How to Choose the Best Exterior Home Color for Resale

How to Choose the Best Exterior Home Color for Resale

 August 17, 2015

The right paint can protect a home’s exterior and enhance its overall look. Good exterior paint shields a home against the elements and makes it stand out. It boosts curb appeal, makes a statement, and adds value to a home. Paint takes up a large part of a home and must be selected with the utmost care. While finding the perfect color for a home’s exterior might be a difficult task for many home sellers, here are some tips you can share with yours to ensure they choose color schemes that complement their homes.

Look to the Surroundings

The environs of a home should influence outdoor paint schemes. Home sellers should choose palettes based on the natural features. For example, those with beach homes can take inspiration from the water, sky, and sand. Those selling country homes can take cues from the trees and rocks. Exterior features can have a great impact on the look and feel of a home. Advise your sellers to use colors found around their homes to create a seamless look.

Focus on the Architecture

Every home has a personality; it can be defined by its geographic location, the neighborhood, or its architectural details. Home buyers are attracted to homes because of their designs and features. Homeowners should therefore choose exterior paint colors which reflect the personality of their homes. For instance, those with older homes can pick subdued color palettes while those with newer homes can choose trendy, hip colors.

Sellers can also select exterior paint colors based on where they live. Some regions are shaped by their architectural styles and choosing exterior colors based on the area’s characteristics can help homeowners to create original looks. The best thing about architectural features is that they can be emphasized to showcase a look that is unique to a home and area. Sellers whose homes are made of brick and stone can choose earthy colors to accentuate the features.

Pick At Least 3 Shades

An exterior color scheme should be comprised of 3 shades: the field color, the accent color, and the trim color. The field color is the dominant color, the accent color highlights the doors, shutters, and other small features, while the trim color is used on the railings, roof edging, door and window casings, and other trim work. The field color should contrast with the trim color. If the field color is dark, the trim color should be white or another neutral shade. If the main color is light, the trim color should be dark. This produces a distinctive, dramatic effect. Encourage homeowners to think outside the box when selecting accent colors but discourage them from going overboard.

Take Inspiration from the Neighbors

Most neighborhoods have set color schemes which influence their look. Home sellers should walk around their neighborhoods and scrutinize the existing homes. If their neighbors’ homes have coordinating styles, it might be in their best interests to copy the style. If every house has custom colors which don’t match the others, they can pick unique colors. Homeowners must think of the visual effect they want to achieve. They should choose hues that make their homes look unique but still blend into the neighborhood.

Exterior colors are unlike interior ones and can affect the outdoors as well as the entire neighborhood. While it’s good to stand out to potential home buyers, it’s never good to stand out in the wrong way. This is why homeowners must pay a lot of attention to choosing the right palette. Many factors come into play when selecting exterior paint colors and home sellers must tackle each one of them.

 


Ronique Gibson

By Ronique Gibson

Ronique Gibson is an Associate Architect and a LEED Accredited Professional, who has been in the design industry for over 13 years. She started her design blog in 2009 and today it has become a premier destination for helping homeowners with everyday lifestyle challenges. Her readers check in daily for help with their homes, DIY project ideas, recipes, crafts, and inspiration to beautify and enjoy their homes.