5 On Your Side

Zillow survey: These paint color choices attract higher offers

Selling your home? What color are your walls? In today's housing market, the right decision could translate into cash in your pocket.

Posted Updated

By
Monica Laliberte
, WRAL executive producer/5 on Your Side reporter

Selling your home? What color are your walls? In today's housing market, the right decision could translate into cash in your pocket.

Online real estate company Zillow surveyed roughly 1,300 recent or prospective buyers. The results suggests the right colors in the right rooms will be rewarded.

Design specialist Amanda Pendleton said, "Zillow's internal paint analysis found homes that have pale blue bathrooms could sell for nearly $4,700 more than expected."

On the flip side, Pendleton warns popular colors of the past could actually cost you.

"Mint green kitchens could sell for nearly $1,800 less than expected. Bright yellow and bright red in the kitchen were similarly disliked," said Pendleton.

In the study, 15 colors were scored based on potential home-buyer responses. One finding shows that the living room is not a place to take chances.

Pendleton's advice? "It is best to play it safe. You're going to want to stick with neutrals like white and gray."

According to Pendleton, clean white shades scored best in kitchens. In bedrooms, you can take a bolder approach, but color still matters.

"In those spaces, they actually preferred blue to all other colors," she said.

At first glance, color choices may seem less important that other features of a home. However, it may be the psychological impact that gives color choices more influence.

"Our brains are trying to process a lot of information about unfamiliar territory and that's why certain cues like color are so much more impactful in our decision-making," said Pendleton.

WEB LINK: https://www.zillowgroup.com/news/paint-colors-that-could-lead-to-higher-offers/

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.