The first home I purchased (1987), was a new build. I was so excited watching as it went from just a hole in the ground, through the framing stage to ultimate completion. I had a blank canvas on which to put my touch both inside and out. And, boy, did I take advantage of that for the eight years I lived there.
By the time I sold it in ’95, the backyard was a jungle, and there were no white walls inside. You see, since my plans were to one day retire to Tucson, I decorated my OHIO home in the way Tucson homes were decorated. I wanted to “feel” like I was living there even though I wasn’t there yet. The colors we associate with Arizona – turquoise, pinks, oranges – are the colors of the soil (caliche), so the homes are actually camouflaged. Obviously, we don’t find those colors here, so … well … it just looks weird here.
When I was ready to sell, I selected a very nice agent that had been recommended to me. Normally, Jim is a quiet person with mild expressions. However, when we met to sign the listing papers and do the walk-thru of my home, I still chuckle at the look he had on his face when he walked into my bedroom. While he was too nice and quiet to ever say it, I’m sure he was thinking “OMG“!
I had painted the upper walls the color of the AZ ground, with a special AZ-style wallpaper and co-ordinating border. I had to flip through LOTS of wallpaper books before I found just the “perfect” one. 
The purpose of the wall mural was to make me feel like I was looking out on a lanai when I woke up in cold winter mornings.
As if the bedroom wasn’t bad enough, the adjoining bath used the THIRD version of the coordinating paper. Don’t ya’ just love it!
I agreed to repaint some of the other rooms, but I told Jim that I didn’t have time to redo this room. I remember telling him that the buyers would either like it or they wouldn’t. (I was a “bad” seller) Now that I am a Realtor®, I can fully appreciate what Jim must have been thinking.
Apparently, the buyers liked the rest of the home, and I’ve no idea what their thoughts were on this room, but we went into contract in 13 days at full price. So kudos to Jim for a job well done.
My advice for today’s sellers … don’t do what I did. It’s an entirely different market than it was in ’95, and today’s buyers want neutral because they’re too busy to undo your “custom” decorating.
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