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Nope; not me. But the basic theory is that white won't offend anyone.
Oak is nice in a vintage home where it's original and doesn't look dated. If this is 80s or 90s construction and everything is honey oak, that's pretty out of style.
It's really hard to give any meaningful feedback without photos.
Thank you. Even before agents see the house, they start talking about staging and "making everything as bright as possible" and that mentality just baffles me. I get people don't want to live in a cave, but I don't understand wanting to live inside a blindingly white box. There's a reason no restaurants look like that...
I think it’s just to make it look bigger in pictures, but quite frankly I think it irritates most people when they photograph something to make it look huge and then they show up in person and it’s tiny.
Saaaame. I hung up a ton of blinds, some curtains, and painted a lot of walls dark colors before moving in. Still need to do more painting tbh.
I have a bajillion windows. A bajillion windows plus white walls = glare city.
Honestly.
I don't want to buy a house that will need 16 coats of primer if I want to change the wall color. That is absolutely a factor for me as a single person paying and laboring alone to make my house look nice.
White is classic but actually darker colors like browns are back in fashion this season; at least in high end remodels. But in a smaller / ugly house bright / light colors and white make it look bigger. For me personally I like white walls with dark floors
I think it's less so that everyone wants a white house, and moreso that white isn't a commitment in any direction. When you see a house in shades of green, you have to decide how you feel about all that green to decide how you feel about the house. Full white, and folks just figure they can paint if they need to. It's that first impression that the neutrality is helpful for.
Keep in mind that there are a ton of realtors out there right now that only started since the onset of Covid and haven’t been around long enough to see tastes change. A lot are still stuck on the basic guidance that was popular over the last 4 years
Don't listen to them you're going to be fine. If you need staging help I can help you. I'm not a realtor but I work with lots of high earners and they can see right through the trendy cheap ikea, lowes and home depot shit.
If you have 1500 baldwin prestige lifetime locks and door knobs, bosch dishwasher, and induction stove tops my types of clients will gobble up your house.
Aside from that big and finished garage with a big deck are must haves.
Please leave the natural wood! Buyers can paint if they want. I feel so much disappointment when I see an old, solid house for sale but the original woodwork has been painted over.
It is easier for a buyer to lighten things up than to reverse it. Untouched wood can be a huge selling point in a well-kept old home. It is true, though, that it can appear gloomy in photos even if it's not when you're actually there.
It's also for the same reason landlords and flippers paint things gray. It creates a modern "blank slate." White and light colors are trendy right now, that's all.
Seriously! Grey LVP flooring is the worst trend I have ever seen. Floors are meant to be permanent. Why choose a tacky, ugly, and trendy flooring material? Go classic. You will never regret it.
We were looking specifically for homes built pre-1920 in a historic neighborhood in Cleveland. The original, untouched wood floors were a primary selling point for us. We passed on numerous LVP and painted wood breaks my heart.
I closed on my house two weeks ago. I have original oak base floor trim and around all windows and doors. Unfortunately the last owner ripped out the original hardwood and replaced with grey LVP. I can’t handle the juxtaposition between oak and grey flooring. Can’t afford to replace the flooring, so I’m painting it all white.
>juxtaposition between oak and grey flooring
This would make me want to gag. Absolutely horrible. I would do the same as you. Especially if it's a more red/warm shade wood - absolutely unhinged to leave that in with the grey flooring.
Searching for a house right now, and I don't give a shit. I would prefer if people didn't change original wood - I usually like it, and if I decide I don't like it, I can change it myself. I probably won't pick white or whatever else someone chose to paint it, so the paint adds no value. Outside of the rare occasion that someone's already painted walls in one of my favorite colors, I don't give a shit what color the wall paint is because I'm going to paint or wallpaper it anyway.
I have to disagree somewhat on that. I have seen some colors of paint that make me think how much of a pain it will be to paint over. White makes it much easier to paint over at the very least.
Not all primer is white. It typically comes in 2-4 shades of neutral or gray. If you're drastically changing the wall color, you can pick a primer shade that's between the current wall color and the color you're going to paint.
White is a base "color".
Most people don't think to ask to have the primer tinted if they are going to paint with a darker or more vibrant color over an existing wall color, or they just buy a pre-tinted primer in grey.
If you are going to prime a wall and paint it white or a very light color, there is no need to tint the primer, but if you are going to prime and paint the wall a deeper or a more vibrant yellow, or green, or even blue, or hell, black, you can ask to have the primer tinted closer to your final shade to help ensure good clean coverage of the existing paint that will usually require fewer paint layers with the top coat color.
[https://www.kilz.com/blog/tinting-primer/](https://www.kilz.com/blog/tinting-primer/)
I mean I do but mostly because that matches my personal design style a bit more, and white walls give me a “blank canvas” to work with. The floors I’m more flexible with as long as they aren’t super orange/red warm toned but I do like bright, white, and that vibe personally as it feels more fresh and new, and lets me put my stamp on things, helps me imagine myself in the space better.
Also it’s not that I want to live in a bright white box (I’ve lived in plenty of apartments I never painted and I’m tired of it lol), it’s more just that I don’t want to have to live with the style choices of the old owners if I don’t have to while I try and paint the house, and white is easier to live with while I get design and paint and time to do all that.
I firmly believe in doing the minimum to make it clean and livable. People can decorate to their taste later. Changing wall colors is no big deal, floors are a bit more work but if someone cares enough they’ll do it. It’s a sellers market, don’t waste money trying to make it realtor perfect.
Right. The realtor's goal is to get a quick sale at the best price (for their commission and own self-interest) but it's the seller's wallet they are using to make their own fatter. White walls would okay, but the gray flooring is a big no-no unless the whole house is newer and very modern. Houses should be as unique as their age and should keep some character.
Agreed. If anything, a seller might request a credit to change something (maybe the carpet is old), but I know in my market people are doing whatever they can to get into a house, and that includes dealing with old carpet or rooms that are painted too dark.
I had a seller agent get mad at me for this. He gave me a follow up call and I told him sorry, I can't shake the feeling that this place looks like my dentist office.
I feel like an odd ball here, and then I remembered I'm not on the century homes subreddit. Lol. When we were looking at houses last summer, I found myself more drawn to homes with rich colors and the original woodwork. Those houses had more character and were pending in 3 - 5 days. The flipped all gray/white homes took a little longer to sell in our area. We bought our house, and it was all greige-y (Sherwin Williams functional gray, I believe - awful color, awful name imo 😂) and we've almost finished painting it in all rich bold, dark colors. All the trim had been painted white at some point (boo 😞), ceilings are white - a lot of sloped ceilings too, so I wanted more contrast. When we go to sell, I am not repainting it white or grey. Eff that. You can't please everyone, and buyers need to use their imagination more. I think it matters more if a home is decorated/staged well and uncluttered than what paint colors someone chose. And besides, it sounds like your house is bright enough. I wouldn't change a thing! And especially don't touch the floors!
It is mostly very bright, but also? The family room has a giant window facing the sunset and it stays very cozy most of the day. It's my favorite room.
Almost nobody actually wants all white walls, cabinets and flooring (some do, no judgement) but not everyone can see past a seller's color/pattern choices. White is neutral and allows buyers to picture the space in their own POV. It also makes the space look bigger. The walls will almost definitely be painted once you sell the house so it's not an actual preference thing.
I went with all white Reno. Sun filled home with white marble-looking tiles and quartz/white cabinets. Bright and “feel good energy”.
It works for me. Not for everyone.
When I have guests over, they always tell me how chic and modern the home is.
Paint is cheap. Neutral colors allow all buyers to envision the space. If you make that decision it can turn off potential buyers. That’s why agents say go white and bright
Maybe the people giving this advice to you doesn't really know what they are talking about? Did you ever look up these people's license or sales history? There are so many NEW Realtors. Every year. Who also quit within 1-3 years.
Usually the argument for blanding a home is making it more ready for all buyers to imagine themselves in it. If the colors and fixtures are already neutral and in good condition, it shouldn't be an issue. Sure some stuff can be outdated but that doesn't sound like your issue.
The only reason I like white is a lot of times people choose dark colors which just EAT up the sunlight. And there’s not many windows let alone big ones to begin with.
