Adding planters, lighting and a cute mailbox will only go so far in amping up a home's curb appeal. Owners who need to sell quickly should choose their colors wisely, because there are certain exterior paint colors that sell.Just as some colors are more appealing for home staging inside the home, some colors work better on the exterior than others. And many of the rules are the same: Stay tuned into local demand. What do people favor in your area? You're trying to reach the broadest market. Avoid the "look at me" color house paint. Neutrals are your friend; they appeal to the widest group of people. Beige and grays don't usually offend the way that red and seafoam can.
We asked professional home stagers to tell us some exterior paint colors that sell and why. Here's what they said:
Start at the Roof
When beginning to choose exterior paint colors, you must first consider what can't be changed: Primarily, this includes the roof and any stone, copper or other hard surfaces you won't be painting over. Your color palette must compliment the roof. For example if your roof is red, your house shouldn't be.
Home stager Kelly Fallis suggests keeping it simple. The most common roof colors are blacks, browns, grays and whites. "That's where to start," she says. "It also depends on whats going on at your neighbor's houses. You want to blend in, you don't want to be the sore thumb on the street." She also advises keeping the color scheme simple with just two or three colors: One for paint, one for trim and maybe one other color for the front door.
Research the Market
The exterior paint colors you choose should also be appropriate for your market. Some colors work better in certain regions of the country, whether they be historical, classical, colorful, etc. In Florida, for instance, pastel colors like peach are the norm, but shades of peach would be out of place in the Pacific northwest, where greens, browns and gray earth-tones are prevalent.
"In our market, we have mostly brick and don't generally paint it," says Karen Otto a home stager in Plano, Texas. "Drive your neighborhood and look at what the 'Jones's' are doing, and what the local home or city board is approving."
Universal Exterior Paint Color Rules
Neutral colors are always safe and usually look best with any architectural style, says Denver home stager Jamie DeBartolomeis. A nice contrast between trim and the home's main surface, whether it be siding, brick or stone is a good idea. "Colors like blue, certain shades of green and pink are not embraced by the general public," she warns.
How to Choose an Exterior Paint Palette
Picking up a color deck from your local paint store has its advantages, namely that you can hold the swatch up to your home, but it can also be incredibly daunting to look at that huge round of colors. Increasingly, more sophisticated online color palette aids simplify the chore of choosing exterior paint colors that sell. Here are a few sites that might help:
- My Perfect Color [color combinations and charts for more than 100 manufacturers]
- Benjamin Moore's Virtual Fan Deck
- Valspar Paint Color Palettes
- National Trust Historic Paint Colors
- California Paint's Historic Colors of America [based on architectural style]
For more ideas on home staging, check out these AOL Real Estate guides:Want more home staging tips and techniques? These AOL Real Estate guides can help:
- Home Staging Mistakes Sellers Should Avoid
- Home Staging Tips for Every Season
- Home Staging: Hire a Pro or Do It Yourself?
- Before Staging a Home, Take These Prep Steps
- Home Staging on a Dime
- Home Staging for an Empty House
- Home Staging Step by Step
- Home Staging Tips for a Quick Home Sale
- Staging a Home? Declutter It First
- Painting to Sell: What Color Homes Sell Best?
- Sell Your Home With These Interior Paint Colors
- See photos of Home Staging Before & After
