Certain Home Hues Can Generate Stronger Sales

Can the color of a house make or break a sale? According to a new analysis by Zillow Digs, certain colors can help push home sales higher.

To prove its point, Zillow Digs analyzed photos from nearly 50,000 sold homes to determine if a certain room type and paint color combination played any role in the final sale price. The result of this study: with yellow kitchens—either the creamy or wheat shades of yellow—brought in the highest sale premium ($1,360 above expected values). Wall colors painted in earth tones including sage green or dove gray were also visible in the top-performing listings.

On the flip side, homes with dark or style-specific wall colors, like slate gray or terracotta, sold for as much as $1,100 less than expected. And homes with white or eggshell-colored kitchens sold below expectations.

"A fresh coat of paint is an easy and affordable way to improve a home's appearance before listing," says Svenja Gudell, Zillow chief economist. "However, to get the biggest bang for your buck, stick with colors that have mass appeal so you attract as many potential buyers to your listing as possible. Warm neutrals like yellow or light gray are stylish and clean, signaling that the home is well cared for, or that previous owners had an eye for design that may translate to other areas within the house."