These Paint Colors Add Thousands to Your Home's Sale Price—But the Wrong Ones Might Cost You

The right paint color can completely change a space, but when it’s time to sell, personal preference should theoretically take a back seat. For years, realtors advised their clients to keep things light and neutral with safe shades like millennial gray or beige. 

Now, new research from Zillow suggests a different strategy: Richer, moodier colors may help your home sell for more. Here are the colors that boost sale price (and where to use them), along with the ones that may turn buyers away.

About the Color Report

Zillow tapped its behavior science team to survey over 4,000 recent and active home buyers. Ten colors were scored based on their response, which included the likelihood of buying the home in question and how much.

“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 Zillow home trends expert Amanda Pendleton. “These shades of blue and green are associated with organic modernism, a value-driven aesthetic that incorporates sustainable materials like wood and stone. These nature-inspired colors evoke the same feelings of serenity and tranquility.” 

Paint Colors That Boost Home Values

Deep green, blue, and gray shades consistently outperformed the standard lighter neutrals, and they even edged out recent favorites, like sage green and pale sky blue. Zillow’s analysis suggests buyers are looking more for deep, sanctuary-like colors that feel personal, but where you paint them also matters.

Dark Olive Green

Green is the color of the kitchen this year. In the survey, home buyers loved olive green in particular. However, any muted green on cabinets increased home values by as much as $1,597.

Navy Blue

Navy blue bedrooms were especially appealing to home buyers, potentially increasing a home’s sale price by $1,815. The color aligns with other nature-inspired, modern design trends like organic modernism.

Charcoal Gray

Charcoal gray comes back as the most chosen living room color (it ranked at the top in the last color survey, too.) Painting your living room dark gray could add $2,593 more to your home value, Zillow says. While olive green and navy blue are also popular, charcoal works as a versatile alternative in kitchens and bedrooms. 

Mocha

Home buyers preferred the 2025 Pantone Color of the Year, or any mid-tone brown, in bathrooms. These more nuanced neutral earth tones outperformed softer, cooler tones that buyers are used to seeing. 

Colors That Lower Property Values

Unfortunately, not every bold color is the right choice, and the wrong color can cost sellers upwards of $4,000. Here are paint color options to avoid at all costs.  

Daisy Yellow

Retro kitchens are in, but a bold daisy yellow paint color is not. According to Zillow, buyers would pay $3,915 less for a home with a daisy yellow kitchen. The aversion doesn’t end there: That same shade in the living room could knock $3,891 off the sales price.

Fire Hydrant Red

When selling, fire hydrant red is not recommended for living rooms or bedrooms. A bold red living room could cost you $1,820 on the sale price, while the same shade in the bedroom may shave off $1,987.  

Zillow says homeowners should consult with local real estate agents for recommendations. Head to zillow.com to read the report in its entirety and get more smart advice on selling your home for top dollar.