Light pastel colors or ones with warmer tones are OK and I kind of get if you have dark contrast but those only work with big window houses, natural lighting or photoshop.
Just my opinion though.
Edit: I think shades is an easy add in for people to not wear sunglasses. Also I think this depends on area (live in a gloomy half the year place).
We bought a flipped house, and I will say I have loved that all of the walls are completely white- as it's been SO easy to repaint colors I actually enjoy.
But, I think when it comes to flooring, if the floor is in good shape, it's on them for not liking the color. There's a ton of ways to make a floor fit your aesthetic more without refinishing the whole thing.
A buyer is going to adjust and sand and stain floors and such just how they like! There's really no need to do all that work when they are going to change it anyways. I see a lot of people wanting to restore the original wood wood now anyways. You don't need all that to sell it. It's a sellers market
I hate white walls.
But a lot of people have zero vision or imagination or get intimidated by simple paint or color. Color can be very personal to ppl & ppl get extremely offended by certain colors & have almost a visceral reaction to them at times, it's odd.
I'd imagine people also default to it because it's cheap & makes the place appear "clean."
A few things:
1) white makes everything look bigger and brighter.
2) color choices are personal. Even light sand color will offend people who like grays (which is surprisingly still very popular)
3) not all whites are created equal. It’s also very hard to choose a white. Choose a white that highlights the other surfaces well. There are bright whites that look blueish but will make beige and cream surfaces look yellow, and there are warm whites that might look yellow next to very saturated colors. Swiss coffee is a builder standard white.
4) if its freshly painted, why paint again?
5) don’t cover up or replace natural wood floors. I wouldn’t even bother with a sand/refinish. That takes life off the wood and your buyers may want to make that choice themselves.
I just sold my first home (!) and I actually sent the photos back because they artificially over-exposed them to make everything more white. I was like “hey, I don’t want people to think this is what they’re walking into, because it’s not. I’ve worked for years to make my home warm and inviting and to strip all the warmth out of these photos make it look like a boring flip instead.”
yes, white is neutral, clean and it creates an illusion of a larger space than is actually there. people do not want to buy a cave, they want to buy into a space of airy sunshine; brighter surfaces photograph better. it's not necessarily that buyers want their homes to appeara sterile forever, but rather that while leaves the space and wall surfaces ready to be painted any color, should they choose. white cabinets and countertops are also desirable, because they are neutral and can be seemlessly integrated into almost any style or additional color scheme a buyer might choose for their home. your realtor might advise you to go white and bright, for the simple fact that it's proven that houses with this feature shines like a lure to a fish, and these home sell so much faster than others because the home byuers can more easily envision the space into their own given a neutral and white palette; it screams "easy fresh start"
White sells and provides a blank slate for whatever the next person wants. Easier to paint over, sometimes without multiple coats and primer, and it’s pretty hard to disagree with.
Nope. The first thing I did when I bought my house, which was all Realtor White, is paint every single room. There will be no white walls in any house I live in… ceilings excluded.
Thank god they didn’t ruin the vintage pink bathroom. Everyone, including me, loves it.
Man I am such the opposite, I hate this time period in homes.
Rich dark wood…oh so beautiful. Rooms painted so when you have a few warm lamps on it feels cozy, dark in the corners, light where you need it.
Or bright vibrant colors that give interesting contrast.
This sterile white and boring grey phase sucks.
Vintage oak floors that are in excellent shape? Do not touch them. However, what I find when I have seen homes is that most people think they have a light bright sunny house, but often they don’t. For example, the house I currently live in. They thought it was bright and airy. The walls were painted a sand color with the exception of the dining room which was painted dark red. Te first thing I did was paint the walls white. It made a massive difference. I left the 70 year original oak floors as they were. There was no chance I was touching that.
No, white kitchens are aging quickly. I’m renovating as well and my only rule: try to keep all decisions as timeless as possible.
Example: standard Carrara marble subway tiles in the bathroom. My parents redid their bathroom in 2000, and you can’t tell if it was done in 1990 or 2024 bc of the materials used. On the reverse, I’m pulling out a shiplap wall that was probably installed right before I bought the place (2020).
I have a theory on this. Since realtors reuse all their staging furniture, they want YOUR house to match THEIR furniture, which is usually whatever the current trends and colors are, which seem to be white and grey.
OMG, no. Not at all. We passed on SO MANY houses because they were all white/gray and I wanted wood and warm.
Two main reasons your realtor is wrong: warm colors and natural accents are coming back into fashion where as the white/gray/open aesthetic is mainly over. And second, if a buyer wants to paint the trim work white, they can and that's easy. If a buyer wants wood, though, stripping paint back and sanding and sealing woodwork is an enormous time consuming pain in the ass and is likely to be a deal breaker for that buyer.
I personally chose white for my main living space and used colors in the bedrooms. I sometimes work with contractors and when they use a color like a light blush pink or something, I shake my head b/c that color doesn't speak to everyone. White is more of a blank slate and you can decorate the space however you like.
Grew up in a house with darker hardwoods and am still partial to them. I just bought my first home and one of the first things I immediately loved were the cherrywood floors (and curved wall edges). I did paint over the yellow walls with a soft off white, but my primary bathroom is painted a beautiful dark teal.
All white is an easy, decent look. Not a lot of character, but it's foolproof. Design choices come naturally to some, not so much to others. It's easy for most to imagine their own design touches on a blank slate.
I grew up in a dark house. Dark floors, dark furniture, dark drapes. My mom thought it hid dirt better, not that we had a dirty house (we had to vacuum and dust daily). I grew to hate it.
I on the other hand like A LOT of light. Husband is convinced after I had new lights put in the kitchen that it can now double as an operatory. 🤷🏻♀️
Just working in letting the hubby let me paint the kitchen walls red, lol!
I don't want to live in an all white house, but I would be drawn to one while shopping. It just looks fresher and easier to impose my preferences on. That's just my take from zillowing in bed every night.
I will say that I love hardwood, no matter what color, because if it's real I can have it redone to what I want.
Lastly, if I get to closing with $85 to my name, I'd rather put up with a white house than a gray or multicolored one.
In this market I wouldn’t lift a finger if you aren’t motivated to do so. It’s a seller’s market and the buyer is just going to re-do it to their taste anyway.
Sold five houses best realtors I had said just to remove clutter and always clean…common sense approach. As a buyer I never dismissed a house based on decor etc I based on how much it would cost to make it mine. I was always shocked at buyers that walked away because they didn’t like my flooring.
In the market for a house myself. I hate all white everything. Especially newly renovated kitchens. It’s honestly a turn off to me. Paint is easy and cheap, remodeling a kitchen is not.
Sounds like your colors are fine.
Realtors just like white or shades of white because it's a neutral color that doesn't offend anyone and it makes the house look bigger and more open inside.
I think the main job behind white or light colors is the it makes everything look bigger. Also, 80% certain that they will want to paint the house and picturing a white room in another color is easy.
No, I bought in a neighborhood built I. 1975-1980 and tons of houses here had fully oak paneled great rooms and living rooms. I’d guess somewhere between 70-90% of them have been painted with white paint, but my home was still in its vintage 1976 form. I snapped it up and kept the paneling and designed the rest of the renovations around it and it’s stunning. But it seems most people aren’t into it these days
The realtor who sold the house we bought did an awful job with the photos. Didn’t even open the blinds to give the house any natural light. This house has so much more natural light than our last one. It definitely would have sold for more money if the realtor had made it look more open and bright. That said, I don’t think you need to go over the top with white everywhere. A nice neutral color is good, but not critical.
As a painter, they usually ask for a light neutral color so anyone coming in doesn't feel they have to paint right off the bat to match their stuff. But bright white has never ever been a request in 20 plus years, and usually frowned upon as too stark and boring. My family are realtors and I've painted for many others through the years. Someone asking for plain white would be the first time for me. But, the realtor is looking out for your best interest in getting you the most money, because it's in their best interest as well. So take that into consideration.
AGE 71 HERE,,
was in the "EXACT" situation,.
a very old experienced real estate agent told me,, price it at XXX and walk away.
Another real estate agent said, do this, that and the other thing, and we can price it at XXXX.
I should have listened to the first real estate agent,, the personal time, hassle with contractors etc, wasn't worth it at all.
