Homeowners

Selling Your Home? These Paint Colors May Prime it for Premium Prices

Prepping your home for a possible sale? Then it’s time to pay attention to the color of your walls.

That’s because pairing the right paint with your home’s vibe could increase the purchase price by thousands of dollars, especially if the colors are inspired by nature, according to Zillow’s 2026 paint color analysis.

“Sellers who default to all-white walls everywhere may be leaving money on the table,” said Amanda Pendleton, Zillow’s home trends expert in a statement. “If a seller were to repaint the top-performing color in each room, they could add more than $5,000 to their bottom line.”

But what are these money-making colors and does interior paint selection really influence sales prices by that much?

To get to the bottom of this, we talked to several experts in the field to help you make the most of your pre-sale painting options.

Paint colors that may increase a home’s value

What paint colors seem to add value to a home? Zillow’s paint analysis for 2026 has a few winners on the list, and they’re earthy.

Painting the bedroom a warm chocolate brown could add an estimated $2,277 to a home’s offer price, according to Zillow’s research. That makes it the highest-value interior color choice this year.

Another big winner is sage green, which Zillow found was the only paint color to rank in the top tier across every room in the home (adding $1,000 to bedrooms, and $500 to living rooms).

“Sages conjure up thoughts of nature, bringing a sense of ease and relaxation to the space,” said Arianna Barone, color marketing manager for Benjamin Moore.

Moody kitchens also seem to elevate prices, with Zillow finding that charcoal gray and dark plum kitchens command offers of up to $1,373, and $867 higher, respectively.

Paint colors that could cost you

Colors that could cost you, however, include fire-engine red ($8,000 less if the bathroom is this color) and pale pink, which ranks in the bottom three for every room, decreasing home value by $4,201 in the kitchen and $6,013 in the bathroom.

But the single worst color decision seems to be ocher yellow. It has the potential to pare an estimated $18,164 off a home’s offer price when painted in the kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom.

“Ochre yellow does not have an appealing look to it and can be a very off-putting color that drums up images of the ‘70s with harvest gold sinks and laminate countertops in colors like green, yellow, and white,” said Cara Ameer, an agent with Coldwell Banker who is licensed in California and Florida.

Paint trends buyers are responding to positively

When it comes to paint, homebuyers are drawn to homes that feel warm and welcoming.

“Paint color won’t sell a home by itself, but it absolutely influences how a home feels,” said Susie Dempsey, a luxury real estate salesperson with Corcoran in Manhattan and the Hamptons. “Buyers often make emotional decisions within minutes of walking through the front door.”

That’s why it’s wise to choose colors that support a home’s features without drawing attention to imperfections.

It doesn’t mean you have to strip a home of its uniqueness.

“The goal isn’t to eliminate personality, it’s to remove distractions,” said Dempsey. In other words, you want the paint to support the home’s defining features, architecture, and natural light.

Is it worth the investment to repaint before selling your home?

The short answer to if you should paint your home before putting it on the market is yes.

“Fresh paint is one of the least expensive improvements you can make before listing, and it has a big impact on first impressions,” said Dempsey.

This is especially true if the colors in your home are very personalized or outmoded.

“I believe painting is equally as important as pricing, staging, decluttering, and other improvements,” said Ameer. “It is one of the lower cost improvements you can do and is much faster than updating kitchens and baths.”

Which rooms will benefit most from a pre-sale paint refresh?

If you can only afford to do a room or two, it’s best to put your painting dollars into the primary spaces.

“I’d focus on the main living area first because it’s where buyers tend to spend the most time during a showing and where they imagine themselves entertaining or relaxing,” said Dempsey, who picked the primary bedroom as her second choice.

Ameer agreed, listing the family room, kitchen, and main suite as her top repaint recommendations. “These are three key rooms that buyers care the most about, the primary areas where you spend the most time,” said Ameer.

Ready to maximize your home sale price with paint and other upgrades?

Not sure you have the funds to adequately prepare your home for sale? You may be able to finance improvements using the equity you’ve already built.

Depending on your financial goals, options such as a home equity line of credit (HELOC), a home equity loan (sometimes called a second mortgage), or a cash-out refinance can provide funds for updates before you list your home. Strategic improvements may not only help your home attract more buyers but could also lead to a higher selling price.

“Today, buyers want turnkey and to do as little work as possible,” said Ameer. “If they have to repaint a bunch of rooms that are taste specific, you can bet they will be accounting for that in their offer.”