If you’re selling your home and looking to spruce up the place before it hits the market, you might want to consider a new paint job.
According to a new report by real estate marketplace Zillow, certain paint colors coincide with higher offer prices, while some colors actually hinder a home’s sale price.
The report studied over 4,700 recent and prospective home buyers, assigning them images of home interiors and front doors painted in one of 11 colors, after which the subjects scored the homes based on the likelihood of touring and the price they’d be willing to pay.
Dark grays in general were associated with higher offer prices than white in every single room studied in the report. Homes with a charcoal gray kitchen, for example, can sell for an estimated $2,512 more than similar homes, and dark gray (as opposed to pale neutrals) in the living room or bedroom can sell for about $1,755 more.
White, which may seem like a safe paint option, can actually hinder a home’s sale price by $600, the report found.
Related: 8 Ways to Maximize Your Home’s Sale Value
“Buyers have been exposed to dark gray spaces through home improvement TV shows and their social media feeds, but they’re likely drawn to charcoal on a psychological level,” said Mehnaz Khan, a color psychology specialist and interior designer in Albany, New York, in the report. “Gray is the color of retreat. As we come out of the pandemic and return to our hectic lives, buyers want home to be a refuge.”
However, grey isn’t an automatic money maker, and when utilized in one location of a house, it can actually hurt the home’s sale price. The report found that homes with a mid-tone gray front door are sold for an estimated $3,365 less than similar homes.
Related: Get This Smart Color Sensor for Only $70 and Save Time on Home Improvement