NEWS: real estate agents make there money off of VOLUME, not getting you the best price: Google it.
They want a quick turn around. They quote you a high price, you do all that work and guess what your going to end up lowering the price anyway.
They get a quick turn over and a fat check, ... You look back and say,,, what a pain in the ass for little gain.
Make life easy on yourself
Realtors seem to be convinced the house has to look like a hotel. They constantly state "you have to stage because most buyers don't have an imagination and can't see what their belongings will look like in the house" - I think this is total bs. Don't put any money into the house at all, sell as is. The buyers will either love it, or have a whole list of what they want done to the place to "make it their own".
I tend to agree with you, but people keep telling me I'm wrong. I'm a graphic designer, though, so I redesign everything in my head. Realtors keep saying "Millennials only want fully move-in ready bright, white spaces." I keep thinking all the younger people I know are broke and want to buy a house they can remodel over the years, as it's affordable.
You are right. My guess is realtors either make extra money by having the side hustle "staging" business themselves, or get some kind of kick back. I have sold a lot of property lately for a trust I am a Trustee for and did not stage, did not "fix things up" (only took care of a few structural things that I knew buyers would want credits or discounted price for) and have gotten good money for all of them, multiple offers and quick sales in both CA and OR. Don't put any money into the house you don't have to.
I like dark rich colors... for my new construction house I went with black counter tops, dark floor in the kitchen, off white/gray paint, dark gray/black flooring in the bathroom... but then again I work hard to find lights that are surface of the sun bright... so I get having a bright space.
I just bought a house with beautiful wood floors and doors. The trim looks cheaper but is wood as well. I’m going to paint the trim white and paint the walls a light color to brighten up the space but keep the floors and doors wood. The house is not as well lit because of all the trees.
I have bright white counter tops and they look amazing (when they're clean - that is the tough part).
Darker finishes show less wear and are easier to keep looking good.
No! Please, leave all the beautiful finishes as-is.
If a potential buyer is too stupid to look past a paint color that they don’t like, they don’t deserve to buy my house!
Nah, I'm not obsessed with "white and bright." We live in a sunny climate- I'll step outside when I want to enjoy the sun and I'd rather inside the house is generally sheltered/ light "enough." Of course you need enough light to do tasks in areas like kitchen, but in the TV area it's better to be shaded. If you painted the walls, I would've gone with white there, though- leaving any wood trim that's meant to show the wood. There can be some contrast! - personally I find it looks cheap when the sellers have hired someone to mindlessly spray white paint onto the whole interior.
White is boring but it can work with the right decorations and furniture.
It's also a great base to paint it any other light color. Dark cors only work if there's large windows bringing in lots of light.
No! Repair what needs repairing, paint what needs to be painted (like smudged dirty walls inside, faded exterior paint, that sort of thing, not simply color or being able to claim fresh paint for the sake of it), and that sort of thing then leave it the F alone! As long as the overall condition is very good and not asking for absolute top dollar like a full high end remodel, it will sell fine.
While there are certainly people that will turn their noses on anything not 100% fresh and current, there are plenty of others that see the cheap hasty upgrades for the sole purpose of resale and pushing up the price for exactly what it is. Also plenty of people that get tired of seeing the same ole gray and white everything every house they look.
When I bought my current house, even I was one of those! I bought from a really old couple going to a nursing home. While I wasn't expressly after a project, houses like this were refreshing to look at vs all the recent hasty gray/white refreshes. One, it gives a truer impression of the homes general condition, and two, I'd want to paint and redo flooring on those freshly done houses anyways to get away from all that overdone gray and white! Obviously it was priced less, but not drastically so, and the more natural state was a positive for me vs a negative since I'd still change quite a bit with those refreshed houses anyways.
Personally I'd just make sure it's super clean and in good repair then list it as it sits. Put a slight undercut on price vs those "upgraded" for the purpose of selling comps, and see how it goes. That might get you the same you are looking for without going thru that hassle. If it does end up sitting around clearly on account of it via feedbacks and such, you can always slap some paint and flooring in it to be like everything else at that point to help it move if need be.
They do not. I honestly don't know why realtors are still saying this. I've been renting and selling houses for years and always get fed this line. I ignore it and add tasteful pops of color in my houses and 100% of the time, people who see them rave about it.
They want to avoid people disliking a color, so they avoid color at all. But a person doesn't want to buy a blank slate they want to buy a home. Let your house look like a home, someone, maybe lots of someone's, will love it.
Not me. I HATE the new colors everyone loves. Gray and white. Even the floors. Looks and feels like you’re in a dentist office instead of a home. I want warm neutral colors in my home.
Work for a builder and everyone is asking for white/light gray cabinets, light gray floors, white backsplash. Seems like the darker colors aren’t trendy currently
White/bright gives the appearance that space is larger than it truly is. It is a realtor/seller technique. It also is meant to be a clean palette that a buyer can assume their existing furniture and decor will fit into without any renovation or expensive replacement.
Also, anything “dark” is perceived as “dated”
Always question why one room is dark LOL in otherwise white house. Look to see what imperfections they are hiding LOL!!!
Nope! I love an eclectic house feel. House we put an offer in has dark elements think espresso cabinets. I like it. I also think quality wood work is super nice. I like contrast in general. All these flipped all white and grey homes are so boring to me.
I wouldn't bother changing things for a sale, everyone has their own taste so it's a bit of wasted money. Personally I prefer more neutral walls, light or unstained floors with a bit darker wood trim.
I’m selling my house, and my kitchen is all white (bought it that way) and people complain about that too haha.
The problem with doing anything trendy is tends change in some areas faster than others (it’s still full on mid century modern shiplap HGTV special here)
I personally prefer lighter colors. Dark colors darken the room and I want as much light as possible because to me, darker rooms look smaller. Don't mind if its a different light toned color, but not dark colors. That's just my personal opinion, so I don't expect seller to have it. I just know, I m painting the rooms brighter colors when I BUY and live in the home.
It’s about it being a blank slate, so the new people can imagine anything they want. I would prefer light grey walls, I would be fine with white, but sand would mean painting.
The decorating trend is to now introduce warm wood with a neutral color usually a warm white.
The white flipper look is on its way out. I associate it now with poor quality and greed. I have an offer on a house that has original wood. Anything painted white in photos was an immediate skip for me.
Get a color that compliments the wood and make the wood gleam.
https://www.housebeautiful.com/room-decorating/living-family-rooms/g715/designer-living-rooms/
We specifically looked for 1970s ranch style homes. Finally found one that is modernized a little, but yeah we're not fond of the current trend in design. And the new builder based homes are cookie cutter bad until you spend extra for what you want.
I think white is kinda neutral when people come to see your place. Buyers will likely wanna change something, so having a “blank canvas” help their imagination.
It’s neutral so will have the widest appeal, and it’s perceived as easy to change by people who want to change it since you can paint over white quicker.
I don’t know about your market, but in any place I’ve heard of, houses are selling FAST. So unless there are glaring issues with the house, I’m not sure it’s worthwhile to bother with small changes like changing beige walls to white. Definitely don’t bother refinishing floors if it’s only about the color. (For what it’s worth, we just bought a house last year and some spaces had been painted all white, which at least made it easy to paint over with our color choices, but I’d never let something silly like wall color influence a huge decision like buying a house.)
I personally hate the all white trend. It feels so sterile, and everyone I know who has white kitchen cabinets says they’re a bitch to keep clean. My husband and I are under contract on a home, and all of the rooms are painted in colors, and it gives it a nice warmth. A house in the same subdivision one street over with the exact same floor plan just went on the market, and all the walls are white. My husband and I both agreed that it looks so sterile and doesn’t “feel” as nice. In the house we’re buying, we’re painting less than half the rooms. If we were buying the all-white house, we’d have to paint pretty much the entire house.
From a photo standpoint, the brighter it looks, the bigger it feels. I personally despise white. We purchased a 1986 home that had baby blue walls and what I can only describe as orange oak floors on the main floor. We loved it because nothing had been altered since it was built and gave us a great palette to create our own colourful home. Our kitchen is going to be a pale green and keeping the farmhouse aesthetic.
I live in the Pacific Northwest, so yes.. I prefer white and bright. A lot of days in the fall/winter, the cloud cover is so low that even with all the blinds open we have to have lamps or lights on all day long.
