Color Psychology in your Home

There are some common things like location, price, and features, that are highly recognized as having an impact on a homes 'sale-ability.' But, when there is healthy competition, sometimes the difference in those factors between multiple homes is negligible.

If two homes are neck in neck from a comparison stand-point with most considerations equal, you may find that the colors can help with the final tie-breaker. 

Your first "sell" to a prospective buyer is the imagery you put online with the listing, and even though the tools for creating a dazzling online presence - wide-angle photos, virtual tours and 3-D experiences for example - are more plentiful than ever, it's often the colors we use that makes the photos stand out, no matter how-high quality they are.
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Then there's the showing, when the home's aesthetics really come into play. To that end, decorators & stagers have found some of the colors that could help make your home stand out from the crowd, and the type of buyer who may respond to them.

Yellow
There's not a happier hue on the color wheel. Yellow is typically associated with happiness and, more directly, with sunlight. That makes it the ideal color for places that may not receive a lot of natural light, like a shady study, hallway or bedroom.  According to Realtor.com, lots of people don't particularly like yellow, which means it should be used strategically and subtly; softer hues like butter creams and soft yellows are often the way to go. If someone wants bright yellows they'll bring their own accessories (though some cheery yellow daffodils are never a bad idea, particularly in kitchens that may have a lot of white or black surfaces). 

Gray
Gray is considered a neutral, but it's trickier than that; the difference between a light gray and a dark slate can be quite substantial, as can a potential buyer's reaction to it. Connecting spaces like hallways and foyers are good places for gray paint, while its neutral qualities can play well with brighter pops of blue or yellow when it comes to accessories. Beige-based grays create warmth while blue-based grays how a more cooling effect.

Reds
Realtor.com warns designers away from using reds and oranges when wooing prospective buyers. Those colors are associated with action and intensity, and can make buyers feel anxious. 

White
If you're trying to sell a home in a hurry, white is the safest bet on the board, both internally and externally. It's clean, easy, refreshing, and easy to accessorize with accessories and trims of all colors. Best of all, white helps a potential buyer see the possibilities of a space - it's easy to say "well, we could paint this room X color" when it's a sparkling fresh white. Not the case when a room is painted navy or even a darker beige or ochre. It's also wise to make sure the exterior of your home fits, at least partially, with the rest of the homes in your neighborhood. Chances are white is going to work. 

Blue
Blue is a solid choice for a bedroom, as it is typically associated with tranquility and water - which most people find relaxing (there's a reason many blue hues have names associated with the ocean, after all). But it doesn't have to be all about the boudoir.

Green 
Green is soothing, and an effective choice for living areas and bedrooms, and - for those of you with a thumb of this color - plants can be an attractive way to make a sunroom or living space really pop on the cheap. The soothing green is versatile, as well.