Yes, painting your home takes time and money, but you could get significant returns based on the colors you choose. As a rule of thumb, light, neutral colors are the way to go because color choice is highly subjective. “Everyone’s ideas of what they want and like—in colors, moods, and energy—are very different,” explains David Bluhm, co-founder of Plunk, an app that helps homeowners increase their home equity through improvements. “So the bolder the color choices you make, the more you risk appealing to a smaller audience of potential buyers.” The color you choose for the outside of your home also plays a part in increasing its value. “From an exterior perspective, the color of your home can drastically boost curb appeal,” says Eamon Lynch, director of warranty service at Power Home Remodeling. Lynch suggests white, gray, and tan for your home’s exterior because they are “the most universal and timeless across…styles and regions.” If you want to add a pop of color to your home, the outside is the place to do it. Lynch suggests a statement door, window flower boxes, and shutters in the same color to make your home stand out. In fact, painting your door black or charcoal gray could boost home value by $6,000! Here are the top neutral paint colors that will elevate your home and increase its value.
White
Great for: Kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, exteriors If you’re looking for a color that will brighten your home, make spaces look and feel bigger, and more inviting, you can’t go wrong with white. “There is truly only one color that increases—or, better said, does not decrease the value of your home, and that is white,” says Anthony Carrino, VP of design at online home building platform Welcome Homes. White is especially good for kitchens. “[They] are the ultimate crowd-pleasers in my experience,” says Wendy McCleery, senior interior designer at Lars Remodeling and Design. Sticking to a neutral color like a warm white can allow potential buyers to see themselves in a space—something that a bold color might get in the way of. “Painting your house a soft white or neutral will make your home more marketable to the masses, helping it appear larger and like a clean canvas,” says Walton.
Cream
Great for: Kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms Cream is another neutral that freshens up a space. “When we flip a property, we like to use light cream colors on the interior walls,” says Marina Vaamonde, a commercial real estate investor and founder of PropertyCashin. Vaamonde says cream gives a room an inviting feel and can boost a home’s perceived value by a few thousand dollars.
Light Blue
Great for: Bathrooms, bedrooms A 2021 Zillow survey found that light blue was the most popular color to paint a bathroom and on average, could increase the value of a home by $5,000. “Bathrooms are areas where homeowners want to feel relaxed; any color that helps foster that feeling instantly increases value,” says Lynch. McLeery says light blue can make a bathroom look “inviting, comfortable and cozy, but also more spacious.” Once again, light blue is considered a neutral color, appealing to a wider range of styles and tastes. “It is said to be an easy-to-live-with color that conveys feelings of peace and serenity,” says Kate Diaz, co-owner of home decor and interior design site, Swanky Den.
Greige
Great for: Living rooms, bedrooms, exteriors
Both gray and beige are excellent neutrals for interiors, but if you can’t decide between the two, greige offers a winning combination. “Greige can be an alternative to white and gray, and brings a feeling of elegance and sophistication,” says Warner Quiroga, real estate investor and owner of Prestige Home Buyers.
Not only will greige give your home a warm, elevated look; it will increase its value, too. “Painting your living room a neutral color like gray, beige, or light brown can add up to $2,000 to your home’s value, which can be modernized with accents of white,” says Bailey Carson, home care expert at Angi.
