Six Color Tips That Will Increase your Homes Value
As a realtor and stager in the Temecula Valley, I spend a lot of time previewing homes and have developed relationship with many New Home Builders. It’s a great way to stay current on colors and home decor trends! So after studying up on what the experts are saying about trends for 2018, I want to share six areas in color trends where you can add impact and real value to your home. It’s all about...Paint!
Painting your house inside and out is an inexpensive way to increase the value of your home, or if your not selling, just give it a much needed face lift.
Home sellers are often advised to slap on a fresh coat of paint before listing their properties, but they shouldn’t overlook the impact of color choice.
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 of homes and compared the sale prices of homes with white walls versus those with more colorful paint. The upshot? Color makes a big impact on buyers and can serve as a “powerful tool”.
Disclaimer: Although I do love some of the choices the “Experts” are predicting, I myself would be cautious and get advise before going BOLD!! Read on!!
Let’s start with the outside…Curb appeal , First Impressions count
1. It Starts with Your Front Door
Gray or blue front door: Add $1,514
Even front doors make an impression on prospective buyers. Zillow found that homes with doors painted shades of navy blue to dark gray or charcoal earn a premium of $1,514.
I like this door from the inside as well…It starts the story of your home color choices.
2. “Greige” Home Exterior: Add $1,526
House exterior. View of entrance porch with walkway and garage with driveway
If the exterior of your house in real need of a fresh coat of paint, up may want to pick a mix of gray and beige — “greige” — for your exterior. According to Zillow, analysis found homes with these shades on their outside sold for $1,526 more than white properties.
If you can add a third color choice that’s even better…
Side note on Stucco: If you live in Southern California you may have a Stucco Exterior. Stucco really stains from the elements so first give it a good power wash. That may be all you need. If you do have cracks in your stucco, you may need to repair them.
Hairline cracks aren’t as serious as deep cracks. However, they can provide a pathway for moisture and water to enter into a wall system. Once moisture or water gets inside a wall, it may cause further damage. Moisture and water trapped inside walls can lead to additional problems, such as paint failure, wood rot, mold growth, musty smell, swollen drywall and damage that would not have happened with yearly maintenance.
Cracks smaller than 1/16 inches usually don’t undermine the integrity of exterior stucco, repairing them as needed will prevent them from escalating into something worse. They can also be a real turnoff to buyers so by doing your own exterior inspection whether selling or not, it is smart to do a good walk around yearly in maintaining your home. Most painting professionals will repair cracks prior to painting. Make sure you ask about stucco crack repairs when you get a quote.
3. Let’s step inside to the living room add $1809
In 2016, Simply White and Alabaster White were the hue of the moment. Then in 2017, we saw a shift to darker neutrals, like Poised Taupe and Mushroom. So it’s only fitting that for 2018 people predict even deeper and bolder colors are going to be all the rage.
Many rooms can handle dark walls, especially if they get plenty of light. Try deep gray — or, if you really want to be a daredevil, black — to instantly create coziness.
Notice the patterns in the pillows throws and chairs…your surprise color!
Here’s another one…
The Experts also say the perfect paint color can transform everything from rooms to moods to the selling price of your home. But figuring out which hue to choose from a seemingly infinite number can be daunting to say the least.
According to Trendir, black should be treated as a neutral this year…is Black the new white?
Whoa! In some rooms that may work on an accent wall, but I personally think the whole room in black just may turn off buyers.
4. Blue kitchen: Add $1,809
In my last blog I mentioned that Zillow and Realtor.com data shows homes with blue kitchens sell for $1,800 more than homes with white kitchens. I want to explore that a bit .
If painting cabinets is just too scary and not in the budget maybe just the walls…
If you want to do your own sweat equity, that’s fine but you can’t be sloppy when painting, especially when your planning to list your home. Either get a professional or take the time to tape off to get clean lines.
I provided the link above on U tube with a great product…take a look. When using bold colors if you bleed along a ceiling it shows…watch the video!!!
What if you do want to try to paint the cabinets yourself?
If you do want to try to update your own cabinets I say go for it . Just know what you’re doing. Preparation is everything and consider that if you have outside cabinet hinges changing them to inside hinges makes the cabinet look current.
Again I provided a link with a great “how to” on painting cabinets below! In this case the homeowners used blue to paint the lower cabinets leaving the upper white. Hinges are again changed to hang inside the doors.
Personally, I think white cabinets are timeless and you can add you color elsewhere. I love the pops of blue but painting all your cabinets blue, hmmm. To me Gray is safer and you can get the same effect. Love the cabinets above!
Painting your cabinets made easy…well not that easy!
5. Blue or purple bathroom: Add $5,440
More blue…really??
That’s what they say so lets look at options:
Yeah, I do think this looks great but I also agree with what some of you are thinking…more painting!!! Well, you get a lot of return for just your sweat equity and a can of paint.
Let’s look at the big picture…it’s always easier to see it completed right!
I like these options and remember paint companies will always give you groupings of paint choices that go together.
6: Blue bedroom: Add $1,856
More shades of blue and gray… I guess Bold is definitely in trend in every room of the house. However, you don’t have to paint every room with Bold Colors. Try a couple accent walls and maybe add that same color with what I call the “Surprise” color in each room in some small way. Towels, pillows, throws even area rugs and drapes, to tie in your paint selection. Sharp!!
It may seem overwhelming I know and as I’m looking at my own Home..Well!
My home has a smooth exterior Santa Barbra finish stucco with cedar garage doors, cedar shutters and posts.
No Greige color…
Looking for a more modern look we did a smooth stucco with cedar accents. My front door is cedar as well, yep no paint, just natural wood ..
Going for a more modern cleaner look. Love redoing the front of the house.
I do have one accent wall that is Navy Blue in Doug’s office but the rest of my house is very pale blue gray with a lot of White Mill Work. .
My pillows and pots are navy and gray, my Surprise color that tie in the accent Navy wall in Doug’s office.
My kitchen cabinets are white…
I do have blue towels and a blue mattress ticking print on my table runner!!
My bathroom is also white with ship lap and Barn doors.
My Bedrooms do have gray and blue striped pillows and blue gray walls with paint called “morning fog”…
Our master also with the blue theme with our duvet cover and navy pillows…
So you see with having one blue accent wall, you can carry a color throughout your home, and I really love my home…
I’ve given you what the “experts” say are leading trends that you might want to incorporate when selling your home.
Or if your looking to just update a few rooms…here ya go.
Bottom line; It’s your house. Make it your haven not another persons idea of what your haven should look like.
And just remember, we’re always here if you need us!!
951-760-6102