When preparing your house for sale, you want to select paint colors that appeal to the majority of buyers. You want to help them to envision themselves living there. As a general rule, it is best to choose colors that are light, neutral and inviting and avoid colors that are dark or taste specific.

A Zillow analysis of more than 32,000 photos from sold residential properties finds specific colors can either boost or crimp a home’s selling price. The analysis controlled for square footage, the age of the home, the date of the transaction and location, and then compared the sale prices of homes with white walls versus those with more colorful paint. For example, homes that are painted “greige,” a shade somewhere between light gray and beige, tended to sell for $3,496 more than similar homes in brown or tan.

Here are Zillow’s findings on what colors to choose (and which to avoid):

Kitchens:

• Blue (light blue to soft gray-blue): home sold for $1,809 more on average
• Yellow (straw yellow to marigold): home sold for $820 less on average

Bathrooms:

• Blue/purple (light powder blue to periwinkle): home sold for $5,440 more on average
• White/no color (off-white or eggshell white): home sold for $4,035 less on average

Bedrooms:

• Blue (light cerulean to cadet blue): home sold for $1,856 more on average
• Pink (light pink to antique rose; often found in kids rooms): home sold for $208 less on average

Dining Room:

• Blue (slate blue to pale gray blue; navy blue also found in dining rooms with white shiplap): home sold for $1,926 more on average
• Red (brick red, terracotta, or copper red): home sold for $2,031 less on average

Living Room:

• Brown (light beige, pale taupe, oatmeal): home sold for $1,809 more on average
• Blue (pastel gray, pale silver to light blue, periwinkle): home sold for $820 less on average

Bottom Line: Painting your house before you put it on the market in colors that appeal to the broadest audience possible can make a big difference – it can help you sell your house faster and for more money.

Related Reading:
House Painting: Inside and Out (Fine Homebuilding), by Mark Dixon
The Ultimate Guide to House Painting: How To Paint Interior And Exterior With Success, by Kevin Walker
Home Interior Book | Houzz: https://www.houzz.com/home-interior-book