Thank you for the link ttod. Very interesting. I've always been a little skeptical about the psychology of color though. I think a lot of us have very personal associations with colors, and often combinations of colors have a more powerful impact than one color on its own. I must say, I did like all the most popular colors - makes me a feel a bit of a sheep!

I have had bad luck with realtors, I know there are some fantastic ones out there, I just pick the wrong ones. Because of this, I have sold the last two homes myself. The first home that had previously been listed with a realtor for six months sold in two weeks, the second sold in a few days. I didnÂt give them away either, the 2nd home sold for the next to the highest in the neighborhood. ItÂs all about creating urgency though if you are going to go this route. I also eliminated phone call burnout by getting a second phone line. When you list by owner, you get every one and their mother calling to find out what your house is up for. Have a nice recorded message describing your home and the asking price with instructions to leave name and phone number if they want to schedule an appointment. This process will help with no shows because you will call ahead of time to verify appointments and you also have a record of people coming into your home. You will also get millions of real estate agents wanting the listing. When you call them back, you will tell them that they are more than welcome to sell your home at an agreed % but you are not signing a contract. However, the very most important thing you do is to schedule your appointments fifteen minutes apart to create the urgency. I chose two days a week to do showings, Wednesday and Sundays. When I called people back I would just say something like is Sunday at 4:00 good for you if not I would ask if Wednesday at 6:00 was good. When people arrived for their appointments fifteen minutes apart there was always people coming and going. In a slow market, you may have to do showings once a week in order to create the urgency. Every one told me this way of scheduling would never work because you must be available at all times, but I say its all how you do it. I used a title company that has an attorney on hand if needed, (I didnÂt) and they even gave me some contracts. Another thing worth mentioning, donÂt talk too much while showing your home, itÂs a distraction. I also did all the usual stuff like renting storage to remove the extras, fixed the broken, painted, made flyers, had for sale signs with appointment only on them and advertised locally. ItÂs a lot of work but I find it less stressful selling your self because your house only needs to be spotless on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Unless the walls are in NEED of being repainted, don't repaint them; leave them white -- unless you're moving out before the home will be shown and removing items from the walls that leave holes in need of being patched. Even then, repaint those walls the same white if it can be matched. White is a blank slate for the buyer. Even if they prefer another color, the white will be considered a primer for them.

After some thought and soul searching this evening, I decided to paint a color that I love while also showing respect for the Victorian style (and will fit in with the neighborhood). I love how you worded it @liasch "goodbye gift" to the home. I need to rethink my strategy but I will say that I've learned a lot about color, architecture, and most importantly exploring the creativity that you all shared with me. Where should I go from here? Should I create a new post? Should I include all the house colors around me? When looking for a professional designer for services, what are some questions I should ask so I know I won't get scammed or be disappointed? Thank you everyone who contributed to this discussion. I've learned a lot here!