When you’re getting ready to sell your Nashville home, there are a few things on the prep front that are well worth doing. We wrote about some easy, affordable projects here that can help a home sell faster, and for more, here.
Painting is always on that list, since it packs a lot of punch, making a home look cleaner and newer and less personalized. (Particularly worth thinking about if your place is full of unusual/bold colors that cater to your tastes, but might turn off buyers.)
Here, let’s get a little more specific on paint color choices, based on a recent study of home sales across the country.
According to this piece in MarketWatch, data is showing the dollar power of certain color choices — both on upping your home’s sales price, and knocking it down.
Here’s what the survey says, for your consideration as you shop for paint colors:
Paint colors that went along with higher home prices
Need to freshen up your bathroom? The study showed that bathrooms with light blue or periwinkle paint correlated with home sales more than $5000 higher than expected. (Pictured above, one of 4 1/2 bathrooms at our listing, 818 Dewees Ave., a home on the market now in the 12 South/Melrose area.)
Dingy kitchen? The study found blue-gray walls can be a good call for freshening things up — homes with those tones in the kitchen sold for almost $2000 more than expected. (Pictured above, the kitchen at our listing, 414 Neals Ln. in Gallatin, a gorgeous estate on 32 acres that’s on the market now.)
Repainting your home’s exterior is a big project. But if it’s a project that needs to get done, and you think you might sell the home sometime soon, considering homebuyer trends might be smart. The study showed that greige — or grayish beige — was getting a lot of buyer love. (Pictured above, a solid greige at 2401A Middle St. new construction in North Nashville.)
We’re big fans of giving the front door some inspired color attention, and apparently we’re in good company. In particular, the study showed that navy blue and slate gray doors got a lot of love, boosting sales prices more than $1500. (Pictured above, the blue door at 509 B Stevenson St. in Charlotte Park.)
Paint color choices you might want to stay away from
Homeowners who like Mediterranean flair can find themselves attracted to terra-cotta tones — kind of a rust orange. But the data showed that those color choices can have a pretty significant negative impact, with homes selling for over $2000 less than expected. (Which is a funny complement to stuff we’ve seen on the color trends of 2017, touting burnt oranges as colors of the moment.)
In 2016, the same study cited here apparently showed yellow kitchens giving a sales-price boost. But in 2017, yellow was bringing down the value, to the tune of almost $1000.
Take this with a grain of (bright white) salt, but according to the study, homes with colorless/white walls sold for more than $4000 less than similar homes. We’re still finding that Nashville homebuyers love light and bright, especially when it’s paired with contrasting dark trim/doors. Personally, we think the above, at 2138 15th Ave N in North Nashville, looks great, and ready to sell.
Like all national home-design studies and surveys, there’s wiggle room to be assumed. Things vary from state to state, city to city, neighborhood to neighborhood, and trends change quickly. So we take these things much more as food for thought than gospel.
An experienced Realtor can give you a more specific idea about trends in your area — we’re happy to talk with you about what we’re seeing in Nashville. But from what we’ve seen over the past handful of years, it’s hard to go wrong with greys and greiges, which keep things bright and neutral but still have some personality.
Thinking about putting your Nashville home on the market? We’d love to help you put your best foot forward. Call or email ACRE here, or start the home-selling process by filling out this quick form.
Listings via MLS, not under agreement with ACRE and/or Benchmark Realty, LLC, except where noted.