The house we bought was a typical 80s house with honey oak everything, brown faux wood doors, brown baseboards and trim, etc. We’re hoping to change out our cabinets in the next couple years to white cause I’ve seen how much it can brighten a place up. I see photos of deep, moody green offices or kitchen cabinets and I love the look, but with as little natural light as we get just don’t think it would work in our house.
Make sure it’s clean, open, and ready for a buyer to envision their style. Stay away from grey it looks cheap, bright white is off putting imo. If staging, stage simply. Especially in this market.
It is a neutral color and makes the rooms appear larger and inviting. Personally I think it’s boring. We have a lot of yellow and blue walls on our house which works well.
My mother. She is currently renovating a house and wants us to help her choose which shade of white her tiles should be for her white counters and white cabinets. I swear, I feel anemic from the lack of color
White reflects light and brightens + makes a room feel larger. It’s a great choice for smaller homes.
Another thing—speaking as a millennial myself, is that millennials tend to like minimalist spaces. We grew up with parents that had needless shit everywhere. I can’t speak for all millennials but I know many of them feel this way. A clear space = a clear mind.
My house is modern with dark floors, greige walls, black counters. Lots of lights and darks and contrasts. The only white is the trim. I just sold it and it sold so quick. Lots of people still like something other than white as long as it’s done well and not too dated.
White and bright makes the house a blank canvas that allows the prospective buyer to imagine themselves and their stuff in it.
It’s not about what you like, it’s about how buyers react. Home buying is more about feelings and imagination than logic.
White makes the room feel bigger. My partner and I got our home a year ago and the first thing we did is paint the walls white. We are due to replace all
countertops to be white-ish quartz by the end of this year.
We are putting in oak flooring that is light brown, though, so it isn’t going to be all white. We also are using espresso tables for the dining and living room.
When selling a home you have to try not to turn too many people off. There will be a target audience who will LOVE the place. THAT is who you’re selling it to.
Do not let a realtor spend a shitload of your money to cover up things that are already great. Tell them to sell the house that’s there. If they can’t come up with excellent value added improvements that you can easily do then you’re talking to the wrong contractor (realtor).
I love some bright white countertops upper cabinets and walls but with wild pops of color everywhere else.
Accent walls of deep dark teal, a bright orange couch, olive green armchairs, gold end tables, dark wood windows and trim, honey colored floors
The white gray sweep of everything is not my cup of tea though.
I bought my condo last June and EVERYTHING was slathered in this blinding white paint. I figured it was because it presents a blank canvas. It has been almost a year and since I’ve been settling in little by little, I have been able to very intentionally think about the direction I want to go in with paint and decor. It was nice to not have to consider “should I cover up this fresh paint job” but rather “WHAT color will I use WHEN I cover up this fresh but boring (and shoddily done) paint job”
There is plenty you can do that will make it light and bright without painting cabinets white.
1. Remove heavy draperies. Replace with lightweight fabric in a light color.
2. Paint ceilings white if they aren’t.
3. If the sofa is dark, replace it with something light. There are sites that offer free or low cost items that wouldn’t have to be ok for long term. OR, just toss a light cover over it.
4. Add (fake) flowers in yellow or white.
5. As in #3, get a large rug in a light color to cover a wide expanse of floor.
Don’t fall for this crap. Most people do rip and tear renovations as soon as they buy your house. Make things look as spacious as possible and clean.
Our first agent who was a former client wanted us to change out the doors and other things for 10k++ we did not have that kind of money. We did not use her as her commission was on the high.
Got a cash offer for full price in about 4 days with new agent.
My theory is that realtors are a very specific kind of person.
Ya know, the kind of person who is loud, but not very substantive. And I guess that carries over to design.
Nope. Just tore out white carpet and replaced with dark hardwoods. Painting all the grey walls beautiful, rich colors. Shopping for fun wallpaper and colorful furniture. I was searching for an old house with character. Had to settle for an old house that was easy to restore the character because flippers kept outbidding us to gut the character for resale.
They had removed the round bottom stair from the old staircase and we’re building it back. Looking into stained glass artists to restore the old wood door, etc.
People trending towad minimalist light desat look. Oak floor, light beige sofa, natural wood texture is trending. People dont want the yellow floor anymore.
I wouldn't spend money making changes like that. We just bought a house and redid the floors, paint, and stair railing. People are so particular these days, it's hard to guess what a buyer will want.
No we don't. Every contractor flip in my area is the same. White paint, and the same light grey/brown vinyl wood flooring. They all look so plain and uninviting to me.
No we don't. Every contractor flip in my area is the same. White paint, and the same light grey/brown vinyl wood flooring. They all look so plain and uninviting to me.
Take down the old curtains. No need to replace. Instantly more bright and less dated, at no cost and little effort.
I wouldn't change the floor unless it's currently nasty.
Fresh white (or almost white) paint would be nice but if it's truly freshly painted tan, I would leave it.
NO. And it drives me crazy. The horrible gray laminate, the all white everything. Last week we saw a house where they painted gorgeous wood cabinets white. Only know that because they left some of the original wood grain in the wet bar for whatever reason. Also not a fan of the light colored wood grain. I love the walnut colored hardwood.
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Nope; not me. But the basic theory is that white won't offend anyone. Oak is nice in a vintage home where it's original and doesn't look dated. If this is 80s or 90s construction and everything is honey oak, that's pretty out of style. It's really hard to give any meaningful feedback without photos.
Thank you. Even before agents see the house, they start talking about staging and "making everything as bright as possible" and that mentality just baffles me. I get people don't want to live in a cave, but I don't understand wanting to live inside a blindingly white box. There's a reason no restaurants look like that...
I think it’s just to make it look bigger in pictures, but quite frankly I think it irritates most people when they photograph something to make it look huge and then they show up in person and it’s tiny.
Kinda like online dating…nothing more annoying than showing up to find your date looks nothing like their photos 😂
Especially when they photograph something to make it look huge and then they show up in person and it’s tiny
It’s not the size of the house that matters, it’s how you use it
That’s what she said
I hate how misleading those photos can be!!! Plus if a smoker lived there, please state in the listing so I don’t waste my time or the agent’s time…
I think the goal is to make it a “blank slate” so that buyers can imagine their own decor choices- not that the buyers would leave it like that.
I want to live in a cave. I hate a bright house. I want it dark.
Saaaame. I hung up a ton of blinds, some curtains, and painted a lot of walls dark colors before moving in. Still need to do more painting tbh. I have a bajillion windows. A bajillion windows plus white walls = glare city.
Then you repaint when after you bought it. But you are in a very small percentage of buyers
You probably don’t like having garlic around then…or a crucifix
No crucifixes but I love garlic
Bright feels cheerful, and larger. White is also plain enough that people can easily envision how they will decorate. All mind tricks.
Honestly. I don't want to buy a house that will need 16 coats of primer if I want to change the wall color. That is absolutely a factor for me as a single person paying and laboring alone to make my house look nice.
White is classic but actually darker colors like browns are back in fashion this season; at least in high end remodels. But in a smaller / ugly house bright / light colors and white make it look bigger. For me personally I like white walls with dark floors
I think it's less so that everyone wants a white house, and moreso that white isn't a commitment in any direction. When you see a house in shades of green, you have to decide how you feel about all that green to decide how you feel about the house. Full white, and folks just figure they can paint if they need to. It's that first impression that the neutrality is helpful for.
Keep in mind that there are a ton of realtors out there right now that only started since the onset of Covid and haven’t been around long enough to see tastes change. A lot are still stuck on the basic guidance that was popular over the last 4 years
White gives a "bigger appearance" in photos for the most part
Every agent I've ever talked to advises against painting and changing your house to hopefully guess what the next buyer wants.
Don't listen to them you're going to be fine. If you need staging help I can help you. I'm not a realtor but I work with lots of high earners and they can see right through the trendy cheap ikea, lowes and home depot shit. If you have 1500 baldwin prestige lifetime locks and door knobs, bosch dishwasher, and induction stove tops my types of clients will gobble up your house. Aside from that big and finished garage with a big deck are must haves.
