Usually spring time in Chicago means homes are coming on the market. But little do people know, fall time in Chicago means getting your home ready for that spring market.
This surely has been a busy time. Not a day has passed that I have not gotten calls for homeowners wanting to start preparing their home for the new year. I love these types of sellers. Those who understand that it can take months to get your home perfectly ready to sell. I still have trouble when I get a phone call and people say, “We are putting our home on the market by the end of the week, can you help us stage it?” Staging is a process and sometimes it involves a lot more time and energy than just three to four days worth.
Many people always ask me, “What is the best bang for your buck?” when it comes to staging a home for sale and I always say PAINT! PAINT PAINT!
On average, you should be painting your home every 7-10 years. Dirt, marks, stains and peeling all creep up and age a home. Also, trending paint colors do begin to change.
I always tell realtors to trust their professional stager. Professional stagers take classes, workshops and more to keep up with the latest trends.
For instance, when I sold my first property, Real Estate Beige was the trending color. Six years ago, realtors were asking me, “Can you pick a beige color for the home?” and I couldn’t convince them that colors were changing.
Still, I started pushing clients to use gray and it has finally become a trusted color many home sellers are willing to try.
Here are some of my favorite gray paint colors to use when selling your home. But, as always, consult your local professional home stager as they will be able to foresee which one works best with your lighting, furnishings, woods, flooring etc.
Edgecomb Gray – Benjamin Moore
Gray Owl – Benjamin Moore
Gray Timber – Benjamin Moore
La Paloma Gray – Benjamin Moore
Revere Pewter – Benjamin Moore
Thunder – Benjamin Moore
Tundra – Benjamin Moore
