Coco Republic's Charlotte Dub shows you how to refresh your home before putting it on the market.
- Making the most of a small bathroom
- Design trends for the bathroom
- The most common bathroom renovation mistakes
If you’re selling your home, “feeling blue” isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Homes with blue bathrooms – specifically light shades like powder blue or periwinkle – fetched over $7100 more than expected when sold, according to a paint colour analysis study from online real estate database Zillow.
The analysis looked at more than 32,000 homes, comparing the sales prices of ones painted in certain colours versus similar properties that had white walls. Blue paint isn’t just effective at boosting a home’s selling price when used in a bathroom. Dining rooms painted in dark blue hues will cause a house to sell for $2400 more than anticipated on average, while homes with light blue kitchens and blue bedrooms will garner a price that is $2300 higher than expected.
Selling your home? A study suggests that painting the bathroom blue will put more money in your pocket. Photo: istock
Other colours that increased home prices included greys and beiges. “Painting walls in fresh, natural-looking colours, particularly in shades of blue and pale gray not only make a home feel larger, but also are neutral enough to help future buyers envision themselves living in the space,” said Zillow chief economist Svenja Gudell in the report.
A home’s exterior colour may also have an impact on its sale price. Homes painted in “greige”, a mix of light gray and beige, sold for $4630 more than similar homes painted in a medium brown or tan.
For a pop of colour, homes with front doors painted in shades of dark navy blue to slate gray sold for $2000 more.
Brick-red dining rooms are a turn-off, according to a recent study. Home buyers prefer neutral colours in cool, rather than warm, tones. Photo: 123RF
But not all paint colours have this positive effect on sales prices. For instance, a brick red dining room will slash a home’s price by more than $2600. Other ill-advised paint choices – at least where a home’s value is concerned – included yellow, pink and brown.
Where a paint colour is used is also important. While blues may benefit kitchens and bathrooms, when used in a living room it, decreased home prices by $1000 on average.
Those poor colour choices all pale in comparison to leaving a bathroom’s walls painted stark white though. That decision can reduce a home’s sales price by more than $5200.
White tiled bathrooms have long been a popular choice, especially in contemporary homes. A survey by property website Zillow says that white painted bathrooms are a liability, however. Photo: istock
These negative reactions to certain colours (or different uses of the same colours) is a reflection of people’s taste and the way specific colours may clash with the furniture and other items prospective buyers already own.
Selecting the right paint colour is one of many factors that may affect why a home sells faster or for more money. Walls painted in cool neutrals like blue or gray have broad appeal and may be signals that the home is well cared for or has other desirable features.
Overall, the data shows that a fresh coat of paint can work wonders when it comes to getting a home to sell more quickly (and for a higher price.) Experts recommend choosing colours with mass appeal that can work with a range of decor.
It also depends on the specific property – white walls can work in a room with lots of natural light but will make a space feel “dead” if it’s physically small or closed-off, according to many designers.
– stuff.co.nz