By Alyssa Davis
Anyone who watches home improvement television shows, and shows that talk about buying or selling homes in particular, has heard of curb appeal. Besides landscaping, the exterior of your home is one of its biggest selling points, and part of the home’s curb appeal is based on choosing the right color for a home’s exterior. The wrong color can take away from the attractiveness—and therefore the value—of the home, making it a harder sell than it might otherwise be.
There are a few efficient and intelligent ways to choose the right color for your home’s exterior. Each are based on specific premises, so make sure that your home is suitable for the type of medium you choose, whether it is paint, siding, brick, stucco, or another material. While creativity has many benefits, sticking out like a sore thumb can make your home lose value in the eyes of prospective buyers quickly. When trying to sell a house, you want to appeal to the greatest number of people that you can.
First, look at the homes in the area. Pay special attention to others that are on the market if you are improving your house in hopes of a quick sale. Most realtors and home improvement specialists recommend blending in instead of standing out. Use other selling features, such as outdoor amenities, landscaping, or similar niceties, to take the place of a vastly different color palette on the homes exterior. Keep in mind that the more different your house looks, the smaller the chance to sell it to the general population. You will be targeting only people with creativity to match your own.
Next, check your budget. Some choices are cheaper than others, and the color can be based on what medium you choose. For example, you can find off-white siding in nearly as many places as off-white exterior paint, but the cost is vastly different, as is the maintenance and yearly upkeep. Make sure that you set both short-term and long-term goals for expected maintenance and upkeep, whichever route you choose.
Finally, add creative touches wherever possible, without taking away from the value of the house. You can do this by adding color to the shutters or porch of the home, or by landscaping with colorful bushes, flowers, or plants. Neutral tones are normally the best option for the exterior of a home in any neighborhood, as the more the home blends in, the better the resale value for the home and the surrounding homes becomes.
The most popular colors for the exterior of a home depend on the area, but include neutral shades of tan/beige, white or off-white, pastel blue, pale yellows, lighter or muted shades of green, and so on. Make sure that the landscape harmonizes with the shade of the exterior, and add complementing tones to the porch, including furniture and lighting fixtures. Even the walkway to the front can be adjusted to complement with paint, texture, or accents.
Alyssa Davis writes and designs for Metal-Wall-Art.com and she is happy to share many ideas on creating stylish interiors with decorative wall art and outdoor metal wall sculptures.
