5 paint colors that could lower your home's value by thousands of dollars
Your home, your rules — but when it comes to paint colors, thinking short-term can be an expensive mistake
The beauty of owning your own place is you can do whatever you want to it, but a seemingly small decision like choosing the wrong paint color could cost you later on.
Research from Zillow shows that buyers will cut their offers by thousands of dollars for homes with unappealing paint colors.
Kevin Barzegar, founder and CEO of Kaybridge Residential, a U.K.-based real estate company, created a list of the five most unappealing paint colors to buyers. Here are the colors he suggested avoiding — as well as why they might be worth reconsidering, especially if you plan to move anytime soon.
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Dark brown
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Dark brown can seem sophisticated — until it’s time to sell your place. It came make a room appear smaller, and buyers are often attracted to light spaces.
“Brown is one of the most dated colors you can have on your walls,” Barzegar said. “It absorbs light rather than reflecting it, which makes even generously sized rooms feel cramped and uninviting. Buyers immediately start mentally calculating the cost and effort of repainting.”
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Bright orange
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Keep bright orange as an accent color, if you need to have it in your home at all.
“Bright orange is a personal taste that very few buyers will share,” Barzegar said. “It can make people feel anxious or overstimulated, which is the opposite of what you want when they're trying to imagine living in the space.”
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Deep purple
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Barzegar said deep purple and other jewel tones can be a big turn-off for potential buyers.
“Buyers are already thinking about moving costs, legal fees, and potential renovations. Adding ‘repaint the entire house’ to that list can be enough to make them choose a different property,” he noted.
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Dated beige
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Yellow and peachy beiges that were popular 20 and 30 years ago will now make your home feel old. “There's a big difference between modern warm neutrals and dated beige,” Barzegar said. “The wrong beige can make your home look like it hasn't been updated in decades, which immediately reduces its perceived value.”
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Stark Red
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Red isn’t always bad, but isn’t super popular. “Red walls are incredibly divisive,” Barzegar said. “For every person who might appreciate them, there are ten who find them off-putting. When you're selling, you want to appeal to the widest possible audience.”