A house should be a visual expression of the person who lives in it, right? While this is true most of the time, when it comes to discovering the colors that can make your house sell for more, things change. According to a new study from real estate agency Zillow, certain paint colors can make your home sell for more, and some shades can even have the opposite effect.
“People don’t buy homes every day. During the buying process, they need to process a lot of complex information in a field in which they typically don’t have much experience,” said Amanda Pendleton, home trends expert at Zillow. “That uncertainty is probably why buyers rely on color as a powerful visual signal that a home is modern and current. Or that it needs maintenance,” explains this professional.
Gray walls are worth more on the market
According to the report, which is based on surveys of 4,700 recent and potential home buyers, dark gray walls were correlated with higher offer prices in all rooms studied: kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom. An intense graphite color in the kitchen can help a house sell for about 2,000 euros more than similar ones. If you opt for an intermediate gray, the offer can go up even more.
White kitchens, for their part, could make buyers offer up to 600 euros less. The dark gray in the living room also corresponded to higher offer prices, of at least 1,600 euros more.
We pay more for houses that look like shelters
“Buyers have been exposed to dark gray spaces through home improvement TV shows and their social media feeds,” Mehnaz Khan, a color psychology specialist, and interior designer in Albany, New York, said in a statement.
However, the reason gray paint colors can make your home sell for more money may also have to do with more subconscious reasons. “Gray is the color of retirement,” Khan added. “As we emerge from the pandemic and return to our hectic lives, buyers want their home to be a haven. They want to retreat and escape the uncertainty of the outside world, and rooms swathed in dark gray can create that feeling of security.”, account. It should also be noted that the data showed that buyers prefer black doors over those painted gray.
Bauwerk Colour’s Bone and Stone limestone paint colors, chosen for their texture and depth, create a serene atmosphere in this English countryside home. Behind the sofa, is a floor lamp by Oscar Piccolo. In front, a Paris table by Vogel Studio, in The House by Mah, a tall marble cube by Porte designed by HUTCH Design, and chairs by Pierre Jeanneret. More photos of this house here © Helen Cathcart / Realization: Sarah Birks
Conclusion: choose the colors of the walls of your house carefully before putting it up for sale
Although numerous factors influence the sale price of a home, painting is a relatively simple gesture that can go a long way when putting a property on the market.
” Painting is a relatively affordable and easy change that still has a huge impact on a buyer’s perception of the home,” adds Pendleton. “That first impression contributes to their overall feelings about a home and, ultimately, how much they will be willing to pay for it.”