The Colors That Will Sell Your Home
- Posted on February 17, 2017
It’s one of the most basic pieces of advice for home sellers: paint with neutral colors. But what exactly does that mean? Can you use colors you love without putting off potential buyers? Should you just paint every room the same shade of beige? Staging a home leaves a lot more room for variety than most people realize. Here are some additional tips on how to choose colors that will get your home sold.
Keep Pure White Outside
White is often thought of as the ultimate neutral, but really, it’s more of a bright color than a neutral one. And pure white is often too stark and cold when used inside a home. Stay away from white when choosing interior paint colors, and go with gray, cream, or beige instead.
On the other hand, white is a great choice for the exterior of your house. 40% of home buyers actually prefer a house with a white exterior. [source: How Stuff Works]
Cool Earth Tones
Neutrals don’t have to be limited to cream, beige, and tan. Earth tones like blue, green, and brown will all work as neutrals. You just need to pick a muted tone and use it in moderation, along with other neutrals.
Using a neutral blue hue in bedrooms and offices can create a soothing, meditative feel that buyers will love. Just remember to go for tones that blend together rather than drawing attention.
Warm Up the Kitchen
Most people think of a kitchen as a warm, cozy part of their home. Because of this, you have a lot more freedom to use warm, bright colors in a kitchen, even when trying to sell your home. Orange, red, and yellow tend to remind people of food and security. So if you’re feeling dreary with your home painted in nothing but cool neutrals, try livening up your kitchen with one of these warm colors.
Just don’t go too crazy; softer tone are still better, and bold colors are best saved for accent pieces. For instance, A soft yellow can work well in a kitchen, with some muted reds or oranges as accent colors.
Consider Your Neighborhood
The last bit of advice we have for you is to think about your neighborhood when choosing colors for selling your home. This can help you select the best colors for two reasons.
First, the exterior of your home should look nice with the rest of the block. That’s not to say your house can’t (or shouldn’t) stand out as special. But you also don’t want your house to be the eyesore that clashes with every other house in the neighborhood, or that just doesn’t fit with the surrounding houses.
Second, the neighborhood will determine what kind of buyers are looking at your house. Is your buyer likely to be a family with young kids? A stylish young professional? An older, retired couple? If your neighborhood is young and modern, you can get away with more trendy colors while selling.