Maximizing Curb Appeal With the Right Colors

Curb appeal? Not as easy as TikTok makes it look, and the wrong color screams “DIY fail” from the next block over. Nobody tells you buyers start deducting money in their heads the second they see purple shutters or a faded orange door.

Coordinating Exterior and Interior Paint Choices

Realtors love to tell stories about buyers who just leave without even going inside. For me, a neutral exterior is only neutral if nobody notices it. Zillow says gray, white, navy, or pale blue outsell wild colors by 5-10%. Soft grays have saved my last three flips—no beige, no chartreuse, no drama.

Nothing is worse than a house that looks great outside, then you walk in and get smacked with a neon accent wall. Buyers tense up. If you paint the siding “Alabaster,” don’t do the entryway in “Screaming Pumpkin.” I’ve literally watched families walk out because the colors clashed from entry to kitchen. Matching undertones and sticking to one palette (I’m always stealing swatches) helps way more than whatever’s trending on Instagram. Bonus: nobody loses their Saturday repainting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Paint decisions happen fast, and everyone gets it wrong at least once. Experts bicker about undertones, buyers hate dark walls. Not rocket science, but somehow everyone fumbles it.

What are some common paint colors that can deter potential home buyers?

People really hate bright red, deep gray, and wild accent walls. I’ve seen this at open houses—one agent still groans about the “navy dungeon” last winter. Fixr’s 2024 report says red living rooms are a universal nope, and honestly, I get it.

Supposedly, 36% of buyers say they’ll offer less if the colors are too bold. That’s not even counting the million-dollar house with a hot pink bathroom I still have nightmares about.

Is there a specific type of finish that I should avoid using in high-traffic areas of my home before selling?

Glossy finish on hallway walls? Total crime scene for fingerprints and scuffs. Flat and matte hide flaws, but stain if you just look at them wrong. Builder eggshell is the only thing that sort of works, but it’s not perfect.

I saw someone use high-gloss in a mudroom—thought it’d be “easy to clean.” Nope. Looked plastic, weird glare, guests noticed immediately.

How does the choice of paint color in bedrooms affect home saleability?

I can’t believe how many bedrooms are painted pitch black or neon pink—like, do people forget someone else has to live there? Realtor friend swears a light blue bedroom sold her last listing weeks faster than her previous “romantic plum” disaster. She’s still mad at Pinterest.

Neutral tones—greiges, soft taupes—supposedly make people feel calm. National Association of REALTORS® says buyers spend more time on listings with “balanced” bedrooms, whatever that means.

Can you suggest neutral paint colors that are generally well-received by home buyers?

Every brand has their “magic” color—Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray, Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter, Behr Swiss Coffee. I’d use those for open houses, though someone once asked if “Swiss Coffee” stains if you spill coffee. (No, but why would you do that?)

Light beige, greige, soft whites—nobody ever complains. Some agents just buy five-gallon buckets and call it a day.

What are the painting trends right now that might not age well for when I decide to sell?

Moody accent walls—so hot on TikTok, so regrettable by next year. Apartment Therapy’s paint people call bold colors a recurring disaster, and my friend still whines about her “charcoal selfie wall” that took three coats of primer to hide.

Color-blocking, geometric murals—cool for now, but buyers look at them and ask, “How hard is that to paint over?” I went to an open house with a teal chevron wall and everyone just sighed.

How important is the quality of paint compared to the color when it comes to selling my home?

Okay, so—paint. I thought picking the right color was the whole game, but then I tried scrubbing a weird sticky patch off a wall and basically ended up with a rag full of paint chips. Not my best moment. I mean, is it just me, or does everyone secretly judge a house by whether the paint feels like it’ll survive a sneeze? Take stuff like Benjamin Moore Aura or Sherwin-Williams Emerald—they actually cover up whatever disaster happened before, and you can wipe off a toddler’s spaghetti art without stripping the wall down to drywall.

Honestly, buyers notice. I used to think, whatever, just slap on a trendy color and call it a day. Nope. If it’s bargain-bin paint, it flakes, it looks sad, and suddenly that “freshly painted” room feels like a DIY fail. Realtors keep repeating “first impressions” like it’s gospel, but they’re not wrong. I’ve watched people walk in, run a finger along the wall, and you can see it on their faces: nope, not dealing with this. And then you’re repainting. Again. So, did you save money? I don’t know, maybe in some alternate universe, but here? Feels like you just bought yourself extra work.