I've had a few bones to pick over the years with HGTV. Not the least of which has been that advising folks to do a $16,000 kitchen upgrade in a $190,000 home while the hardboard siding and window sills are rotting off the exterior seems, at least to me, to be a bit irresponsible. Homeownership is the embodiment of your mother's admonishment that if you cannot take care of your things then you don't deserve to have them.
So, it is with mixed emotions that I inform you that I believe HGTV may be responsible for the death of the oldest of our traditional advice to sellers. Remember this? "Neutralize, depersonalize, make it clean and give the buyer a blank canvas on which to express his own personality."
We called it Realtor Beige. That nondescript, not too white (not too anything actually) paint color that looks clean with white or wood trim, hardwood floors or carpet. The carpet? Beige, non-offensive. Tile or vinyl? Beige with light colored grout. Yep, Realtor Beige...goes with anything. Well, except falling in love. Nobody ever walked into a freshly 'beige' house and said "Wow, I LOVE it!" or "This goes with ALL my stuff!" "Quick, let's write up an offer before THIS gets away!" Unless the home is a living monument to Hendrix's Purple Haze or every room is bubble gum pink, you might be surprised how many buyers will actually respond positively to the colors we have graciously described in the past as "too personal."
HGTV has raised the expectations of young buyers. Not only are they looking for upgrades (some of which may not be reasonable in an 'entry level' home) but they also respond emotionally to the "ikea-look" or "pottery barn" colors which have become the signature home style of a generation.
I'll give HGTV this much; they have gotten people excited 
about what fun it can be to live in a beautiful home. They've inspired an entire industry to make affordable home decor that is mix and match. Think about it. Your large furniture is olive drab or brown or, gulp, beige. But your walls are eggplant or aqua, terra cotta or chocolate and you can find pillows and throws and rugs and wall art and knick knacks and candles to match and in any color palate that makes you happy and, should you ever get bored with it, can be changed over a weekend for a couple hundred dollars.
When I list a home and discover that every room is a different color I am no longer afraid. I still insist that the home be in good condition, clean and uncluttered. The quickest way to lose a sale is to have the buyer's inspector find $20,000 worth of wood rot and HVAC and roofing systems on their last legs. Those are the things I, as a Realtor, respond to emotionally.
But color? I've watched too many young buyers this year spinning around happily in a dramatically colored room, and daydreaming about how they will live in it, to be concerned about whether or not any color is "too personal."
R.I.P. Realtor Beige...you served us well.
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SarahGray Lamm is a licensed, full time, residential real estate professional in the Raleigh Durham area of North Carolina with over 60,000 hours of experience. She specializes in serving the real estate needs of home sellers, home buyers and investors in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham and Northern Chatham County and is proudly associated with Allen Tate Realtors, the Carolinas #1 independent realty company.
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SarahGray, what a wonderful blog post. It is so true. Just yesterday I accompanied a young couple to their final walk through and even though every room was personalized in deep saturated colors, the purchases were in love. I truly believe this happens also because of the money needed to buy has increased and therefore first time buyers know they could never come up with the funds to decorate. So when see a home that is tastefully painted and wonderfully maintained, they will make an offer.
Many first time buyers are not able to bond with a Realtor Beige home.
The colors that seem to work for me these days are Baked Pototo, Sage, and Sand
Peggy, it's fun to see them realizing they have fallen in love with their first home, isn't it? My fav part of the job!
Ralph, sounds like "Dark Realtor Beige" to me! LOL
SarahGray,
Your concept of current color evolution will rattle the entire Cary real estate market...
:D
You've heard of staging a home? HGTV is staged as well. There is nothing real about it. I turned down an offer to be on one of their programs about selling Sarasota homes when I learned their methods. Realtor Beige will be here long after HGTV.
Great post. We used "Parchment" paint all the time. Personally. I still like the neutral colors!
Featured in the Group "Whacked!!!"
Mike, and the problem with that is....? ;-)
William, alot of what HGTV promotes bugs me but young buyers are hooked and I see it in their responses to homes! I'm very sure that price point is a factor in considering a recommendation of Realtor Beige or not.
Richard, thanks! Alas, I'm afraid we give away our age with out color choices...but I admit I have a terra cotta wall and a chocolate one as well! (Not in the same room ;-))
These shows have definitely had an influence, ndn buyers, and sellers, often mention them. But sometimes they focus too much on the cosmetics and not the overall intergtiy - structure, configuration, etc. I often see them moving away from a home that really works and meets their needs becuase it does not have thaty granite counter/stainless appliance kitchen.
Jeff
Very true Jeff! Hence the reason a good Realtor is invaluable! I'm the one with the experience and it is absolutely incumbent upon me to point out these things. Somehow I think you do the same....
SarahGray - the first thing I thought about was that punchline to the old joke where the wife thinks "I think I'll paint the ceiling beige".
There is something to be said for neutral colors, but, it has been a long time since beige has been the only neutral color. That is one of the things that I am thankful for some of shows on HGTV. However, that is offset by the unreal expectations that some shows raise, like the effectiveness of open houses in sales, the $2000 upgrade that would cost the rest of us $10,000, and as mentioned above, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.
Beautifully written post, SarahGray. This is the age of instant gratification, so something that is appealing to the eye without looking behind the facade is what is going to sell many younger people today.
SarahGray - This is a well written "pastel" approach to what we have been told to say. HGTV has a place but will never replace sound local advice. I'll give my advise from the outside /in.
I just listed a house this week. The homeowner is an artist and in every room you will find color. It works for the house. Because the house will be marketed mostly to young first time buyers, I advised them to leave the color.
I think another influence on buyers is looking at new construction model homes - again typically decked out in designer paint colors rather than realtor beige :)
Mike, I'm with you...on every single point!
Thanks Jane! That's why folks need experienced agents like us, right? ;-)
Claude, Thanks, and I imagine you have another point of view too from the new home decorating side!
Kristyn, I hear you! Who the market for the home is, is absolutely part of the decision!
Nancy, yep! See Claude above....a new home builder!
BTW, all...guess which of the two houses shown above sold in 1 day and which in 60 days? Neither time frame is unacceptable but the only real difference was buyer perception....price, sq ft, condition, neighborhood....all identical!
Younger buyers do give me the idea that they watch these shows but I think most like the beige, im sticking with it.
Rock on with your game plan Larry, if it works for you in your market! But you might be missing an opportunity (and unneccesarily costing your seller money) if you advise sellers of certain types of properties to neutralize their homes before marketing when it is, clearly, not always necessary!
SarahGray:
I had to LAUGH at this post, because when I was a homebuilder we called it "builder beige" — but it's purpose was, of course, the same. "They may not love it, but they likely won't hate it."
It always amazed me how people could be turned off the perfect house for them because of paint colors.
Of course, when Trading Spaces hit the airwaves, things began to change. When we were selling our most expensive houses in 2004-2005, we had interior designers, kitchen designers, high-tech wiring designers, all sort of designers that were a huge part of the process of making the home "perfect" for specific buyers before they moved in.