Artists’ Graffiti-Filled Oregon House Is Flooded With Offers Just Days After Listing for $300K

An artist couple who turned their Oregon home into a living work of art have seen their hard work pay off after putting the zany, color-filled property on the market for $300,000—only to find themselves flooded with offers within a matter of days.

It was something of a gamble for sellers David and Sandra Loy Nichols, who work under the pseudonyms “Nic” and “Sloy,” and have long used their home as their extended canvas.

Much like the exhibitions and showings they have hosted in the area surrounding their Salem, OR, home, the couple's dwelling is a stellar example of their talent.

"Artists Nic and Sloy's 1936 home is a living canvas, every wall, ceiling and trim reflecting their playful and imaginative spirit," the listing notes.

Yet they worried when putting the property on the market that their graffiti-covered interior might deter buyers—and considered painting over their work with a more traditional neutral shade.

Luckily, their listing agent, Laura Gwyn, was fully supportive when they admitted they couldn't bring themselves to erase their work.

“I know the quick go-to answer is paint it boring beige to blend with the highest percentage of buyer appeal. I couldn’t do it on this one,” says Gwyn.

Instead, the 910-square-foot home retained its all-over artwork, including the walls, ceilings, doors, and more.

“The day I was called out to meet the family and talk about selling this home, I was told they couldn’t bring themselves to paint it. I fully agreed," she adds.

While some homeowners are actively encouraged to cover up their more peculiar paint picks before listing their dwelling, Gwyn believed that the Nichols' home would actually benefit from being put on the market in its unique state.

“You have that ability when you walk into a home to feel its presence, and this home has extremely positive energy and you just can't ignore it,” she shares.

As it turns out, their instinct were right.

Within days of listing for $300,000, the home had multiple offers from buyers who seemed to love its unique aesthetic.

And, as Gwyn notes, if a buyer should decide that they no longer want to maintain the distinctive decor, they'll have the option of transforming it later.

“In this particular instance, you would have erased all of [the sellers’] work. After you find the buyer, if the buyer that buys the home decides that they want a vanilla shell, they can paint it vanilla after closing because they own it. It's their choice.”

The chances of it becoming boring seem slim, however. Gwyn says she doesn’t know much about the buyer, only that he did a lot of research about the artists and the home and “fell in love and knew that he had to have it."

“Art definitely won over the boring beige concept in this case," she shares.

What's more, the two-bedroom, one-bathroom home fits perfectly into the community, which Gwyn says is fairly artsy.

“Had we painted that home, I can promise you a dozen doughnuts that somebody from the art community would have said, ‘Oh my gosh, I would have loved to have had Dave and Sandra’s work,'" she reveals.

Even with the local fame of the two artists, Gwyn says she didn’t expect the house to sell so quickly.

“Anybody that appreciates art gets it. And for those that don't appreciate art, they're either not going to buy the home, or they can paint it after they buy it,” she explains. “I was prepared for it to take a very long time to find the right buyer.”