PROPERTY NEWS - Would you buy a bright blue house? How about a polka dotted house with a cherry red door? Chances are, unless you live on Gumdrop Lane in the Land of Far-Far Away, you're probably going to skip straight past those listings and continue your search elsewhere.
"Colour can have an exceptional impact on buyers. Understanding the costly and labour-intensive effort it would take to repaint a home, most buyers simply choose not to look past the fact that a home is not painted according to their taste," explains Adrian Goslett, regional director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa.
According to research conducted by Zillow in the US, homes that were painted a shade somewhere between gray and beige, tended to sell for $3 496 more than comparable homes painted in other colours. Sadly, no such market research has been completed in South Africa, but the principle remains the same: choose the wrong colour and you can negatively affect the value of your home.
Below are Goslett's tips to help homeowners choose sellable colours for the exterior of their homes:
Consider the roof
"Creating an appealing first impression is all about creating good contrasts. If you have a dark roof, then choose a lighter wall colour and vice versa.
"Alternatively, you can choose to use a similar colour in a different shade to your roof. This trick usually works better on homes that are not packed too closely against their neighbour, as the combination tends to make the home blend in rather than stand out," says Goslett.
Homeowners would do well to consider the climate of their suburb when choosing an exterior paint colour.
Factor in natural surroundings
"Homeowners would do well to consider the climate of their suburb when choosing an exterior paint colour.
"For example, if you live in a dry area with minimal greenery like in most parts of Gauteng, you might want to avoid the brown and beige shades and opt for whites or greys instead."
Stand out, but blend in
"A factor most homeowners overlook is how their newly repainted homes will look next to their neighbour's home. You want to be in keeping with the look and feel of your neighbourhood, but at the same time, you want to make sure that your house stands out in a positive way that increases its appeal to buyers.
"Striking this balance when choosing a paint colour is the key to adding value to your home," says Goslett.
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