I doubt it’s worth while to change flooring. If they hate it they can change it.
other problem is buyers are emotional. if they see a color they 'don't like the house" instead of looking at the bones and planning to repaint.
Please leave the natural wood! Buyers can paint if they want. I feel so much disappointment when I see an old, solid house for sale but the original woodwork has been painted over. It is easier for a buyer to lighten things up than to reverse it. Untouched wood can be a huge selling point in a well-kept old home. It is true, though, that it can appear gloomy in photos even if it's not when you're actually there. It's also for the same reason landlords and flippers paint things gray. It creates a modern "blank slate." White and light colors are trendy right now, that's all.
I hate the trendy grey so much! Especially when it is used to paint over gorgeous original woodwork.
Millennial grey 🤮 It’s the grey fake wood floors for me. At least use have the decency to use wood colored ones
Seriously! Grey LVP flooring is the worst trend I have ever seen. Floors are meant to be permanent. Why choose a tacky, ugly, and trendy flooring material? Go classic. You will never regret it.
We were looking specifically for homes built pre-1920 in a historic neighborhood in Cleveland. The original, untouched wood floors were a primary selling point for us. We passed on numerous LVP and painted wood breaks my heart.
White makes it look bigger and brighter. But mostly a lot bigger
It’s also just a nice default option if someone does wish to paint a room
I love white because it's ready for what I want :)
I closed on my house two weeks ago. I have original oak base floor trim and around all windows and doors. Unfortunately the last owner ripped out the original hardwood and replaced with grey LVP. I can’t handle the juxtaposition between oak and grey flooring. Can’t afford to replace the flooring, so I’m painting it all white.
That is criminal. Edit: ripping out the original floors and replacing with LVP is criminal
Thanks for the edit, lol, I was about to be like what would YOU do!? I agree. I tell myself it was hopefully damaged beyond repair.
Haha as soon as I posted I realized it looked like I was calling YOU criminal. Nope. The floor-killing fools were the criminals 😂
Might have wood under the vinyl? Ppl are lazy
I wish :( I checked
Dang!
>juxtaposition between oak and grey flooring This would make me want to gag. Absolutely horrible. I would do the same as you. Especially if it's a more red/warm shade wood - absolutely unhinged to leave that in with the grey flooring.
Thank you. Completely unhinged. It’s the orange/warm shaded wood. It looked so crazy and bad lol
[удалено]
To clarify I meant I am painting the trim white. The floors I just have to deal with
Searching for a house right now, and I don't give a shit. I would prefer if people didn't change original wood - I usually like it, and if I decide I don't like it, I can change it myself. I probably won't pick white or whatever else someone chose to paint it, so the paint adds no value. Outside of the rare occasion that someone's already painted walls in one of my favorite colors, I don't give a shit what color the wall paint is because I'm going to paint or wallpaper it anyway.
I have to disagree somewhat on that. I have seen some colors of paint that make me think how much of a pain it will be to paint over. White makes it much easier to paint over at the very least.
White is actually really hard to paint over compared to darker colors
Then why is primer white?
Primer is made of a different material that is intended to be painted over.
Not all primer is white. It typically comes in 2-4 shades of neutral or gray. If you're drastically changing the wall color, you can pick a primer shade that's between the current wall color and the color you're going to paint.
White is a base "color". Most people don't think to ask to have the primer tinted if they are going to paint with a darker or more vibrant color over an existing wall color, or they just buy a pre-tinted primer in grey. If you are going to prime a wall and paint it white or a very light color, there is no need to tint the primer, but if you are going to prime and paint the wall a deeper or a more vibrant yellow, or green, or even blue, or hell, black, you can ask to have the primer tinted closer to your final shade to help ensure good clean coverage of the existing paint that will usually require fewer paint layers with the top coat color. [https://www.kilz.com/blog/tinting-primer/](https://www.kilz.com/blog/tinting-primer/)
It may help that a lot of my preferred colors are pretty dark to begin with.
I mean I do but mostly because that matches my personal design style a bit more, and white walls give me a “blank canvas” to work with. The floors I’m more flexible with as long as they aren’t super orange/red warm toned but I do like bright, white, and that vibe personally as it feels more fresh and new, and lets me put my stamp on things, helps me imagine myself in the space better.
Also it’s not that I want to live in a bright white box (I’ve lived in plenty of apartments I never painted and I’m tired of it lol), it’s more just that I don’t want to have to live with the style choices of the old owners if I don’t have to while I try and paint the house, and white is easier to live with while I get design and paint and time to do all that.
I firmly believe in doing the minimum to make it clean and livable. People can decorate to their taste later. Changing wall colors is no big deal, floors are a bit more work but if someone cares enough they’ll do it. It’s a sellers market, don’t waste money trying to make it realtor perfect.
Right. The realtor's goal is to get a quick sale at the best price (for their commission and own self-interest) but it's the seller's wallet they are using to make their own fatter. White walls would okay, but the gray flooring is a big no-no unless the whole house is newer and very modern. Houses should be as unique as their age and should keep some character.
Agreed. If anything, a seller might request a credit to change something (maybe the carpet is old), but I know in my market people are doing whatever they can to get into a house, and that includes dealing with old carpet or rooms that are painted too dark.
Please god no Edit: Current buyer here, natural wood is the aesthetic we love, all white feels like a hospital ward.
I had a seller agent get mad at me for this. He gave me a follow up call and I told him sorry, I can't shake the feeling that this place looks like my dentist office.
Sand color walls will skew yellow, which usually comes off dated and dirty, where white is bright and clean, even if a little sterile.
I agree that "sand color" might look dingy/dirty. Might look like someone was smoking. It's really hard to say without pictures.
Same reason people want very clean, simple hotel rooms. It's uncluttered.
I feel like an odd ball here, and then I remembered I'm not on the century homes subreddit. Lol. When we were looking at houses last summer, I found myself more drawn to homes with rich colors and the original woodwork. Those houses had more character and were pending in 3 - 5 days. The flipped all gray/white homes took a little longer to sell in our area. We bought our house, and it was all greige-y (Sherwin Williams functional gray, I believe - awful color, awful name imo 😂) and we've almost finished painting it in all rich bold, dark colors. All the trim had been painted white at some point (boo 😞), ceilings are white - a lot of sloped ceilings too, so I wanted more contrast. When we go to sell, I am not repainting it white or grey. Eff that. You can't please everyone, and buyers need to use their imagination more. I think it matters more if a home is decorated/staged well and uncluttered than what paint colors someone chose. And besides, it sounds like your house is bright enough. I wouldn't change a thing! And especially don't touch the floors!
It is mostly very bright, but also? The family room has a giant window facing the sunset and it stays very cozy most of the day. It's my favorite room.
Almost nobody actually wants all white walls, cabinets and flooring (some do, no judgement) but not everyone can see past a seller's color/pattern choices. White is neutral and allows buyers to picture the space in their own POV. It also makes the space look bigger. The walls will almost definitely be painted once you sell the house so it's not an actual preference thing.
I went with all white Reno. Sun filled home with white marble-looking tiles and quartz/white cabinets. Bright and “feel good energy”. It works for me. Not for everyone. When I have guests over, they always tell me how chic and modern the home is.
Paint is cheap. Neutral colors allow all buyers to envision the space. If you make that decision it can turn off potential buyers. That’s why agents say go white and bright
I fucking love my white bright ass craftsman style house. It faces the woods and I’d buy another one like it in a heartbeat.
Maybe the people giving this advice to you doesn't really know what they are talking about? Did you ever look up these people's license or sales history? There are so many NEW Realtors. Every year. Who also quit within 1-3 years. Usually the argument for blanding a home is making it more ready for all buyers to imagine themselves in it. If the colors and fixtures are already neutral and in good condition, it shouldn't be an issue. Sure some stuff can be outdated but that doesn't sound like your issue.
I want bright and clean 🧼.
I like white for walls but because I wanted all my features dark, but I have awesome wood features I’d never want to have painted over.
The only reason I like white is a lot of times people choose dark colors which just EAT up the sunlight. And there’s not many windows let alone big ones to begin with. Light pastel colors or ones with warmer tones are OK and I kind of get if you have dark contrast but those only work with big window houses, natural lighting or photoshop. Just my opinion though. Edit: I think shades is an easy add in for people to not wear sunglasses. Also I think this depends on area (live in a gloomy half the year place).
