Can the Color of Your Home Boost Its Sale Price?

(6/20/25) Dark olive green and navy blue may not be the first colors you think of when painting your kitchen and bedroom. But new research from Zillow indicates that these colors may boost your home’s sale price.  

With nearly one-third (32%) of all homeowners painting the interior of their homes before listing them for sale, according to a 2024 Zillow Consumer Housing Trends report, sellers can earn top dollar if they pick the right colors.

Zillow conducted a survey of more than 4,200 recent and prospective home buyers around the country to determine which colors are most desirable in the kitchen, bedroom, living room and bathroom -- and the results show that neutral walls, such as white, beige or gray, which have been popular for years, have been replaced by colors found in nature, such as dark greens and blues.

The research found that buyers prefer muted green kitchens over all other colors, and they're willing to offer $1,597 more for homes with cabinets painted this color. As for bedrooms, navy blue walls were the most popular. This shade can increase a home's sale price by $1,815.

"Buyers view olive green and navy blue as contemporary colors, and that can have a halo effect on their perception of the entire home," said Amanda Pendleton, Zillow's home trends expert. "These shades of blue and green are associated with organic modernism, a value-driving aesthetic that incorporates sustainable materials like wood and stone. These nature-inspired colors evoke the same feelings of serenity and tranquility."

In the living room, buyers preferred charcoal gray walls, and homes with living rooms painted this color can sell for $2,593 more.

Choosing the wrong colors for your home could have the opposite effect – lower offers. For example, recent and prospective buyers would pay $3,915 less for a home with a yellow kitchen or $1,820 less for a home with a bright red living room.

So, before purchasing paint, rollers or drop cloths to get your home ready to list, consult with an experienced local real estate agent to see what colors buyers are looking for in your neighborhood. The days of automatically painting walls white, gray or pale blue to sell a home may be over.  

Image courtesy of Sherwin-Williams