There’s one rule and one rule only when you’re selling your house – make an impact. You’ve only got one shot to make a great impression and entice people through your house for an inspection and then back again for the sale.

With most real estate agents now listed online, getting the right photos on your listing is paramount – you’ll need great images to pull potential buyers through your door.

Photographers can bring you home to life – up to a point. But one of the best ways to make your images stand out is by using colour. A buyer’s eye will be drawn to strong and vibrant colours, and this could help your home stand out from the crowd and attract click-throughs and ignite interest.

So how can you incorporate colour into your decorating scheme?

Do your research

Browse through property listings and photographs of houses online and in magazines to find out what houses appeal to you, and why.

Perhaps a fabulous front door caught your eye. Or a bright clean living area. A funky chair with colourful cushions made you look twice, or great piece of art left an impression. Chances are you won’t be attracted to anything dark, uninviting, dirty or cluttered.

Get a fresh perspective

Once you’ve got an idea what you like in other homes, take photographs of your own house to analyse what works and what doesn’t. Photos will give you a fresh eye and you’ll start to get a sense of what needs to change in order to make your place look top notch.

Easy ways to add colour

Chances are your house interior is painted a neutral colour – it is by far the most popular choice for interiors. And for good reason – it works. Neutral doesn’t have to mean boring. You can introduce a bold splash of colour through your furnishings. But you don’t need to rush out to buy a bright red couch this weekend.

Instead pick out a favourite colour in the room – from the rug, an artwork or even a vase, and go with that. Bring in cushions of the same or complementary colours. Add a print or two, a throw rug. Keep it simple, fresh and bright.

Add leafy pot plants, a colourful vase of flowers, and a bowl of fruit – even with these simple changes your home will look more photo-ready.

Have a chat to an interior designer if you want expert advice.

Feature walls

A popular way to introduce colour is to paint or wallpaper a feature wall. But go in carefully –you don’t want it to be too strong for a buyer. Choose a wall that has impact, but isn’t too large, and use colours harmonious with the rest of your interior.

The fireplace surround is a great choice, or the wall facing your front door also makes a big impact. Have a chat to an expert interior designer or colour consultant if you’re not sure. And remember – the internet is your friend.

Colour psychology

The most influential colours are the primary colours – red, green, yellow and blue. They have the most emotional impact. But it’s well known that all colours inspire different moods in people.

• Red is great in real estate. It denotes strength, courage, aggression and excitement. A red door is a dramatic way to catch the eye.
• Orange is linked with flamboyance, energy, comfort and warmth. Use it sparely as it incites strong reactions.
• Yellow is happy and cheerful, and incites enthusiasm, energy and optimism. It’s great in kitchens.
• Natural shades of green can feel refreshing, balanced and soothing.
• Blue is calming. It’s logical, soothing, calm and focused. Some hues are more dynamic and exhilarating while others are cold and distant.
• Purple may impart feelings of unease or introspection. However some shades inspire loyalty, quality, mysticism and wisdom.
• While black denotes strength and authority, a chalkboard wall lends it a playfulness too.
• Brown denotes stability and naturalness – a sense of order and wholesomeness.

Front of house

If painting the exterior of your house, consider your neighbourhood before choosing a colour. You don’t have to copy them, but your house will be more attractive to buyers if it sits comfortably in the neighbourhood. You can find a painter and decorator that services your neighbourhood here. 

The general rule for painting house exteriors is to use no more than four colours in a ratio of 60%, 30% and 10%, with an extra 10% to lend the design a little personality, like a bright blue pot on the veranda and a letter box in the same hue.

Use what you’ve got

When choosing colours, your base should be the colours that are already on the house that you can’t change – such as the roof, gutters, downpipes, garage door, brickwork – use these to determine the rest of the colour scheme.

Also consider the colours you have used in the interior – having similar hues inside and out will help your house to feel harmonious.

The style of the house should also determines the colour tone. Traditional houses with a lots of architectural detail may be overwhelmed with a lot of strong colour, while the strong lines in modern houses can carry off strong colours with confidence.

Trim colours

One of the hazards of painting exteriors is choosing the wrong trim colour. This can make or break the success of the colour scheme. A no-fail way to choose the trim colour is to use the same paint as the base colour of the the house, but at a different strength. For example – a full strength grey for the fascia and the trim, with a quarter strength for the weatherboards creates a consist and harmonious look.

For a brick house, use the tones in the bricks as a guide for choosing a colour for the trims. For reddish brick, consider using a grey or blue for instant contrast or pick out a neutral to help the colours blend together.

If you are unable to paint the entire house prior to selling, updating the trim is a great way to refresh the appearance of your house. Use the same colour to paint the front fence to establish a connection between the house and garden.

Sample it

When choosing colours, purchase sample pots of colour – but any more than two or three at a time will be confusing. Paint large swatches on cardboard so you can move them around from light to shaded areas so you can see how the colours work on different parts of the house. You’ll find that you’ll probably need to go darker, rather than lighter, because the sunshine will lighten any colour. Colours will also appear different in winter and summer.

Remember to use a pop of colour to keep everything fresh. Paint your front door in a bold colour to contrast against neutrals and whites and to provide a dramatic focal point.

If you need more advice – or the confidence to make a bold decision – call in a colour consultant. They are the go-to experts to help you choose the right colour to make your home look it’s best.