In terms of resale value, data via Zillow indicates that “greige” exteriors can boost the selling price of a home. Remodeling site Fixr also cites white and gray to be the top exterior paint colors in their 2020 Paint & Color Trends Report. Similarly, Beauchamp recommends timeless, neutral colors for a home's exterior.
As for the rest of your house, cool and neutral wall colors are a big hit with buyers overall. Light blue bathrooms and taupe-colored living rooms were especially popular in homes that sold for more money. Meanwhile, homes with dark red- or brown-colored walls sold for as much as $2,310 less than expected.
When it comes to home exteriors, blue is a great choice. It's also extremely versatile. Many shades of a blue trend toward gray, making them feel neutral, while still helping your home stand out from the rest. You can choose from a light blue or go darker with a navy exterior.
The most popular color for a house exterior is Alabaster by Sherwin-Williams. The creamy off-white exterior color looks great on every type of siding including wood, vinyl, brick, fiber cement, and stucco. Alabaster also works as a siding or trim color so it's quite a versatile exterior paint color as well.
Acrylic paint lasts the longest and is also known for resisting all sorts of damage caused by weather and other natural variables. Acrylic paint is also excellent for resisting fading or damage caused by exposure to the sun, making it perfect for homes located in hot regions or climates.
Choose light colors
Making the exterior of your home a light color is the best way to make your home look larger, brighter, and more inviting. Light colors such as white, ivory, pale gray, and sage green reflect higher amounts of light than dark colors, tricking the eye into perceiving the home as larger than it is.
But if your kitchen's dominant color is brick or barn red, that could take over $2,000 off the selling price. They used to say, “If you want to sell her, paint her yellow.” Today, a more scientific method of judging the effect of color on a house's salability shows otherwise: yellow houses sell for over $3,000 less.
Your actual home's worth isn't likely to be impacted by a garish paint job, or the paint of the house next door. The appraisal process is looking at the home value based on its' structural integrity and its square footage, among other aspects, and paint color really isn't part of how much the actual house is worth.
Home sellers are often advised to slap on a fresh coat of paint before listing their properties, but they shouldn't overlook the impact of color. A Zillow analysis of more than 32,000 photos from sold residential properties finds specific colors can either boost or crimp a home's selling price.
"Generally, going with neutral colors like shades of white, beige, taupe, and grays lead to a faster sale," she shares. "Neutral colors are also more appealing to potential buyers because many want the creative freedom of a blank canvas to add their personal touches to when looking for a new place to call home.
In a 2019 episode of the popular home improvement show, Property Brothers: Buying and Selling, the duo—Jonathan and Drew Scott—noted that there are two colors that should never be used to paint interior walls: Red and yellow.
Tree Green
Darker shades of green tend to recede into the front yard, making it more difficult for prospective buyers to admire, or even notice, your home. Instead, weave a deep green into the picture through porch accents or bushes, so you can still get the color you want without sacrificing selling potential.
Increase your home's value
Both interior and exterior painting are projects with a significant return-on-investment (ROI). On average nationally, painting both the inside and outside of your home yields a $4,000+ value bump. That's a 107% ROI for interior painting and a 55% ROI for exterior painting.
The paint on black houses will blister and peel faster than a light color. This is because black paint heats up and cools down (expanding and contracting more than a light color) as it absorbs more rays from the sun. (One way to mitigate this problem is with conscientious preparation before painting.
We recommend that exteriors be painted every 5-10 years. This number may change depending on not only the quality of paint previously used but largely what type of exterior surface you're working with. Here are some good rules of thumb to follow: Stucco should be repainted every 5-6 years.
Adding new vinyl siding to your home can increase the value by approximately 76.7% of the project cost, according to Remodeling Magazine. One key thing to consider is whether the siding you select will maintain that value after it has been subjected to mother nature, or the neighbor's baseball.
Paint your door black
According a Zillow Paint Color Analysis, a black front door could increase the price of your home by 2.9 percent.
A lighter field color will make it look larger; a darker color will visually shrink it. Lighter colors can also make a house look visually flimsy, while darker colors can give it a strong, solid appearance. But it's the trim color that can make or break the scheme.
At the same time, colors that are too light can sometimes prevent a smaller home from standing out in its landscape. Keep this in mind: Lighter colors can neutralize features that you wish to de-emphasize, while darker colors draw attention to places you want to highlight.
Paint it something lighter because light colors and neutrals will make it seem like a more prominent structure. Dark colors close off the exterior, while lighter colors reflect light to make the look of a home more expansive and wider.
All things being equal, satin or eggshell finish is preferable for the exterior of a home. A satin/eggshell finish satisfies basic maintenance points while providing a pleasant appearance that appeals to the widest range of homeowners.
This paint and primer in one allow you to use it inside or out, on virtually any surface. Plus, it provides up to 7 years of protection against blistering, peeling, fading, and dirt pickup.
Gloss paint and high-gloss paint are some of the best options for choosing the best exterior house paint. These clean easily and resist scuffs better, making them a good choice for areas in constant use, like doors, door jambs and window casings.