If you are planning to list your house for sale, one of the most important aspects of the home to address for the listing is the curb appeal.
Curb appeal can make or break a sale because it is the first impression shoppers have of the home, setting their expectations for what is on the inside. If a house isn’t attractive on the outside, not many home shoppers are going to want to go inside.
One of the key aspects of the curb appeal is the exterior color of the home. The color of the house plays a big role in drawing people into the home and determining the resale value. But, most homeowners undervalue the importance of the exterior color of their homes and neglect to give it the proper attention it deserves when it comes time to sell the house.
So what is the perfect exterior paint color to improve the curb appeal of your house? Most experts agree that these are the best color choices for an exterior paint job. They are also the colors most people expect to see on a home’s exterior.
Whites
While it may seem boring to some, colors in the white palettes are proven to increase curb appeal because they work well against other colorful elements such as greenery and roofs. You can really make the white colors pop when you use darker colors on other exterior elements such as doors, window frames and shutters. White with green trim or white with black trim are especially popular combinations.
Grays
One of the most trendy colors for exterior paint is gray. Grays work really well with bold colors for trims and accents, and they are a little more exciting than white. In a Zillow analysis of 32,000 images of homes across the United States, those painted grayish beige, or “greige,” sold for nearly $3,500 more, on average, than similar homes in medium brown or taupe.
Blues
The color blue is said to have a calming effect on the mind. In the right shades, it can give off a calming aura from the house that attracts home buyers. The trick with blue is to go with either really light or really dark shades to avoid the more daring shades that land in the middle of the blue color spectrum that can be more difficult to complement.
Yellows
Yellow is a happy color. While it may be a somewhat surprising color to use on the exterior of a house, it is a very popular and inviting color that boosts curb appeal. In a light shade, yellow gives home a natural and pleasing appearance.
Remember, while you may be attracted to bold, vibrant colors on a house, potential future homeowners may not feel the same way. Choose an exterior color that blends in with the neighborhood to make the home attractive to a larger pool of shoppers, even if it isn’t a color you personally enjoy. You can always use the bolder colors on the accents and trims to make the main color pop a bit more.
In the end, it’s about appealing to the buyers and making them want to go inside.
