Can a Blue Bathroom Increase a Home’s Sale Value?

Jun 01, 2017

If you’re selling your home and you have a blue bathroom, you can expect to see a lot more green in the sales transaction.

According to new data from Zillow, homes with blue bathrooms—preferably, powder blue or light periwinkle—sold for $5,440 more than expected. Walls sporting what Zillow described as “cool, natural tones like pale gray or oatmeal,” also brought in high sales prices. Exterior color also mattered: homes painted in "greige," a mix of light gray and beige, sold for $3,496 more than similar homes painted in a medium brown or with tan stucco, while front doors painted in shades of dark navy blue to slate gray sold for $1,514 more.

But the wrong colors could drive prices down. Zillow found homes with darker, more style-specific walls like terracotta dining rooms sold for $2,031 less than expected, while white bathrooms sold for an average of $4,035 below similar homes. Zillow came to this conclusion by studying the colors in more than 32,000 photos from sold homes around the country.

"Color can be a powerful tool for attracting buyers to a home, especially in listing photos and videos," said Svenja Gudell, Zillow chief economist. "Painting walls in fresh, natural-looking colors, particularly in shades of blue and pale gray not only make a home feel larger, but also are neutral enough to help future buyers envision themselves living in the space. Incorporating light blue in kitchens and bathrooms may pay off especially well as the color complements white countertops and cabinets, a growing trend in both rooms."

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Phil Hall

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Jun 01, 2017

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