Residential Painting

What Do Realtors Say About House Paint Colors

Posted on May 6, 2019

When you decide to sell your home, there is a lot of advice on what color to paint it for the market. Paint is one of the most recommended pre-sale improvements. It’s relatively inexpensive and can have a big impact on your bottom line. So here’s what realtors say about house paint colors.

Should I Paint My House Before Listing?

The easy answer is probably. You want your house to present itself in the best light to potential buyers. Beyond changing the colors, you will want it to look fresh. This also gives you the chance to patch or fix nicks and stains. Every homeowner has issues with their walls that they just haven’t fixed. To get the most out of your home, you’ll want it to look pristine and paint can do that.

Paint Colors That Sell Houses Faster in 2019

The standard in the industry was white. If you are listing your home, paint it white as a blank slate for the potential new homeowner to imagine their style in. Since those days, it’s become more common place to create an inviting feeling with beiges, lavenders and other warmer colors. Your home should feel comfortable from the get-go to increase the chance of an offer.

Kitchens

For decades, white kitchens were the standard. They seem like a good idea in pictures when they look pristine, but the reality is they are impossible to keep clean. Many homebuyers are recognizing white doesn’t work. Rather, try putting a gray-blue on the walls. It’s still crisp for a kitchen but will mask some mess. Zillow reports kitchens in gray-blue sold for nearly $2,000 more.

Bold cabinets are another way to make a statement before selling your house. Reports claim that navy or red cabinet kitchen cabinets sold faster and for more than those without.

Bathrooms

A gallon of light blue paint and an afternoon painting your bathroom could net you $5,440 more on your asking price. Nautical is making a comeback in smaller amounts in rooms like bathrooms. Mix in a bit of gold, red, and white and you’re stylish but still a blank slate for the new owners.

Bedrooms

When it comes to bedrooms, cerulean in a soft version with a matte finish is the answer. It gets $1,856 on offers. Matching it with white baseboards and natural wood creates a retreat in the bedroom that any homeowner would be happy to have.

Living Rooms

For living rooms, go barely beige or gray-brown. The natural browns are easy to work with and offer so much more color than white. The rooms in these colors are cozy and welcoming and could add up to $2,000 on your asking price. These colors are particularly successful in rooms with white, either in trim, molding or wainscoting. The combination will make your rooms comfortable and workable.

Dining Rooms

In your dining room, you’ll want to aim for blue, but on the gray side. It’s a formal and stately feel that is updated. Homes with blue-gray dining rooms were valued at almost $2,000 more over white dining rooms. Pair it with pops of white in the trim and the room looks crisp and put together.

Exterior House Colors

Neglecting to update the exterior of your home could cost you in the long run. The most popular and profitable paint is currently the not quite brown, not quite gray color of greige. Homes of this color gained $3,496 more than the expected prices.

The Results Are In

Blue, and versions of it, are the most highly recommended color throughout your home. When you get ready to list your home, weigh the costs and potential gains that a new paint job could net you. Not the same answer is right for every homeowner. A project like painting the exterior of your home will take time and money, so make sure you can recoup the costs in the end.