier or light fixtures for added elegance to create a French-inspired bedroom.
2. Frame a favorite tea towel for display in the kitchen.
3. Make the rooms off the hallway appear larger by painting them a lighter shade than the hallway.
4. Vintage door panels make an interesting headboard when painted.
5. Make a sloped ceiling appear taller by installing a shelf underneath at height of lowest point of slope.
By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine
It’s time to get those listings ready for the spring! A recent article in U.S. News & World Report by Luke Mullins, 10 Cheap Ways to Boost Your Home’s Sales Price by Spring, offers up some affordable ideas for getting a property in selling-ready shape in time for the spring sale season. Among the ideas in the article:
1.) Touch up the paint on the front door—it’s one of the first places buyers will look!
2.) Paint the interior a light yellow or cream color that creates a nice constrast with white woodwork. Continue reading »
By Erica Christoffer, Contributing Editor, REALTOR® Magazine
Walls are a key element of home staging. They are the canvas showcasing the greatest attributes of a house. But where do you start when preparing a home for sale? Staging Diva Debra Gould, president of Toronto-based Six Elements Inc., offers up five rules of thumb for handling walls in home staging.
Sometimes a brighter color is appropriate. In this dated bathroom, the wall color, towels and shower curtain make the 1920s bathroom tile work. A much cheaper solution than a renovation. Photo Courtesy of Debra Gould, stagingdiva.com.
1. Remove personal pictures: Those wedding portraits and baby pictures have to come down, as do diplomas and awards. Personal items such as these are distracting to potential buyers. You want them to focus on the home itself, not who the current home owners are.
2. Pay attention to the condition of the walls: If the walls are beat up, dirty or chipped, it can distract a buyer and negatively impact the sale price. “Paint is the cheapest, easiest, and fastest fix you can do on a house,” says Gould. The colors, she says should be fairly neutral, but not to the point of boring. Select an interesting neutral color palette with three to four tones, or colors that compliment the existing features of the room.
3. Hang mirrors: Big or small, round or square—there is a mirror out there for every style of home. “Mirrors are a great way to visually enhance a room and to help the room appear brighter,” says Gould. Mirrors can provide subtle stylish appeal or an anchoring focal point. Another benefit: they don’t cost a lot! But it is important to think about what the mirror will reflect—avoid unattractive or cluttered areas of the home.
4. Get some art: Select art work that accents the best qualities of a room. No controversial pieces, violent scenes, or religious art. “With staging, what you want to do is enable the buyer’s eye to move around the room and take in everything,” says Gould, and the art should help achieve that goal, not hinder it.
Don't hang art too high. It must visually relate to the furniture under it. Photo Courtesy of Debra Gould, stagingdiva.com.
5. Stay in proportion: Small pieces of décor get can get lost on large walls, while giant prints can be overbearing in an area with only a little wall space. Mirrors, paintings, and other elements of décor should relate to the furniture around it, Gould says. Consider the composition before you get out the hammer.
Internationally recognized home staging expert Debra Gould is president of Six Elements Inc. and creator of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. An entrepreneur for 20 years and author of several guides, Debra has staged millions of dollars worth of real estate and uses her expertise to train others worldwide. She also offers a Directory of Home Stagers and a free home stager locator service. For more information, visit www.stagingdiva.com.
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