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Many salespeople and stagers say neutral beige or off-white walls are what sells listings - but a touch of color may be just what a seller needs to revive a buyers interest.  Although beige offends no one, the right color on a room's walls with matching accessories, can trigger positive psychological responses among potential buyers. 

 Research on color responses has shown that warm colors, such as orange and red, can increase excitement and energy, whereas cooler hues, such as blue, can be calming and relaxing.  Research also shows color can influence a person's senses - even body temperature - and make scenes more memorable.  Knowing the responses colors evoke offers insight into where and when you should use color in a home to appeal to buyers. 

The most potent color is green, as noted in a light-spectrum research that focused on treatments for season affective disorder.  Subjects exposed to green colors were in better moods than any of the other subjects tested.  But before you begin splashing green on all your walls, note that not all shades of green are a safe bet!  Lime greens - or any yellows with green undertones - look sickly to most buyers.  But medium shades of green, such as sage, and bedrooms painted in creamy tones of green can be a good choice.

If green is not your thing, there are actually 4 steps stated by design experts to apply in selecting a room or wall color:

1.  Coodinate with the room's use.  Certain colors lend themselves to    certain activities.  Kitchen and dining areas painted in "food colors" (celery green or red) increase appetite, whereas blue acts as an appetite suppressant. 

2.  Paint for the season.  Color directly impacts your senses, making a room's temperature feel cooler or warmer.  Bring in warm colors (reds, oranges, yellows) in the fall and winter months, and cooler colors (greens, blues, or purples) during the spring and summer.  Or to avoid too much work, you can just accent with one wall of color and add accessories to match. 

3.  Use a directional approach.  The direction a room faces should influence color choices.  North-facing rooms may not feel as warm and inviting to buyers because they don't get as much sunlight - go with the warm shades.  A very warm room facing south can be "cooled" using variations of blue or green.

4.  Harmonize.  Use color to provide a sense of order and balance in a home.  Using variations of the same color throughout a house, rather than painting every room a different, contrasting color, provides a sense of flow from one room to another and doesn't distract buyers' eyes. 

With spring just around the corner, a fresh coat of paint always gives a home a "new" look and smell.  One of the least expensive home improvements you can make to freshen up the looks of your house is color!  It may make all the difference to a buyer.