Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2013 · 555 posts · 261 votes
I hate tan paint as much as you hate white paint.
Tan and beige look cheap and dirty after a while.
Do you buy tan and beige colored cars too?
Have you noticed how PC makers no longer make the beige computers you saw back in the late 20th and early 21st century?
People say white paint makes it seem like they're in a hospital.
Does offwhite still make you think so?
Check this out-
Hospitals are now painting their walls tan/beige.
I wonder how long it will be before people start saying that beige makes them feel like they're in a hospital.
Here's BP Brandon's offwhite apartment-
As you can see, when tenants actually DECORATE the walls, the place feels like home.
I don't like this tan fad. Offwhite is timeless.
My house is painted offwhite, but people ask if they can paint it tan or mocha.
I tell them to decorate the walls instead. Decorate with contrast.
Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
13y
As Chris pointed out, if you have customers telling you what they want, it really shouldn't matter what you think (assuming it doesn't cost anything more to give them what they want over what you want).
Seems silly (and just plain bad business) to argue with your customer's opinions...
Investor · Willow Spring, NC · Member since 2009 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
13y
We have a "desert fortress" color option. It looks a lot like the first picture and last picture (tan). In the last 6 or so months, I have polled about a dozen applicants when showing two different properties (one SFR, one apartment). The positive feedback greatly outweighs the negative.
I suggest listening to your customers and then make decisions based on their feedback.
My house was whited-out before we had a house fire. The restoration company told me to pick my colors. Off to Sherwin-Williams I go for the color cards. Big mistake. Do you know how many shades of WHITE there are? Long story short, I was told the colors on the cards apply darker to the wall. Five roller strips of beige later, Almond won the race. White IS fine when renters accent the walls, but without saying it's brown or tan, I swear go try Almond.
Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
13y
As Chris pointed out, if you have customers telling you what they want, it really shouldn't matter what you think (assuming it doesn't cost anything more to give them what they want over what you want).
Seems silly (and just plain bad business) to argue with your customer's opinions...
Rental Property Investor · Northern, CA · Member since 2012 · 5k+ posts · 5k+ votes
13y
I actually prefer the apartment photo with the tan walls. Not exactly the shade of tan I would have chosen, but it looks more custom to me and it makes the white features pop more.
Coincidentally, I had a call from a potential renter about an hour ago. One of the things she wanted to make sure of before scheduling an appointment to see the property, is that the walls were NOT white.
Real Estate Investor · Hampton, VA · Member since 2012 · 562 posts · 109 votes
13y
I stick with the neutral/earth tones to avoid being gender specific..my tenant love it , I do allow them to paint if they like or even do a highlight wall, knowing they have to bring it back to a neutral color upon move out
West, MI · Member since 2012 · 674 posts · 182 votes
13y
We use dover white in all units. So when there is a repair or one wall needs to be painted there is no question what the paint color is.
When it's repainted between tenants it always covers with one coat. When a unit is empty it's money out of my pocket so we make things as simple and quick as possible to turn it.
Investor · Lucas, TX · Member since 2010 · 620 posts · 352 votes
13y
Recently had to pick paint colors - ARRGGH!
I just asked the Sherman-Williams sales girl what the most popular color for 2012 was nationally. Yes they track this information. I used that one. I don't remember the name. I didn't even bother to test with a sample of the walls. Just told the contractor to pick it up. It looks good, it looks modern, it is kind of a dark beige/tan color! ;)
Investor · Riverside, CA · Member since 2011 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
13y
First off, you got issues dude. What's wrong with 'investor tan?' I've been painting my flips 'investor tan' for 10 years and I've never gotten a complaint about the color. Oh, and I like white too.
Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2013 · 555 posts · 261 votes
13y
Originally posted by J Scott:
As Chris pointed out, if you have customers telling you what they want, it really shouldn't matter what you think (assuming it doesn't cost anything more to give them what they want over what you want).
Seems silly (and just plain bad business) to argue with your customer's opinions...
Offwhite is not bad business. It's the least offensive.
And it actually does cost me...... if not in money, then in a potentially botched peeling paint job done by a tenant. Most want to DIY rather than spending a couple thousand bucks to hire a pro.
Even with tan/beige, each person has his own preference.
I have a room that was painted a grayish beige by a former tenant (poorly, I must add, with peeling) One recent prospect didn't like it, and wanted a lighter tan.
You can't please everyone.
But white matches everything, and my tenants have all managed to decorate it just fine. I was impressed how homely it looked.
To me, an undecorated beige wall looks as institutional as a white one.
Honestly, very few prospects request a specific paint color when they see my house. But the few that do have requested tan or mocha.
So it makes me wonder what's behind this beige/tan fad.
When some people want "color", they pick a mud color beige/tan/adobe.
Do they really like it? or are they just being sheep, following the example set by investors who use "investor tan" ?