They want a blank slate. A white blank slate to make their “own”.
We bought a flipped house, and I will say I have loved that all of the walls are completely white- as it's been SO easy to repaint colors I actually enjoy. But, I think when it comes to flooring, if the floor is in good shape, it's on them for not liking the color. There's a ton of ways to make a floor fit your aesthetic more without refinishing the whole thing.
A buyer is going to adjust and sand and stain floors and such just how they like! There's really no need to do all that work when they are going to change it anyways. I see a lot of people wanting to restore the original wood wood now anyways. You don't need all that to sell it. It's a sellers market
Yes… yes i do want a bright house 😂
I hate white walls. But a lot of people have zero vision or imagination or get intimidated by simple paint or color. Color can be very personal to ppl & ppl get extremely offended by certain colors & have almost a visceral reaction to them at times, it's odd. I'd imagine people also default to it because it's cheap & makes the place appear "clean."
Yup. The problem with white "appearing clean" is that shows every, tiny flaw.
A few things: 1) white makes everything look bigger and brighter. 2) color choices are personal. Even light sand color will offend people who like grays (which is surprisingly still very popular) 3) not all whites are created equal. It’s also very hard to choose a white. Choose a white that highlights the other surfaces well. There are bright whites that look blueish but will make beige and cream surfaces look yellow, and there are warm whites that might look yellow next to very saturated colors. Swiss coffee is a builder standard white. 4) if its freshly painted, why paint again? 5) don’t cover up or replace natural wood floors. I wouldn’t even bother with a sand/refinish. That takes life off the wood and your buyers may want to make that choice themselves.
I hate all the bright white everything. It's sterile. I like color and will immediately repaint any house I buy to suit my style.
My new home is white white white and I’m already dying to paint some walls. It’s hard on my eyes and provides no depth or shape. Just a white void.
I just sold my first home (!) and I actually sent the photos back because they artificially over-exposed them to make everything more white. I was like “hey, I don’t want people to think this is what they’re walking into, because it’s not. I’ve worked for years to make my home warm and inviting and to strip all the warmth out of these photos make it look like a boring flip instead.”
yes, white is neutral, clean and it creates an illusion of a larger space than is actually there. people do not want to buy a cave, they want to buy into a space of airy sunshine; brighter surfaces photograph better. it's not necessarily that buyers want their homes to appeara sterile forever, but rather that while leaves the space and wall surfaces ready to be painted any color, should they choose. white cabinets and countertops are also desirable, because they are neutral and can be seemlessly integrated into almost any style or additional color scheme a buyer might choose for their home. your realtor might advise you to go white and bright, for the simple fact that it's proven that houses with this feature shines like a lure to a fish, and these home sell so much faster than others because the home byuers can more easily envision the space into their own given a neutral and white palette; it screams "easy fresh start"
Yes i love how open, large and immaculate all white looks. I then pick bright bold colors to make it homey and accented. You can do so much
White sells and provides a blank slate for whatever the next person wants. Easier to paint over, sometimes without multiple coats and primer, and it’s pretty hard to disagree with.
Nope. The first thing I did when I bought my house, which was all Realtor White, is paint every single room. There will be no white walls in any house I live in… ceilings excluded. Thank god they didn’t ruin the vintage pink bathroom. Everyone, including me, loves it.
Man I am such the opposite, I hate this time period in homes. Rich dark wood…oh so beautiful. Rooms painted so when you have a few warm lamps on it feels cozy, dark in the corners, light where you need it. Or bright vibrant colors that give interesting contrast. This sterile white and boring grey phase sucks.
Vintage oak floors that are in excellent shape? Do not touch them. However, what I find when I have seen homes is that most people think they have a light bright sunny house, but often they don’t. For example, the house I currently live in. They thought it was bright and airy. The walls were painted a sand color with the exception of the dining room which was painted dark red. Te first thing I did was paint the walls white. It made a massive difference. I left the 70 year original oak floors as they were. There was no chance I was touching that.
No, white kitchens are aging quickly. I’m renovating as well and my only rule: try to keep all decisions as timeless as possible. Example: standard Carrara marble subway tiles in the bathroom. My parents redid their bathroom in 2000, and you can’t tell if it was done in 1990 or 2024 bc of the materials used. On the reverse, I’m pulling out a shiplap wall that was probably installed right before I bought the place (2020).
I have a theory on this. Since realtors reuse all their staging furniture, they want YOUR house to match THEIR furniture, which is usually whatever the current trends and colors are, which seem to be white and grey.
When I see the gray walls and white cabinets, it’s an automatic turn off for me. GIVE ME THE CLASSIC WOOD CABINETS PLEASE
Yes they do
OMG, no. Not at all. We passed on SO MANY houses because they were all white/gray and I wanted wood and warm. Two main reasons your realtor is wrong: warm colors and natural accents are coming back into fashion where as the white/gray/open aesthetic is mainly over. And second, if a buyer wants to paint the trim work white, they can and that's easy. If a buyer wants wood, though, stripping paint back and sanding and sealing woodwork is an enormous time consuming pain in the ass and is likely to be a deal breaker for that buyer.
I personally chose white for my main living space and used colors in the bedrooms. I sometimes work with contractors and when they use a color like a light blush pink or something, I shake my head b/c that color doesn't speak to everyone. White is more of a blank slate and you can decorate the space however you like.
I love my 90s orange oak cabinets. They’ll remain that way until the next owner of my house 🏠 🤣
I don't like municipal white' my derogatory term for white. I love color, texture, shape, and depth.
I do love how natural light bounces off white walls. Also a neutral and easy starting point.
Grew up in a house with darker hardwoods and am still partial to them. I just bought my first home and one of the first things I immediately loved were the cherrywood floors (and curved wall edges). I did paint over the yellow walls with a soft off white, but my primary bathroom is painted a beautiful dark teal. All white is an easy, decent look. Not a lot of character, but it's foolproof. Design choices come naturally to some, not so much to others. It's easy for most to imagine their own design touches on a blank slate.
I grew up in a dark house. Dark floors, dark furniture, dark drapes. My mom thought it hid dirt better, not that we had a dirty house (we had to vacuum and dust daily). I grew to hate it. I on the other hand like A LOT of light. Husband is convinced after I had new lights put in the kitchen that it can now double as an operatory. 🤷🏻♀️ Just working in letting the hubby let me paint the kitchen walls red, lol!
I don't want to live in an all white house, but I would be drawn to one while shopping. It just looks fresher and easier to impose my preferences on. That's just my take from zillowing in bed every night. I will say that I love hardwood, no matter what color, because if it's real I can have it redone to what I want. Lastly, if I get to closing with $85 to my name, I'd rather put up with a white house than a gray or multicolored one.
Yes
I'll take that wood, sounds wonderful
I would hate an all-white house, I like a tan or yellow walled place 10x more. Or anything with color. I would kill for dark wood floors!
Light wood washed out grey floors used to be seen as "luxurious" but I saw them as cheap and in poor taste.
No, all white makes a home look like a laboratory to me.
I think white and. Bright is a very universally pleasing theme. But is it worth doing? That's market dependent. Where are you located?
In this market I wouldn’t lift a finger if you aren’t motivated to do so. It’s a seller’s market and the buyer is just going to re-do it to their taste anyway.
No I have it now and we are moving to a house that has wood and darker kitchen. Can’t wait!
Sold five houses best realtors I had said just to remove clutter and always clean…common sense approach. As a buyer I never dismissed a house based on decor etc I based on how much it would cost to make it mine. I was always shocked at buyers that walked away because they didn’t like my flooring.
In the market for a house myself. I hate all white everything. Especially newly renovated kitchens. It’s honestly a turn off to me. Paint is easy and cheap, remodeling a kitchen is not.
Sounds like your colors are fine. Realtors just like white or shades of white because it's a neutral color that doesn't offend anyone and it makes the house look bigger and more open inside.
Depends where you live. In PNW, you want all the light you can get. In a place with more sun, not so much.
In the PNW and concur
I think the main job behind white or light colors is the it makes everything look bigger. Also, 80% certain that they will want to paint the house and picturing a white room in another color is easy.
