The Paint Color That Can Sell Your House for $6,000 More

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Selling your home often comes with small improvements and do-it-yourself adjustments to attract buyers. If you’re in the process of selling your house, you might want to consider a few painting projects—starting with the color of your front door.

The paint color that gives back

A report by Zillow looked at 135,000 photos from old houses across the country to see how paint colors impact sales. They found that homes with charcoal, smoky, or jet black doors sell for $6,271 more than expected. Considering that a door paint job can cost approximately $100 to $400, a bucket of black paint is a stellar investment.

In their study, Zillow also found that tuxedo kitchens—where the upper and lower cabinets are two different colors—sell for more money too. It may be worth it to stage your home with a few of these features, or with these 15 other tricks to help you sell your home faster and at a higher price.

What about the rest of the house?

As for the rest of your house, cool and neutral wall colors are a big hit with buyers overall. Light blue bathrooms and taupe-colored living rooms were especially popular in homes that sold for more money. Meanwhile, homes with dark red- or brown-colored walls sold for as much as $2,310 less than expected. A fresh coat of paint over that brown wall you loved won’t cost you much compared to what you’ll gain in the selling process, just like these 31 home improvements that can double the value of your home.

For home exteriors, houses painted a creamy, bright yellow sold for $3,408 less than other homes. Just keep in mind that painting the outside of your house can be an expensive job, ranging from $1,000 to north of $6,000, depending on the size of the house and the materials used. The biggest tip for selling your home for more is to make friends with your real estate agent. They might even let you in on a few of these 22 secrets your real estate agent won’t tell you.