Property sellers – which paint colours should you avoid when selling?

For property sellers, the market has never been more favourable. Buyers continue to flood the market in search for a new home this spring, and house prices are on a steady incline.

This is reflected in the recent Rightmove figures, which report that approximately three-quarters of all properties are successfully finding a buyer in an average of 39 days.

Not only can homeowners look forward to a wide pool of fledgling buyers, but they can also anticipate a speedier transaction than usual.

That’s why now presents the perfect time to list your home for sale. There is plenty to consider when getting your home prepared for viewings, and your property’s colour scheme is certainly one of them.

In fact, a new study by online paint retailers, The Paint Shed, has revealed that 39% of Brits would offer less for a house they had their eye on based on the colour scheme alone.

Below, we take a closer look at the most undesirable paint colours to arm you with the right shades to use in your property before you come to sell.

Which paint shades are the most unattractive for buyers?

Topping the list of undesirable colours was fuchsia, with nearly half of Brits (47%) claiming they would never use this in their homes.

However, this was not the only shade of pink to make the cut. Neon pink (2nd) and hot pink (6th) were also featured in the top 10 colours – proving that the colour is best left alone.

Neon yellow came in third on the list. This bright shade isn’t easy on the eyes, which is why its ranking on the list of most-hated home colours probably isn’t shocking.

More surprising, though, is the presence of another shade of yellow – lemon – which came in at 9th, according to 38% of respondents.

Lime green came fourth place with nearly 43% of potential buyers deciding this colour was a turn-off. Studies show that earthy shades – such as sage green and forest green – have become an extremely popular choice over the past year as homeowners aspire to bring the outdoors inside.

Other colours that made the list of top 10 undesirable hues include scarlet (5th), electric orange (7th) and electric blue (10th).

In eighth place, black was the only shade on the list which is not a bold shade and is also used in many aesthetics such as gothic, dark academia and scandi.

What paint colours do prospective buyers prefer?

For the most desirable colours in the home, neutral whites and greys proved most popular – perhaps due to their bright and airy tones.

According to the study, white takes the top spot in every room, particularly the kitchen and bathroom, with light grey not far behind.

With the rise of minimalism, the popularity of greys, in particular, is clear. This aesthetic involves stripping things back to the bare essentials to create a simple, clean and uncluttered space – and greys complement this feature well.

When asked which tones they prefer in their home, a third went for ‘neutral tones’ while a quarter chose ‘earthy tones’ (such as sage green, plaster pink, and greige).

With these shades matching a more contemporary design, it’s clear that the lighter hues of whites, greys and creams will continue to be popular for the foreseeable future.

However, it’s still crucial that your home is warm and welcoming to prospective buyers. Therefore, when preparing your home for sale, it could be wise to take note of the most favourable colours mentioned and incorporate them into your interior design.

Here at Expose Property, we use our experience of listing homes in Beckenham, Penge, Crystal Palace and other places in South East London to keep you in line with current government guidelines and help to achieve a smooth sale. For more information, please get in touch with us today.

We also offer a free and instant online valuation tool to give you an estimate on how much your home could be worth on the current market.