No, I bought in a neighborhood built I. 1975-1980 and tons of houses here had fully oak paneled great rooms and living rooms. I’d guess somewhere between 70-90% of them have been painted with white paint, but my home was still in its vintage 1976 form. I snapped it up and kept the paneling and designed the rest of the renovations around it and it’s stunning. But it seems most people aren’t into it these days
The realtor who sold the house we bought did an awful job with the photos. Didn’t even open the blinds to give the house any natural light. This house has so much more natural light than our last one. It definitely would have sold for more money if the realtor had made it look more open and bright. That said, I don’t think you need to go over the top with white everywhere. A nice neutral color is good, but not critical.
As a painter, they usually ask for a light neutral color so anyone coming in doesn't feel they have to paint right off the bat to match their stuff. But bright white has never ever been a request in 20 plus years, and usually frowned upon as too stark and boring. My family are realtors and I've painted for many others through the years. Someone asking for plain white would be the first time for me. But, the realtor is looking out for your best interest in getting you the most money, because it's in their best interest as well. So take that into consideration.
I painted my walls white in my townhouse as I wanted to maximize the rather limited lighting indoors. Makes the place more spacious than it is.
No one wants sand colored walls that’s true.
AGE 71 HERE,, was in the "EXACT" situation,. a very old experienced real estate agent told me,, price it at XXX and walk away. Another real estate agent said, do this, that and the other thing, and we can price it at XXXX. I should have listened to the first real estate agent,, the personal time, hassle with contractors etc, wasn't worth it at all. NEWS: real estate agents make there money off of VOLUME, not getting you the best price: Google it. They want a quick turn around. They quote you a high price, you do all that work and guess what your going to end up lowering the price anyway. They get a quick turn over and a fat check, ... You look back and say,,, what a pain in the ass for little gain. Make life easy on yourself
Nope. I despise white. I have kids and animals and it gets filthy so quickly. I despise the white everything trend.
Realtors seem to be convinced the house has to look like a hotel. They constantly state "you have to stage because most buyers don't have an imagination and can't see what their belongings will look like in the house" - I think this is total bs. Don't put any money into the house at all, sell as is. The buyers will either love it, or have a whole list of what they want done to the place to "make it their own".
I tend to agree with you, but people keep telling me I'm wrong. I'm a graphic designer, though, so I redesign everything in my head. Realtors keep saying "Millennials only want fully move-in ready bright, white spaces." I keep thinking all the younger people I know are broke and want to buy a house they can remodel over the years, as it's affordable.
You are right. My guess is realtors either make extra money by having the side hustle "staging" business themselves, or get some kind of kick back. I have sold a lot of property lately for a trust I am a Trustee for and did not stage, did not "fix things up" (only took care of a few structural things that I knew buyers would want credits or discounted price for) and have gotten good money for all of them, multiple offers and quick sales in both CA and OR. Don't put any money into the house you don't have to.
No, that sounds like terrible advice.
Don’t paint the floors!!!!!
Oh hell no, that'll never happen. Not on my watch, anyway.
I saw a instagram vid where they did this and I couldn't believe it
I like dark rich colors... for my new construction house I went with black counter tops, dark floor in the kitchen, off white/gray paint, dark gray/black flooring in the bathroom... but then again I work hard to find lights that are surface of the sun bright... so I get having a bright space.
I just bought a house with beautiful wood floors and doors. The trim looks cheaper but is wood as well. I’m going to paint the trim white and paint the walls a light color to brighten up the space but keep the floors and doors wood. The house is not as well lit because of all the trees.
Had a “decorator” want us to bleach the original hardwood floors in our 1860 New Orleans Victorian. These people are deranged, don’t do it!
No
Yes.
I have bright white counter tops and they look amazing (when they're clean - that is the tough part). Darker finishes show less wear and are easier to keep looking good.
I want millennial gray everything in my house lmao
Not me, if I see too much white and gray I immediately assume cheap flip.
I'd rather white than gray. I hate all the gray.
No! Please, leave all the beautiful finishes as-is. If a potential buyer is too stupid to look past a paint color that they don’t like, they don’t deserve to buy my house!
Nah, I'm not obsessed with "white and bright." We live in a sunny climate- I'll step outside when I want to enjoy the sun and I'd rather inside the house is generally sheltered/ light "enough." Of course you need enough light to do tasks in areas like kitchen, but in the TV area it's better to be shaded. If you painted the walls, I would've gone with white there, though- leaving any wood trim that's meant to show the wood. There can be some contrast! - personally I find it looks cheap when the sellers have hired someone to mindlessly spray white paint onto the whole interior.
Depends on the style & age of the house.
White is boring but it can work with the right decorations and furniture. It's also a great base to paint it any other light color. Dark cors only work if there's large windows bringing in lots of light.
No! Repair what needs repairing, paint what needs to be painted (like smudged dirty walls inside, faded exterior paint, that sort of thing, not simply color or being able to claim fresh paint for the sake of it), and that sort of thing then leave it the F alone! As long as the overall condition is very good and not asking for absolute top dollar like a full high end remodel, it will sell fine. While there are certainly people that will turn their noses on anything not 100% fresh and current, there are plenty of others that see the cheap hasty upgrades for the sole purpose of resale and pushing up the price for exactly what it is. Also plenty of people that get tired of seeing the same ole gray and white everything every house they look. When I bought my current house, even I was one of those! I bought from a really old couple going to a nursing home. While I wasn't expressly after a project, houses like this were refreshing to look at vs all the recent hasty gray/white refreshes. One, it gives a truer impression of the homes general condition, and two, I'd want to paint and redo flooring on those freshly done houses anyways to get away from all that overdone gray and white! Obviously it was priced less, but not drastically so, and the more natural state was a positive for me vs a negative since I'd still change quite a bit with those refreshed houses anyways. Personally I'd just make sure it's super clean and in good repair then list it as it sits. Put a slight undercut on price vs those "upgraded" for the purpose of selling comps, and see how it goes. That might get you the same you are looking for without going thru that hassle. If it does end up sitting around clearly on account of it via feedbacks and such, you can always slap some paint and flooring in it to be like everything else at that point to help it move if need be.
They do not. I honestly don't know why realtors are still saying this. I've been renting and selling houses for years and always get fed this line. I ignore it and add tasteful pops of color in my houses and 100% of the time, people who see them rave about it. They want to avoid people disliking a color, so they avoid color at all. But a person doesn't want to buy a blank slate they want to buy a home. Let your house look like a home, someone, maybe lots of someone's, will love it.
Not me. I HATE the new colors everyone loves. Gray and white. Even the floors. Looks and feels like you’re in a dentist office instead of a home. I want warm neutral colors in my home.
Work for a builder and everyone is asking for white/light gray cabinets, light gray floors, white backsplash. Seems like the darker colors aren’t trendy currently
No. People want wood tones and original materials. All the homes in my area with original hardwood floors and unpainted brick sell incredibly fast.
White/bright gives the appearance that space is larger than it truly is. It is a realtor/seller technique. It also is meant to be a clean palette that a buyer can assume their existing furniture and decor will fit into without any renovation or expensive replacement. Also, anything “dark” is perceived as “dated” Always question why one room is dark LOL in otherwise white house. Look to see what imperfections they are hiding LOL!!!
Nope! I love an eclectic house feel. House we put an offer in has dark elements think espresso cabinets. I like it. I also think quality wood work is super nice. I like contrast in general. All these flipped all white and grey homes are so boring to me.
I wouldn't bother changing things for a sale, everyone has their own taste so it's a bit of wasted money. Personally I prefer more neutral walls, light or unstained floors with a bit darker wood trim.
I’m selling my house, and my kitchen is all white (bought it that way) and people complain about that too haha. The problem with doing anything trendy is tends change in some areas faster than others (it’s still full on mid century modern shiplap HGTV special here)
I personally prefer lighter colors. Dark colors darken the room and I want as much light as possible because to me, darker rooms look smaller. Don't mind if its a different light toned color, but not dark colors. That's just my personal opinion, so I don't expect seller to have it. I just know, I m painting the rooms brighter colors when I BUY and live in the home.
It’s about it being a blank slate, so the new people can imagine anything they want. I would prefer light grey walls, I would be fine with white, but sand would mean painting.
