According to a recent study by Zillow, when it comes to homeownership one thing that may make or break the value of your home is the color palette you choose for your house.
Some home values may range in a decrease between –$400 to -$1000 dollars just because of the color choices you make. As a rule of thumb, before selling or attempting to sell any property or space, you should always paint the walls in neutral colors to avoid offending the eye, and allowing consumers to make an objective judgement on the space itself.
Many people might walk into a home and get scared off by crazy patterns on the walls, or a very bright color palette that might be fun for your Aunt Marge, but detrimental to someone else trying to live there. Many people see having to repaint as an added price tag and workload when purchasing a space. So it’s best to try and keep things simple. The following 8 colors are palettes you should try to avoid when selling your home.
1) Slate Grey or Dark Grey: Believe it or not, these neutral colors are not so neutral. Darker colors like this actually trick the eye into believing a space is far smaller than it actually is. It’s also a lot harder to cover up with primer and paint once your walls are this shade. It takes a lot more layers to cover up darker hues and thus increases your price tag when buying a space.
2) Neon Colors: These bright colors might have been a fun idea in the 1980s or for your bachelor party palace as a young college student, however neon colors are very outrageous in personality and immediately a huge turnoff for potential buyers. Perhaps there is such a thing as “too much pizazz.”
3) Off White: Believe it or not, homes painted with off white are, well, off-putting. The color palette isn’t quite white but it’s not quite grey either. It just looks like a faded white paint and many take this as a sign that walls haven’t been painted in a long time. Try going with a brighter color of white or even a creamier white.
4) Orange or Terracotta: This has to be one of the most offending colors there is. The color orange might be fun for a lot of people, but when it comes to selling your home it isn’t quite the color that others are looking for. This is just a little too 1960s / 1970s for many people.
5) Dark Brown: This might be a nice color for your own home, but when it comes to trying to convince others to buy your property, brown is not the way to go. What you might call a ‘milk chocolate’ color, others might describe as ‘pooey’ or ‘muddy.’ When in doubt, always stick with something neutral.
6) Black: Darker colors, especially black, will almost always decrease the value of your home. Not only do these colors absorb the most light, creating the illusion of a much darker space, they also create the illusion that a space is far smaller than it is normally. White colors open up spaces, allow more light to bounce off the walls and create a greater feeling of warmth.
7) Pink: This wild and crazy color might be a lot of fun for Barbie, but make no mistake, this color will be detrimental to the sale of your home. Unless you’re selling a crazy beachfront retirement paradise in Malibu, this color says more about your own personality than it does about the value of your home.
8) Dark or Greenish Yellow: This color might match your vintage furniture, but a lot of people coming into your home might think this color looks more like puke rather than yellow. These colors should almost always be avoided unless you have a professional decorating your home. The same goes for any of the colors on this list. When in doubt, stick with a neutral tone that will increase the value of your space.
