Five Paint Colors That Will Increase the Value of Your Home
And make it sell faster.
You don't need to be an interior designer to experiment with paint color in your home—you just need to follow along with Fresh Coat. We'll help you tackle all of your home's painting projects, from choosing the ultimate color palette to perfecting your method. You'll be prepped, primed, and ready to roll (literally) in no time.
A crisp coat of paint can make a big difference when you're preparing to sell your home. "It gives potential buyers a good first impression and instills the belief in a buyer's mind that the house has been well taken care of," says agent Karen Kostiw of Warburg Realty. Along with making a space more attractive to prospective buyers, certain paint colors can help your home sell faster—and in some cases, for more money.
CREDIT: ANDREA CALO
"A buyer needs to be able to envision their furniture coordinating with the chosen paint color," Kostiw adds. For this reason, agent George Case of Warburg Realty recommends selecting a neutral shade of paint when staging your home, which he says will appeal to the largest base possible. "The most important thing is to use paint color to create a space that feels fresh and relevant to any aesthetic or style," he says. So, which paint colors can increase both the appeal and value of your home? There are a number of good options.
Warm Grays
For an elegant paint color that's versatile enough to use in any room, our experts say to look no further than a warm shade of gray. "When selling your home, you want high-traffic spaces to feel welcoming, so people can envision themselves living in them," says Sue Wadden, Director of Color Marketing at Sherwin-Williams. "Mindful Gray SW 7016 is a timeless, warm, greenish gray that suits a variety of interiors, while Agreeable Gray SW 7029 is our most popular, light soft gray." For a warm gray that will complement just about any color of furniture, Ashley Banbury, Senior Color Designer at Pratt & Lambert Paints suggests Row House 408B. "It's a slightly more mid-tone neutral that provides the perfect balance of warm and cool," she explains.
Soft Whites
Light and airy, our experts say a coat of white paint can make a big impact on buyers when selling your home. "White walls allow a buyer to see how their furniture, artwork, and fabrics can seamlessly fit into their potential new space," explains Patrick O'Donnell of Farrow & Ball. "Soft nuanced whites, such as School House White No. 291, or the perennially popular Wimborne White No. 239, create a clean backdrop for anything." For a bright shade of white that will stand out in listing photos, Wadden recommends Pure White SW 7005. "Think about how color will translate [virtually]," she says. "Certain colors can appear different in person than they do online."
Light Pastels
If you want to introduce some color into a room, O'Donnell says to consider a mid-to-light-tone pastel that can supply a dash of drama without overpowering the space. "A soft muted pink, like Setting Plaster No. 231, or a pale silvery blue or green, such as Light Blue No. 22 and Mizzle No.266 are interesting enough to bring a pop of personality to a room, but gentle enough to read as a warm neutral," he explains.
Velvety Beige Wadden says that a fresh shade of beige paint is a foolproof way to make a space feel more inviting to buyers. "Spaces painted in beiges are seen as versatile across various design styles," she explains. "Accessible Beige SW 7036 has a gray undertone that works well with differing wood tones, while bringing depth and dimension to open floor plans."
Creamy Off-Whites According to Banbury, you can always count on cream-colored paint to make a stark space feel cozy and welcoming. "Shades of cream work wonders when selling a home, because they make a space feel comfortable but adaptable," she explains. "Milk Glass WH31 brings a sophisticated touch to a room while creating a warm backdrop for furniture and accessories." For a creamy shade of off-white that will complement both warm and cool color palettes, Wadden suggests Dover White SW 6385. "Spaces painted in off-white are seen as versatile across various design styles," she explains.