4 Paint Colors That Can Help Sell Your House, Real Estate Agents Say

There’s a long to-do list that begins forming when you’re preparing to sell your house, and one aesthetic element that always appears is repainting.

But before you can even crack open a gallon, you’ll need to figure out the best paint colors to help your home sell for more.

While you might love the clean look of a neutral room or appreciate the vibrancy bold green or pink walls bring to a space, it’s easy to question if potential buyers will think the same way.

Whether you’re musing over a new interior paint color or trying to decide what shade to coat your exterior cladding, we spoke to a few real estate agents who are experts on the subject and suggested some of the best colors.

White

When it comes to paint colors that never fail to boost your home’s value and won’t scare interested buyers away, there’s one answer that comes up again and again.

Real estate developer Jose Berlanga gives us the inside scoop: the most popular and attractive paint colors will almost always be white and light shades.

“They can make any room or space appear larger and more open than other options, and they work with any design, style, and architecture,” he says.

White and cream are far less risky hues, and because it’s such a common color across homes, it’s easier for buyers to visualize their future homes and they won’t get distracted by what’s been rolled onto the walls.

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Beige

Beige and other natural shades may not be the most exciting colors, but they’re safe and effective when it comes to selling your home.

“Natural earth tones will stand the test of time,” Berlanga says, so you won’t feel pressure to repaint or overthink the colors on your walls no matter when you decide to sell.

Like white, there are various shades to choose from. Some undertones will look more brown, yellow, or gray—hence the creation of the word “greige.”

Figure out which shades look best with the surrounding features in your home. If the floors lean warmer or your cabinets or countertops have a cooler hue, you’ll want a shade that matches these.

Gray

Another great color option for your home is gray. Sarah Goss, managing broker at Southwestern Real Estate, notes that there’s no guarantee that a specific paint color will bump up the price of your house, but being mindful of agreeable shades goes a long way.

“A polarizing or offensive color will lower your exposure and likely equate to a lower price,” she explains. That’s why a choice as neutral and subtle as gray is safe and almost always looks wonderful in a room.

She recommends a shade like Sherwin-Williams’ Agreeable Gray, noting that “the name says it all” and that it blends with almost any accent colors and will appeal to the widest audience.

Pop of Color

This isn’t a paint color, per se, but every real estate agent we spoke with noted that color is perfectly fine if used sparingly and intentionally.

While you may love a splashy cobalt room or neon walls, it might not appeal to future dwellers.

“Even though it’s ostensibly ‘just paint,’ some colors or patterns can overwhelm someone to a point where they are no longer considering an otherwise ideal property,” Nikki Beauchamp of Sotheby’s International Realty says.

Berlanga says color could be in the form of a small bathroom or as an accent wall, so it doesn’t take away from or overwhelm the overall feeling of your home. It also shows a splash of creativity and invites people to imagine all how they can customize the house themselves.