Yellow Kitchens May Bring in a Slightly Larger Offer

The right paint color can make your home look cleaner and more attractive to today’s homebuyers, many of which are attracted to turnkey properties (no work needed- just turn the key and move in). But what colors really make a buyer want to buy?

A recent study has found that by painting your kitchen yellow, you could actually increase your chances of getting more money for the home.

The Findings

Color accounts for 60 % of how we may feel about a home. Take it for what it may (or may not) be worth, but the survey, which looked at about 50,000 sold homes across the country, found that homes with a kitchen painted creamy or wheat yellow sold for $1,360 more than anticipated. In the other rooms of the home, color choices and combinations that significantly increased a sale price were light green to khaki bedrooms ($1,332), and lavender, mauve, or eggplant colored living rooms ($1,122).

Other popular colors included earthy tones like sage green or dove gray, while potential homeowners were not a fan of homes with dark walls, such as gray or terracotta. In fact, buyers were significantly turned off by a slate or dark gray dining rooms. It made a difference in sales price too, with that color combination in the home selling for $1,112 less than anticipated. Other colors homeowners should avoid include orange living rooms and dark brown bathrooms.

Whatever colors you choose know that light will affect how it looks on your walls:

• Natural daylight provide the true color;
• Incandescent lighting can highlight warm tones and yellows;
• Fluorescent lighting can cause a sharp blue tone.

Time to Paint?

It costs an average of $350 -$450 to paint a room, depending on its size. But it is well worth the investment if you are trying to sell, especially if you have rooms that are currently painted in those least popular colors. You can do it yourself, with plenty of drop cloths and by carefully taping off the room’s trim so you limit mistakes. Or you can hire a painting professional to get the job done with ease.

A few tips in hiring a painter:                  

• Ask friends and neighbors for referrals.
  
  
• Get estimates from at least three contractors. The estimates should end up being roughly within the same price range. If estimates differ widely from one another, ask what is not being done or where corners are being cut.
  
  
• Ask questions like: How long have you been in business? Do you have the proper/required licenses? (This varies by state, and some states may not require licensing.) Do you have insurance and bonding? (This helps determine whether your contractor and any hired workers are insured for injury and liability.) Are you a member of any national or local painting contractors' associations? Do you subcontract your work or perform it yourself? Can you provide references? Do you offer written guarantees of your work? What products do you use?
  
  
• Be specific about your project and check references.