Experts reveal the best and worst colours to paint your house if selling
If you are thinking of selling your home in the coming months, it might pay to give it a lick of paint first.
But be warned – just as the colours you choose may enhance your home in the eyes of prospective buyers, the wrong choice could lead them to run for the hills.
Now, a new report is revealing the top trends in home colours and the ones you should use, and avoid, if you are selling your home.
The Paint and Colour Trends Report 2024 on the Fixr.com website was compiled after 71 of the most highly-rated interior design experts and home stagers in the US were surveyed.
Almost half, or 49 per cent, found whites are the best exterior colour when selling a home, while 81 per cent recommended using warm neutral colours for interiors when selling a home.
According to the report, first impressions among home buyers were crucial when selling a home and it was important to make the home feel both inviting and homely, yet enough of a blank canvas for buyers to imagine themselves living there.
Warm neutrals
Most experts agree warm neutrals and whites were the best interior colours to increase home value.
Karen Otto of Home Star Staging suggested sticking with “warm neutrals, whites and taupes in the main spaces so buyers can easily transition into the home.”
She said if you want to experiment with bolder colours, you can do this in the other spaces.
“Using bold colours in secondary bedrooms, bathrooms or an office is a safe and welcome choice should you want to explore that trend for 2024,” she said.
“The impact a colour has on a home’s interior cannot be understated,” the report said.
“Choosing the right interior colour can increase the value of the property by transforming the home’s appearance.”
The report said warm neutrals created “an inviting feel to the home, while not being overbearing.”
“If you have strong, bright colours in your home and are looking to sell, painting over them with a warm neutral could see you receive higher offers.”
All white
The second top choice for interior colours was whites, with 69 per cent of those surveyed saying it would increase home value.
“While they may not create as much of a warm, homely atmosphere as warm neutrals, they do create a fresh feel,” the report said.
“The crisp freshness of white gives a sense of newness that homebuyers seek.”
Meanwhile, only 30 per cent of experts recommended adopting a colour palette of neutrals with deep colour accents, and 29 per cent suggested cool neutral colours to increase home value.
Just 3 per cent suggested painting a home’s interiors in rich or deep colours.
Exterior colour to add value
According to the report, “kerb appeal” was a major factor in real estate and the exterior colour of a home could affect its value.
For the exteriors, 49 per cent of the home staging and design experts said whites would increase a home’s value.
“White works with pretty much all home styles, types and ages,” the report said.
“It is not off-putting, gives a fresh, clean look and can match well with all front door, trim and window colours.”
A further 48 per cent recommended adding in natural wood stains alongside whites to increase a home’s value.
Just 36 per cent of the experts recommended cream for exteriors, while 32 per cent suggested tan or beige.
Grey is out
Grey was a popular choice for exteriors in recent years, but according to the experts surveyed, only 19 per cent recommended the use of greys and greens.
Also out were blues (16 per cent), and dark tones (12 per cent).
Yellow was considered the kiss of death, with only 1 per cent of experts thinking it would increase the value of a home.
Colours to avoid
The colour considered the most off-putting to buyers when selling was red (59 per cent), lime green (53 per cent) and yellow (40 per cent).
Other colours the experts suggested homeowners avoid were mustard, pink, turquoise and black.
“Red is an extremely strong colour and may not be to everybody’s taste,” the report said.
Meanwhile, lime green was described as a “garish colour that impacts greatly on a space [and] can be overwhelming for a potential buyer who is looking around a home.”
“Similarly, 40 per cent say bright yellow will make potential buyers look elsewhere.”
Bigger is better
Warm neutral colours and whites made interior rooms seem larger, according to experts.
While 61 per cent of experts surveyed favoured warm neutral colours, 60 per cent said whites made a space seem bigger.
“Using colour strategically to give the sense of more space is useful for homeowners and home sellers alike,” the report said.
“Warm neutrals can reflect light, and visually recede, and their calmness can make a space feel less overwhelming.
“Whites can create the illusion of higher and wider ceilings and walls, removing the boundaries to create a seamless, open space.
“The freshness of white also reflects natural light, giving the sense of more room.”
Meanwhile, just 34 per cent said dark hues could make spaces appear larger.
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