This Paint Color Can Actually Increase Your Home's Value

If you’re preparing to put your home on the market, you’re probably thinking of how to present your home in the best light for potential buyers. Your space should be clean, orderly, and presentable so that buyers can envision themselves making it their own, and often, homeowners are advised to skew more neutral in their design schemes.

However, according to beloved virtual real estate marketplace Zillow, that’s not exactly the only advice anymore.

According to the company’s 2023 paint color analysis, today’s buyers are far more attracted to darker, moodier homes than ever before. In fact, they’re willing to pay an average of $2,500 more for a deeper design scheme, with charcoal gray attracting the most attention. 

We connected with Amanda Pendleton, Zillow’s home trends expert, to find out what it is about a bolder color scheme that has buyers lining up to make an offer. 

Avoid: All White Kitchens

This one was almost painful to read—who doesn't love a white kitchen? As it turns out, Zillow says a white kitchen can be pretty detrimental to a home’s sale price…by more than $600.

It’s not just minimalist kitchens that can be a turn-off to potential buyers. Zillow says you can see a huge boost in painting your kitchen, but you can see an even bigger value bump by painting the living room—especially if it’s currently a bright and cheerful color, like yellow. 

So, what color should you go for instead? 

Try: Charcoal Gray

In a time when gray is apparently on its way out, it’s surprising to learn that charcoal gray, specifically, is in such high demand. Pendleton explains that charcoal gray is the perfect neutral—it’s low-key but still delivers some drama, and it’s also incredibly versatile depending on how it’s paired. 

“If you want to amp up charcoal’s moody vibes, pair it with jewel tones like teal, oxblood, magenta, or emerald,” Pendleton says. “If you want to turn down the volume, add pastels like a pale blue, blush, or peach.”

The only thing to avoid with this tone is a warmer earth town, like brown or tan.

“These are more challenging to pair with gray’s cool undertones,” Pendleton says.

Regardless of how you pair it, Zillow’s report shows that gray tones do especially well in the kitchen. In fact, a deep, graphite gray kitchen can sell a home for approximately $2,512 more, while a mid-tone, pewter gray kitchen can bring in $2,553 more. The hue also has a similar effect in other rooms. When compared to living and bedrooms in pale neutrals, gray rooms pulled in at least $1,755 more. 

“Gray is the color of retreat,” Mehnaz Khan, a color psychology specialist and interior designer in Albany, New York, says. “Buyers want to withdraw and escape from the uncertainty of the outside world, and rooms enveloped in dark gray can create that feeling of security.”   

While charcoal grays are increasingly attractive, Zillow warns that some grays in certain areas will actually hinder a sale. In fact, a mid-tone gray front door can cost you up to $3,365 when compared to other front door picks, including cement gray, black, and mid-tone rosy brown. 

“Homes with a mid-toned brown front door could command offers of $300 more than expected,” Pendleton says. “This likely reflects a buyer’s preference for a wood front door as opposed to a preference for a front door painted brown.” 

Avoid: Bright Yellow and Forest Green

While varying degrees of gray and certain warmer tones might be in, Pendleton says there are a few other hues you should avoid, beyond stark white.

“Bright yellow and forest green can hurt a home’s value to varying degrees,” she says before noting that other colors are more dependent on where and how they’re used. “Recent and prospective buyers would offer $161 less for a home with a fiery red bedroom, yet they would offer $1,085 more for a home with a tomato red kitchen and $836 more for a home with a bright red living room.”

Additional Paint Tips from Our Expert

You Don't Have to Paint to Add Value-Boosting Color

If you’re reading this concerned about your home lacking interesting hues, Pendleton tells us not to fear. There’s an easier solution than busting out the drop cloths and paint cans. 

“Add art,” she says, which works especially well in all-white kitchens. “People don’t think to add artwork to a kitchen, but the right piece can elevate the whole room and add beauty to a space that’s usually just functional.”

Always Add Greenery

One tried and true home showing rule remains reliable, no matter what color walls you have—but it’s an especially great tip if you’re working with an all-white situation. 

“Plants are another great way to add color and life to an otherwise white space,” says Pendleton, who specifically suggests an indoor tree or a potted rosemary topiary for added interest. 

Textiles Can Work Wonders

Another great way to amp up the color and drama in a space—especially the kitchen—is with textiles. 

“Think about adding a washable cotton or an indoor/outdoor rug or runner, hanging a few colorful dish towels, or getting a patterned roman shade or café curtain for your windows,” Pendleton says. 

Consider Painting

Painting a room is an easy upgrade—as Pendleton explains, house hunting is all about looking for visual queues that everything is well-loved and taken care of, and paint colors can really help convey this message to potential buyers. 

Other times, it comes down to the agent. It’s their job to help the buyers understand their must-haves and their nice-to-haves, and Pendleton says this should include explaining that walls can, of course, be changed. But if you want to position yourself in the best possible light, then painting is a relatively easy project to take on. 

“By selecting the right paint colors, sellers can appeal to more buyers this spring and potentially boost their bottom line,” she says.