03/30/2026
Check out my article contribution for how to make your new house a home!
Refresh Rooms in Signature Hues
The first thing I always tell clients — and the thing I did myself — is to walk every room before unpacking a single box and ask: what does this space need to feel like me?
In my case, I repainted two rooms within the first week. Sounds simple, but it changed everything. The previous owners had gone with safe, builder-grade greige throughout. I swapped the main living area for a warm terracotta that matched the Colorado light I’d been craving, and the home office got a deep navy that made me actually want to work in there. Those two decisions cost less than $800 total and turned a house I’d bought into a home I loved.
I’ve watched this play out with hundreds of buyers over 20+ years. The ones who delay personalizing — who live with someone else’s choices for months or years — consistently tell me they feel less settled, less emotionally invested. And emotionally invested owners take better care of their properties. They maintain them, they improve them, and they’re more thoughtful about timing a future sale.
From a real estate standpoint, paint and lighting are the two highest-ROI personalization moves. New fixtures and a fresh coat in your own colors run $1,000-$3,000 in most cases and make the home feel completely yours. And when you eventually sell, a clean, well-maintained home in a neutral palette photographs better and attracts stronger offers.
The satisfaction piece isn’t separate from the investment piece — they’re tied together. When you feel at home, you invest in the home, and that pays off.
Sara Garza
Sara Garza, Real Estate Broker, LIV Sotheby’s International Realty
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Moving into a new home presents an exciting opportunity to transform empty rooms into personalized spaces that reflect individual style.