Of the millions of colors out there, they pick one that is closest to dirt color.
Developer · Santa Clarita, CA · Member since 2008 · 15k+ posts · 10k+ votes
13y
I too have been using light earth tone colors for interior walls, though all of them flips and not rentals, but have had nothing but compliments so why argue with what sells!
My color is Dunn Edwards floating feather and it looks great.
Investor · Sarasota, FL · Member since 2008 · 17k+ posts · 17k+ votes
13y
Originally posted by Mike Franco:
Honestly, very few prospects request a specific paint color when they see my house. But the few that do have requested tan or mocha.
So it makes me wonder what's behind this beige/tan fad.
When some people want "color", they pick a mud color beige/tan/adobe.
Do they really like it? or are they just being sheep, following the example set by investors who use "investor tan" ?
Of the millions of colors out there, they pick one that is closest to dirt color.
Not arguing. Just trying to understand.
You are arguing...with your customers. They are telling you what they want and you're responding with, "Do they really like it? or are they just being sheep..."
Do you think the marketing people at McDonalds say, "I wonder if customers really like our fries or are just a bunch of sheep who think they like our fries...let's change the recipe just to be sure!"
Property Manager · DeLand FL · Member since 2012 · 860 posts · 243 votes
13y
One thing nice about the tan....easy to spot rehabs on the market, lol.
Just did a paint job for an investor client taking their tenants wonderful pink paint job back to off white, lots of good ones out there, used one that had a gray/blue hue to it which gives the illusion of color while still being "white".
Investor · Rochester Area, NY · Member since 2012 · 79 posts · 17 votes
13y
On a rental i use linen white eggshell finish on the walls and same color semigloss on the trim. It's easy to match and makes life simple when getting ready for next tenant. It makes the space look bigger too.
Personally, I like earth tones better. My house has Benjamin Moore Tyler Taupe in the living room. Looks good with wood.
Lender · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2012 · 147 posts · 76 votes
13y
Interesting to look at the colors used by the large apartment complexes, and colors used in model homes. Might get an idea there. My interior shade of tan is a shade called, and I'm not kidding, "Santa's Beard." (at Home Depot)
Hales Corners, WI · Member since 2013 · 229 posts · 80 votes
13y
Personally, I love tan. My husband disagrees, he would like me to have more color in our house. My kitchen is tan, opens to the family room which is off white but will get painted tan, my living room is tan/yellow decorative paint, my bedroom is tan decorative paint, one bathroom has tan wallpaper. Our three boys bedrooms are BLUE and one bathroom is purple (had to find some wallpaper that worked with our 70's harvest gold bathtub).
WHY I LIKE TAN: It's neutral, and it feels WARM and cozy. It goes well with leather furniture and wood furniture and wood floors. It's a great color to work with textures with. My kitchen is tan walls, wood floors, black appliance and off white cabinets. I think it's beautiful.
Real Estate Agent · Virginia Beach, VA · Member since 2012 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
13y
To me, off white always seemed like a smoker lived in a house with white walls. Either go white or tan, not off-white. Tan seems more comfortable and warm. The hospitals are likely going with tans to try and make it feel less clinical, more warm and inviting. We've had to live in several apt complexes when moving for work, and most of those were shades of grey, light grey walls, darker grey or bluish-grey carpet. It wasn't a bad look, but didn't go with my furniture at all.
Rental Property Investor · memphis, TN · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
13y
We haven't moved to a shade of grey yet and not sure if we ever would. I think we use something called Desert Sun from Sherwin Williams which is definitely in the Tan section of the color wheel. Looks good with our wood floors, the carpet choices, the tile and grout from the kitchen. And it helps trim and mold stand out. Color adds character to an empty house and when it is a rental, small features that make it feel new and inviting help.
To J Scott's point, we don't go against what our tenants tell us. They love the way the homes look when they walk in them and the great first impression helps with closing the lease.
Property Manager · DeLand FL · Member since 2012 · 860 posts · 243 votes
13y
Originally posted by Karen Mikolainis:
There was an article in Better Homes and Gardens in the last 6 months or so that "gray is the new beige"... so this may be the next trend.
Hey, I think I saw someone in this thread just say they painted a clients rental property with a gray tone....cough cough. :)
I started steering away from the tan bandwagon a year or so ago, too many using it making them all look the same, tan walls, white trim. I actually am using some vibrant colors in certain rooms when they fit and have been getting great feedback from buyers.
Residential Real Estate Agent · Long Beach, CA · Member since 2008 · 432 posts · 63 votes
13y
We have one rental in a light tan because we lived in that house and we just kept the walls the same color. In our other rentals we've been using "Swiss Coffee," which it's a very light cream color--almost white but not stark white. We use semi-gloss on the walls and trim so if a tenant has been gental with the unit, I can use Magic Eraser and don't have to paint. Tenants seem ok with sort of shiny walls.