4 Colors That Turn Off Buyers

Could the wrong shade of paint dampen interest in a home? As a real estate pro, you can point sellers in the right direction when they're considering color updates.

Read more: 3 Surprising Paint Colors Home Owners Hate

First, take note of palettes consumers tell researchers they like: The favorite color combos for exteriors are white and gray, beige and taupe, and slate and black, according to the 2013 National Home Color Survey. On the inside, neutral wins too. The most popular 2016 colors include grays and shades of white, as well as natural-looking greens.

Although it's tough to prove, a Zillow Digs analysis of 50,000 photos of recently sold homes even suggests homes with creamy yellow or wheat-colored kitchens, light green or khaki bedrooms, dove or light gray living rooms, and mauve or lavender dining rooms sold for $1,100 to $1,300 more than properties decorated with less popular colors.

So, what are the paint chips your clients should avoid? Credit.com highlights the following findings based on studies of colors:

• Slate gray: While gray is an on-trend color at the moment, consumers aren’t fans of all shades of gray. Dove and light grays tend to be favorites, but consumers are more leery of dark grays. Indeed, one study even went so far as to suggest that painting a dining room a slate color could cause a home owner to lose $1,112 on their home sale. Instead, buyers say they prefer shades of mauve, eggplant, and lavender in the dining room.
• Terracotta: This shade of orange doesn’t tend to be a hit with home buyers. In fact, be cautious around orange in general. Surveys have found orange to be one of the least-liked colors in the world (blue is the favorite color globally.).
• Dark brown: The color is so disliked that the Australian government even considered using it on cigarette packaging to try to get people to stop smoking. In the end, they opted for brownish-olive green, but the fact the color was in the running should say enough.
• Off-white or eggshell: Painting walls white can sometimes be a good choice. However, if the space is small or dark, such as in a kitchen, white walls can make a room look “dead” and “flat,” designer Emily Henderson told Credit.com.