Interior Paint Ideas That Can Increase the Value of Your Home

Some of the best interior paint colors for selling your home might not be the ones that first spring to mind. You might think that being bold with your color choices and really showing all the personality your home can have would be rewarded with higher offers, but research shows the opposite. As it turns out, playing it a little safer with your colors is what tends to net you higher offers.

With all that in mind, here are a few paint colors that can increase your home’s value.

1. White Kitchens

Potential homebuyers reported they were more likely to buy a home if the walls in the kitchen were white. It might be something about how clean white looks in these kinds of spaces, but regardless of the actual reason behind it, the numbers don’t lie.

2. Gray Living Rooms

You might think that the family room should have a little more wow on the walls, but as it turns out, these softer, more neutral colors make it easier for a potential buyer to project some of their own personality onto the space. If a person can see themselves living in a house, they’re much more likely to put in a solid offer.

3. Light Blue Bathrooms

A pleasant surprise in the form of a calming, quiet blue. Potential homebuyers reported that they’d pay an astonishing 1.6% more for a home with a bathroom painted light blue. That works out to almost $5,000 on a home priced at $290,000!

4. Dark Blue Bedrooms

The most dramatic color chosen was a rich dark blue for the bedrooms. This solid, darker color keeps the room from feeling too stark and bright, especially in the early mornings.

Finishing Touches

Now that you’ve got an idea of what paint colors increase your home’s value, it’s time to decide on a finish. Matte (flat, non-glossy) finishes are great for hiding imperfections such as scratches, dings, and general scuffs on walls, especially in high-traffic areas. Walls with a matte finish look smooth and new and make potential buyers feel that a house has been well taken care of.

Using flat white for ceilings will also hide imperfections, with the added benefit of making the room feel bigger by reflecting light.

Trim, molding, and door jambs are great places to add a touch of satin finish paint to contrast the matte finish of the walls. That edge of slightly shiny paint will make the finished room feel clean and modern.

In the end, it looks like the best interior paint colors for selling your home fall largely into the category of ‘neutrals with a matte finish.’ While that may seem boring on paper, it can actually go a long way toward making a house feel welcoming to potential buyers. It may also help them envision themselves in the space, which can be a huge factor in their decision to buy.