Whether you are preparing your property for sale or to let, new interior paint is one of the fastest and most affordable ways to boost your home’s marketability.

It is, however, not only the condition of the paint on your walls that affect the value of your property. A home buyers survey from Zillow Group revealed that choosing the right colour may make your home more appealing to potential buyers. On the other hand, unusual colours (hello, parakeet green bedroom) may narrow the pool of interested parties in your property.

Colours to Avoid

What buyers want from a home is a feeling of joyfulness and spaciousness. They need to be able to imagine living comfortably in the property, and using highly personal and eccentric hues may likely make this a challenge for them.

The property will feel that it belongs to you and not them, which may undermine the sale of even the most well-appointed, tidy home.

A home buyer survey from Zillow found some surprising room-specific no-nos:

Colours to avoid in the kitchen:

Although a hot design trend, minty green kitchens have an icy reputation from prospective buyers who may offer €1,600 less on average for a property with a mint green kitchen.

Painting your kitchen walls red may also lower your home’s value by €1,300, while yellow walls here could be a turnoff too, with some buyers going as far as calling kitchens painted in sunshine yellow “really ugly” and “gross”.

Colours to avoid in the bathroom:

Avoid bright green hues. Buyers tend to stay away from vibrant colours in the bathroom and prefer calming more neutral options.

The survey also indicated that home buyers are less likely to tour a house with a bathroom painted in bright yellow, red or pink hues.

Colours to avoid in the living room:

Blue walls in the living room may repel buyers. Bright blue was the most polarising colour tested in the survey. Some prospective tenants loved it; others loathed it.

Additionally, bright yellow, green and pink living rooms were also found to decrease the price homeowners would pay for a property, with many suggesting they would not even want to tour homes with these hues on the walls.

What Colours Should You Go With?

Neutral, light and cool colours are a big hit with buyers. In fact, a report from HomeLight found that 98% of top real estate agents agree that neutral colour schemes are the most popular amongst buyers.

Neutral shades are versatile and strike a perfect balance between cool and warm shades and can create an inviting atmosphere, allowing homebuyers to imagine themselves living comfortably in the space during an open house.

As a general rule, try to stick to as few colours as possible, even if they are all neutrals and pick wall colours that complement the other rooms in the property. This will give the home a cohesive feel. Less is more!

Colours for the bathroom:

According to Zillow’s report, home buyers love light blue bathrooms and would pay 1.6% more for a bathroom in this hue. These shades are also a great way to make the bathroom or laundry room feel lighter, more spacious and friendly.

Using neutral and delicate colours such as off-white, grey or light yellow in the bathroom also seem to contribute to slightly higher offers.

Colours for the kitchen:

To make your kitchen feel fresh and airy, go with white. Potential home buyers suggested they were much more likely to buy a home with white walls in the kitchen.

Using off-white, grey, light yellow, dark green and dark red hues in the kitchen also inspired a little more interest in home buyers.

Colours to go with in the bedroom:

Blue bedroom walls are scientifically proven to contribute to longer and better quality sleep. It is, therefore, no surprise that bedrooms with dark blue painted walls made potential home buyers pay an average of €1,300 more for a property.

Lighter shades of blue, forest green, light grey and white are all good options, with buyers paying slightly more for homes with bedrooms in these hues.

Colours for the living room:

Pursuant to the survey, the best colour for the living room is grey. This subtle, neutral hue allows home buyers to imagine their decor in the property, and if they can see themselves in a home, they may be more likely to make an offer.

White and light yellow are also good options, while light green actually inspired home buyers to pay slightly more for a house on average.

Choosing the right finish:

The finish of the paint used matters just as well as its colour. Using a matte finish does a great job hiding imperfections giving the walls a smooth and new look. A flat white paint for ceilings will also help reflect light making the rooms look bigger and brighter.

On the other hand, a satin finish is excellent for moldings, door jambs and trim. The shiny paint will give the room a modern and clean look. However, be cautious using satin and eggshell finishes as they tend to have a different effect on walls and could highlight flaws and make the space look worn.

Have a Project in Mind?

With over 3 decades of experience and an impressive portfolio of renovations projects across Dublin, PRS is your qualified partner. Get in touch through our dedicated Property Renovations Website today.