Dear Prospective Home Buyer
Hi. Thanks for considering buying our home. We have been very happy here for the past 10 years.
What? Oh, yes. The walls are white. They are, in fact, the exact same white they were when we moved in. With the addition of some fingerprints, I’m sure. We think they add character.
We had planned to paint the walls a lovely shade of yellow (so bright and happy!), but then I got pregnant and couldn’t tackle more than the nursery. Yes, we know you hate the décor in there. Clearly it is designed for a 6-year-old girl, and not for a guest room. So sorry about that.
Later, we decided to paint everything sage green. It’s calming, you know. You hate sage green? Just as well, because as we were doing some minor electrical work, we discovered a few issues. First, the house electrical system really needed to be upgraded. 100 amps is SO 1969. Plus? The previous owners had installed a bathroom around the electrical box. In fact, it sat over the toilet and next to the shower. We’ve always heard that electricity and water don’t mix and we aren’t so keen on electrocution. Better to have white walls than be dead, we always say.
The next idea was to go with mostly beige paint and add some accent walls. Maybe red or orange or turquoise. Very striking. Unfortunately, that plan was put on hold when the roof began to leak. We would have ignored it in lieu of the visual impact of the walls, but we were pretty sure the dripping water would just ruin the finish anyway.
Accent walls became passé, so we settled instead on a more neutral light gray. It goes with almost everything and hides fingerprints (so we hear). But, wouldn’t you know it? The boiler started acting up and our heating and plumbing guys said it was time for an upgrade. I’m sure they were just looking for work, but as it was starting to get cold out, we didn’t want to take the chance. Had it been summer, we most certainly would have been living in a charcoal dream.
We hear you. You’d prefer what agents call “Pottery Barn Perfect.” We’re so sorry to disappoint you. It seems silly, at this point, to start painting since we’re not the ones who are going to be living here and we have absolutely no idea what your furniture looks like. Unfortunately, you’ll have to do that part yourself. At least you can be assured that you will be doing so in a house that is bright, dry, and warm. That’s all we can offer…
Sincerely Yours,
Wanna-Be Home Seller
Disclosure: Original image by my fantastic agent, Carol Fontana. Color palette via the Sherwin Williams Chip It! tool.
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Dust Bunnies
Choosing a home, like our preference for jelly beans, is strictly personal. It’s all about how the space is going to work for my family. I prefer bright white ceilings, white woodwork and Navajo White (a warm cream) walls. I get my splash of color from my curtains, carpets and those throw pillows on my couch. I too would rather know that I’m going to be safe, warm and dry and not have to worry about the big ticket items.
It’s more fun to change a throw than a boiler and a whole lot more fun to shop for! Today I think I go for the red jelly beans!
Decorating a home is such a personal choice. A prospective buyer really needs to bite the bullet and paint the walls in a shade they like. You can’t expect the house you want to be absolutely perfect.
Whenever I am in need of a laugh I click to this site…http://terriblerealestateagentphotos.com/ for a taste of depressing British real estate photos. It’s a hoot!