How Exterior &  Interior Paint Choices May Impact Property Value

For most of us, our home is our single most significant asset. So if selling is in your future, why not do everything you can to get top dollar?  Aside from spending thousands on home renovations that can increase the home’s value, there are some less expensive changes available that can affect your home’s resale value, like paint color.

But will painting your house increase the value? Yes, it can absolutely affect your resale value! Online real estate giant, Zillow, has conducted paint color analyses like this one over the past few years to determine which exterior and interior paint colors add the most value to your home during resale. Specific colors are consistently more popular, from home exteriors to the front doors and into the house’s interior. So, if you’re wondering how much painting your house increases the value – keep reading.

How Much Does Front Door Color Affect Value?

A home’s exterior is the first impression – and first impressions are everything. “Color can be a powerful tool for attracting buyers to a home, especially in listing photos and videos,” says Svenja Gudell, Zillow chief economist.

So, does painting the exterior of your house add value? According to Zillow’, it’s a good idea if done with the right colors, and their research revealed the exterior paint colors that increase home value, including front door colors. For the home exterior, the most attractive color to new homebuyers is somewhere between light gray and beige, or “greige.” It’s a soothing color with an organic feel.

Also, adding contrast with darker colors on shutters, front doors, and trim can create a standout exterior. For example, a dark gray, black, or navy blue door can add just the right amount of depth and pop to lure buyers in. In fact, Zillow’s analysis revealed that doors painted in these darker hues earned, on average, a whopping $1,514 more in the asking price!

Kitchen Color That Adds the Most Value

Interior colors can also drive your resale value up or down. But color is very personal, we know. So go ahead with your favorite colors if you are staying in your home – and enjoy it. However, if you are putting your home on the market, being strategic with your paint colors can help you get the most out of your resale.

According to Zillow, the once-popular yellow or beige kitchens are out, and kitchens painted with light blues and gray-blues are preferred. The average Zillow listing with a blue-gray painted kitchen sold for over $1,800 more than kitchens in other colors. Their research also indicated that kitchens with upper and lower cabinets of different colors, a.k.a. “tuxedo cabinets,” are also popular.

The Best Color For the Bathroom

Traditionally, we’ve been told that using white in small spaces, like a bathroom, can make the room appear larger. However, Zillow’s research found the opposite to be true for bathrooms. Overall, the homes with white bathrooms sold for an average of $4,035 below similar homes.

So what is the new white in bathroom color? Like the kitchen, it’s blue! Their color study found that light blue bathrooms sold for $5,440 on average than expected. These blues may range from baby blue to lavender-blue to cerulean – just as long as it’s a cool, light blue. This color palette is unsurprising given the trend toward white or light grey cabinetry, which looks great against light blues.

The Most Appealing Living Room Color

The living room is often the house’s center – a space for gathering, relaxing, and “living”. Unlike the kitchen and bathroom, light blue neutrals in this area don’t translate to higher sales prices. Instead, living rooms with walls in soft beige, taupe, or oatmeal were the clear winners. These earth tones are light enough to open up a room yet also lend a pleasant organic warmth.

Earth tones like beige and oatmeal are also perfect for adding nice pops of color with furniture, rugs, drapes, pillows, and other furniture accents.

Adding Value to the Dining Room

The popular color for dining rooms is grey-blue family, especially slate blue. Homes listed with dining rooms in this color earned bids upwards of $2,000 more than homes with other colors in this space. The dining room color schemes that trended toward lower offers were brick reds and terra cotta.

One thought is to paint your kitchen and dining room the same color. These two rooms are typically adjoined spaces, and using the same color throughout creates a nice flow to the area. Not to mention the higher list price you’ll likely enjoy by using these popular color choices.

So, when wondering, “how much does painting your house increase the value?” Zillow has your answers. There are exterior and interior paint colors that buyers prefer, and using them can boost your home’s value by thousands when selling. If you’re considering exterior paint colors that increase home value, then turn to the paint experts at PPD Painting. Whether it’s a commercial exterior, HOA transformations, or home touch-ups, they’ve been professionally painting Chicagoland for over 15 years with uncompromising professionalism and reliable service.