A crisp coat of paint is one of the best ways to make your house instantly desirable to potential buyers. It creates a great first impression, an inviting aura, and leaves a lasting impression. It instills the idea that your home has been well taken care of, which is what most homebuyers are looking for.
But it’s not just about a new home paint job, the colors you pick could make or break your home’s market appeal. The color palette could either condemn your home to sit on the market for longer than it should or help it fly off the market.
So, what are the best colors to paint your home to sell faster?
The Impact of Paint Color on the Value of a Home
According to color psychology, there’s more to color than meets the eye. Colors have a profound impact on our moods and psychological reactions—potentially evoking emotional triggers and signaling action. Nowhere is this more applicable than in real estate.
Your home’s blend of colors can make your living space homier. And when the time to sell comes, you can leverage the power of color to increase your home’s perceived value and seal the deal faster.
In fact, a report by real estate marketplace Zillow found that crowd-pleasing hues could help you sell your home for up to $6,271 more than expected. On the other side of the spectrum, the wrong palette could force you into selling for $3,408 less than other homes.
What Color Should I Paint My House Interior?
For most homeowners, a home’s interior décor typically reflects their personal taste. But when it comes to putting your home on the market, most realtors will advise you to steer clear of personalization.
You ideally want to appeal to as many potential buyers as possible. Homebuyers should be able to imagine themselves setting up their furniture and settling into the space. Here are the best interior paint colors to sell a home faster:
- Neutrals: You’ll rarely go wrong with a neutral palette. It may be tempting to go with bold hues, but a neutral backdrop is more likely to get your home off the market faster. Neutral colors are timeless (tolerable for years), versatile (design freedom), and they create an inviting and calming ambiance.
- Whites: If you had to pick one color to paint your home for a faster sale, your best pick would be white. The neutral color gives the impression of a blank canvas—while making your space appear brighter and bigger. Consider cool whites for urban settings or serene spaces (e.g., bathrooms) and warm whites for sophisticated spaces or rooms that need a bit of warmth.
- Light Blue: According to research by Zillow Group, a light blue bathroom may add to the appeal of your bathroom. Your $290,000 home may fetch an additional $5,000, all thanks to the calming hue.
- Greige: Beige and gray are appealing neutrals for your home’s interior. So why not blend them to double the appeal? Greige may be the winning combination you need to sell your home faster and for more bucks. It brings a feeling of sophistication and elegance.
- Light Taupe: Next up on the best colors to paint your home to sell faster is greige’s warmer cousin, taupe. Like other neutrals, taupe is not a trendy color. It’s timeless and will never go out of style, which may positively influence a buyer’s intention to view and purchase. In fact, Zillow suggests that a light taupe living room could help you rake in an additional $2,793.
Painting your walls with a buyer-friendly color is great. But if you want to take your interior’s appeal up a couple of notches, paint the trim—including the window frames, door, baseboard, and crown molding. Explore ways to make your trim stand out seamlessly using the 60-30-10 color rule.
Best Paint Colors for Selling a Home Faster – Exterior
Before buyers get a chance to see your awesome interior, you need to give them the incentive to step through your door in the first place. Selling a home starts from across the street. Buyers need to find the idea of walking into their potential future homes enticing. And this comes down to curb appeal.
So, what are the best exterior paint colors to boost your curb appeal?
- Neutrals: Similar to the interior, neutrals are widely accepted as the best exterior paint colors for staging your home. Avoid excessively boisterous colors like bright yellows that are shown to reduce the value of your home by an average of $3,408. But if you’re itching to ‘spice up’ your exterior, use contrasting accents like a black door, which can single-handedly add $6,271 to your home’s sales price.
- Whites: You can get away with most neutrals, but white is almost a guaranteed win. Sleek, clean, and ever-reliable—shades of white are easily one of the best exterior colors when selling a property. They offer a ‘blank slate’ for buyers to get creative with personalized finishes and landscaping ideas.
Neutrals may be the best colors to paint a home to sell faster, but there are a few exceptions. You need to factor in the architectural style, area-specific colors, and whether you’re situated in a historic block. In such cases, your best bet is to consult your real estate agent for professional advice.
Paint Your Way to a Faster Home Sale
Whether you’re upsizing, downsizing, or just ready for a change, selling a home can be a daunting task. Between making sense of the current house market and dealing with maintenance issues, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
This breakdown of the best paint colors for your home should at least help make your work easier. But if you’re still unsure about how to proceed with staging your house in the best light, you can schedule an appointment with us for personalized tips.