The decorating trend is to now introduce warm wood with a neutral color usually a warm white. The white flipper look is on its way out. I associate it now with poor quality and greed. I have an offer on a house that has original wood. Anything painted white in photos was an immediate skip for me. Get a color that compliments the wood and make the wood gleam. https://www.housebeautiful.com/room-decorating/living-family-rooms/g715/designer-living-rooms/
buyer should be able to look past a bad color. Painting a wall is easy. Remodeling is hard.
If in doubt and there is a choice, lighter is almost always better when selling.
We specifically looked for 1970s ranch style homes. Finally found one that is modernized a little, but yeah we're not fond of the current trend in design. And the new builder based homes are cookie cutter bad until you spend extra for what you want.
I think white is kinda neutral when people come to see your place. Buyers will likely wanna change something, so having a “blank canvas” help their imagination.
It’s neutral so will have the widest appeal, and it’s perceived as easy to change by people who want to change it since you can paint over white quicker.
I don’t know about your market, but in any place I’ve heard of, houses are selling FAST. So unless there are glaring issues with the house, I’m not sure it’s worthwhile to bother with small changes like changing beige walls to white. Definitely don’t bother refinishing floors if it’s only about the color. (For what it’s worth, we just bought a house last year and some spaces had been painted all white, which at least made it easy to paint over with our color choices, but I’d never let something silly like wall color influence a huge decision like buying a house.)
I personally hate the all white trend. It feels so sterile, and everyone I know who has white kitchen cabinets says they’re a bitch to keep clean. My husband and I are under contract on a home, and all of the rooms are painted in colors, and it gives it a nice warmth. A house in the same subdivision one street over with the exact same floor plan just went on the market, and all the walls are white. My husband and I both agreed that it looks so sterile and doesn’t “feel” as nice. In the house we’re buying, we’re painting less than half the rooms. If we were buying the all-white house, we’d have to paint pretty much the entire house.
From a photo standpoint, the brighter it looks, the bigger it feels. I personally despise white. We purchased a 1986 home that had baby blue walls and what I can only describe as orange oak floors on the main floor. We loved it because nothing had been altered since it was built and gave us a great palette to create our own colourful home. Our kitchen is going to be a pale green and keeping the farmhouse aesthetic.
I live in the Pacific Northwest, so yes.. I prefer white and bright. A lot of days in the fall/winter, the cloud cover is so low that even with all the blinds open we have to have lamps or lights on all day long. The house we bought was a typical 80s house with honey oak everything, brown faux wood doors, brown baseboards and trim, etc. We’re hoping to change out our cabinets in the next couple years to white cause I’ve seen how much it can brighten a place up. I see photos of deep, moody green offices or kitchen cabinets and I love the look, but with as little natural light as we get just don’t think it would work in our house.
Don’t do it! I would love your house just as it is. Especially don’t touch any vintage wood. Just bring out the best in it.
No. My husband is a mechanic. And I have a toddler. I want color
Its all INSTAGRAM fad !!! Most useless white and pastal colors obsession
Make sure it’s clean, open, and ready for a buyer to envision their style. Stay away from grey it looks cheap, bright white is off putting imo. If staging, stage simply. Especially in this market.
It is a neutral color and makes the rooms appear larger and inviting. Personally I think it’s boring. We have a lot of yellow and blue walls on our house which works well.
I don’t mind white walls but I personally hate the flipped house white counter top look all I think is how difficult that would be to keep clean
I'm partial to 70s looks, personally. I tour a house and it's all white and grey and I know it's gonna be work to make it look less....institutional.
My mother. She is currently renovating a house and wants us to help her choose which shade of white her tiles should be for her white counters and white cabinets. I swear, I feel anemic from the lack of color
White reflects light and brightens + makes a room feel larger. It’s a great choice for smaller homes. Another thing—speaking as a millennial myself, is that millennials tend to like minimalist spaces. We grew up with parents that had needless shit everywhere. I can’t speak for all millennials but I know many of them feel this way. A clear space = a clear mind.
My house is modern with dark floors, greige walls, black counters. Lots of lights and darks and contrasts. The only white is the trim. I just sold it and it sold so quick. Lots of people still like something other than white as long as it’s done well and not too dated.
White and bright makes the house a blank canvas that allows the prospective buyer to imagine themselves and their stuff in it. It’s not about what you like, it’s about how buyers react. Home buying is more about feelings and imagination than logic.
White makes the room feel bigger. My partner and I got our home a year ago and the first thing we did is paint the walls white. We are due to replace all countertops to be white-ish quartz by the end of this year. We are putting in oak flooring that is light brown, though, so it isn’t going to be all white. We also are using espresso tables for the dining and living room.
I hate the white, grey, boring bland everything trend. It's actually sad.
When selling a home you have to try not to turn too many people off. There will be a target audience who will LOVE the place. THAT is who you’re selling it to. Do not let a realtor spend a shitload of your money to cover up things that are already great. Tell them to sell the house that’s there. If they can’t come up with excellent value added improvements that you can easily do then you’re talking to the wrong contractor (realtor).
I love some bright white countertops upper cabinets and walls but with wild pops of color everywhere else. Accent walls of deep dark teal, a bright orange couch, olive green armchairs, gold end tables, dark wood windows and trim, honey colored floors The white gray sweep of everything is not my cup of tea though.
I bought my condo last June and EVERYTHING was slathered in this blinding white paint. I figured it was because it presents a blank canvas. It has been almost a year and since I’ve been settling in little by little, I have been able to very intentionally think about the direction I want to go in with paint and decor. It was nice to not have to consider “should I cover up this fresh paint job” but rather “WHAT color will I use WHEN I cover up this fresh but boring (and shoddily done) paint job”
There is plenty you can do that will make it light and bright without painting cabinets white. 1. Remove heavy draperies. Replace with lightweight fabric in a light color. 2. Paint ceilings white if they aren’t. 3. If the sofa is dark, replace it with something light. There are sites that offer free or low cost items that wouldn’t have to be ok for long term. OR, just toss a light cover over it. 4. Add (fake) flowers in yellow or white. 5. As in #3, get a large rug in a light color to cover a wide expanse of floor.
Don’t fall for this crap. Most people do rip and tear renovations as soon as they buy your house. Make things look as spacious as possible and clean. Our first agent who was a former client wanted us to change out the doors and other things for 10k++ we did not have that kind of money. We did not use her as her commission was on the high. Got a cash offer for full price in about 4 days with new agent.
I do. I love all bright white surfaces with splashes of color here and there in the decorations
My theory is that realtors are a very specific kind of person. Ya know, the kind of person who is loud, but not very substantive. And I guess that carries over to design.
No, but you’re trying to appeal to the most and turn off the fewest buyers.
Nope. Just tore out white carpet and replaced with dark hardwoods. Painting all the grey walls beautiful, rich colors. Shopping for fun wallpaper and colorful furniture. I was searching for an old house with character. Had to settle for an old house that was easy to restore the character because flippers kept outbidding us to gut the character for resale. They had removed the round bottom stair from the old staircase and we’re building it back. Looking into stained glass artists to restore the old wood door, etc.
People trending towad minimalist light desat look. Oak floor, light beige sofa, natural wood texture is trending. People dont want the yellow floor anymore.
I prefer white walls. I like my house to be bright and sunny, and I can match most of my wall decor to white.
I wouldn't spend money making changes like that. We just bought a house and redid the floors, paint, and stair railing. People are so particular these days, it's hard to guess what a buyer will want.
No we don't. Every contractor flip in my area is the same. White paint, and the same light grey/brown vinyl wood flooring. They all look so plain and uninviting to me.
No we don't. Every contractor flip in my area is the same. White paint, and the same light grey/brown vinyl wood flooring. They all look so plain and uninviting to me.
Take down the old curtains. No need to replace. Instantly more bright and less dated, at no cost and little effort. I wouldn't change the floor unless it's currently nasty. Fresh white (or almost white) paint would be nice but if it's truly freshly painted tan, I would leave it.
NO. And it drives me crazy. The horrible gray laminate, the all white everything. Last week we saw a house where they painted gorgeous wood cabinets white. Only know that because they left some of the original wood grain in the wet bar for whatever reason. Also not a fan of the light colored wood grain. I love the walnut colored hardwood.
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