Homeowners selling their homes are often surprised by just how much work goes into making a sale. While you might enjoy certain aspects of your home, the truth is that many characteristics go in and out of fashion—and some characteristics can make potential buyers pass on your home. In this article, we are going to explore the colors you will want to avoid if you plan to sell your home in the South Miami housing market.

Why Colors Matter When Determining The Value of The Home

We often think of real estate as a guaranteed investment, but the decisions that you make—or even the decisions the previous owner made—can influence how valuable your home is in the eye of potential buyers. The color of your home can influence its perceived value in several different ways.

The first consideration with color is whether or not people will feel like they need to change your home after buying it. Purchasing a home is a lot of work, and it can take quite a while to feel settled in. Most potential buyers do not want a home that is going to take more work, so if your home’s color is something that you like and they don’t, they are likely to pass up on it rather than put in the time and effort to have it painted.

Beyond general preference, it is important to remember that there is quite a bit of psychology behind colors. In the same way that brands use specific colors to capture the interest of their audience, you can use the color of your home to attract buyers. Unfortunately, the wrong colors can also send them running in the other direction.

When it comes down to it, colors can influence two things—how people respond to your home emotionally and the total value. In the event that someone does decide to go with your home, if they don’t like the color, they are likely to talk you down on the price. This is why you want to choose the best colors for your home to make the sale.

Choosing the Best Paint Colors

Since the color of your home can influence its value, you will want to pick colors that are likely to boost value rather than take away from it. Make new homeowners excited by choosing colors that are likely to attract potential buyers. This means considering what will be comfortable for most people.

The best way to have a good home color is to focus on something neutral. Most people do not want a house that stands out too much, so the best paint colors tend to be the more casual colors available, like tans, shades of gray, and softer or darker blues or greens. These colors are classic options that will fit well into most neighborhoods, giving your home a desirable look.

Knowing What Colors to Avoid

There are plenty of colors that most new homeowners would not want to see on their homes, but there is one golden rule that can help you to identify them. Colors that are bold, bright, or unusual are not likely to attract many potential buyers. Most people will either not like the home because of the color or see it as something that will need to be changed.

Colors like purple, vibrant shades of blue or green, orange, or pink can all be an eye sore for potential buyers. Though you might like these colors yourself, not everyone will want to have a home that stands out so notably. This is another reason that those neutral colors are a much safer option.

The Worst Colors for Your Home

Outside of truly unique colors, there are some colors that might seem neutral but can still limit your home’s value. Think twice before investing in any of the following colors for your home.

True White

While homes with white paint are somewhat common, those homes are generally off-white—not true white. True white can be bold and jarring, making it so the house stands out in a fairly unnatural way. Even for trim, it is often better to find a shade of off-white that you like.

Aside from the boldness, true white paint is also a problem for homeowners because it also shows a large amount of dirt. In South Miami, we never know when a storm is going to hit, and a stark white home can highlight every bit of dirt your home comes in contact with.

Brown

Unless you have a home that is naturally the color of wood, brown is one color that is best left avoided—especially darker shades of brown. Most people find that brown just doesn’t look good on a home and can even make it appear dirty.

Bright Yellow

Though softer shades of yellow do breeze in and out of popularity, bold or bright yellow is generally not as well received. This color tends to be too bold for most people. Unless the new homeowners love yellow, they are likely to pass up on it.

True Red

Like yellow, softer shades of red do go in and out of style. However, bold and bright red is never in fashion. A bright red paint job will make your home stick out in an unbecoming way and is likely to scare off potential buyers.

Black

Black is one color that people almost never want to see on their homes, which is why it is so rare to see it. Even as a trim color, black is bold and overbearing. It tends to bring a worse feeling to a home, and it shows quite a bit of dirt as well.

The Takeaway

If you are looking to sell your home in the South Miami housing market and want to spruce up the exterior paint color before you do it, you are in luck. A new paint job can add a lot of value to a home—as long as it is the right color. Remember, you want to make it so everyone can imagine themselves in your home, and that means keeping things neutral. Before you invest in your home’s new paint, feel free to contact us to learn how to make your home look its best. You can check out our list of glowing reviews from Miami residents just like you here!