How Front Door Colors Affect Pricing!

Source: Zillow

Chances are, the color of your investment property is a simple, safe color, like white or brown. You can call it “clean ivory” or “gorgeous chestnut beige” all you want, but they’re still awfully bland.

That’s what you’re supposed to do if you’re selling a property, right? Make it neutral, so the buyers can put their stamp on it or rent it out easily.

Not necessarily…

The color of your front door isn’t purely about aesthetics—it can influence the purchase price and, in turn, the overall appeal of your property. Whether you’re planning to list it for sale or rent, the color of your front door is something you can:

• - Easily control
• - Easily improve
• - Easily charge more for

In fact, it can even increase the value of your home by thousands of dollars. So there’s no reason why you wouldn’t want to paint your front door a strategic color.

In this article, we’ll look through the best and worst colors to choose from, so you can maximize the returns you get.

The Hype Behind Front Door Colors

ApartmentTherapy shared a study that showed the impact of front door colors. The study assigned images of front doors painted one of 11 colors to the individuals, where each color gets a score based on:

• The buyer’s perception of the home
• The likelihood of them buying the home
• The price they’re willing to pay for the home

From the research, Zillow’s home trends expert Amanda Pendleton concluded, “A front door is often the first thing that captures a buyer’s eye… When going through a stressful process that brings half of all buyers to tears, visual cues like color can have an outsize impact on decision-making… Seemingly minor home improvements can make a big difference in the way a potential buyer views and values a home.”

Of course, the final sale price of a home is determined by multiple factors—not just the color of the front door—but the first color potential buyers (or renters) make a huge impact. The devil is in the details; minor changes can play a major role. Especially when the minor detail is as cheap and simple as painting a piece of wood.

Best and Worst Front Door Colors

So, let’s see which colors are the best and the worst. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to exterior paint options, but we’ve compiled general advice for you to use as a guideline. At the end of the day, you still need to consider the following:

• - What style is the home? Consider its architecture and history. If it’s a Victorian home, for example, you should opt for Victorian colors (colors with a small amount of black mixed in, like jewel tones).
• - Where is the home? If the property is in a historic block, you likely won’t be able to choose your front door color. You’ll have to choose from a range of approved colors determined by the landmark preservation commission.

Apart from those two factors, check out these tips on front door colors and just how much each one can boost the value of your property:

Black Front Doors: Charge $6,449 More

Black doors are contrast kings, and many people are suckers for bold statements. Based on research, black front doors can potentially charge the highest offer price compared to other colors, clocking in at an average of $6,449 more or +2.9% of your initial purchase price.

Note that this is only a generalization, however, as there’ll always be people who think that black doors are “imposing” and “don’t give positive vibes”. Still, in our opinion, it’s a risk worth taking!

Blue Front Doors: Charge $1,537 More

Blue front doors give an aura of peace, serenity, and calmness. It reminds people of the beautiful skies and the waves of the ocean, making it a crowd-pleaser for the general public. It’s not surprising that homes with doors painted a slate blue or light blue-gray color can potentially sell for $1,537 more.

Plus, unlike jarring black doors, blue front doors are somewhat subtle, where people might not realize that they’re being influenced by the color. It’s a discreet way to boost the perceived value of your property.

Green Front Doors: Charge $969 More

If green doesn’t fit the style of your property, opt for its brother—the color green. Shades similar to olive green or sage are sure-wins for potential buyers and renters, it is said that they’ll pay an estimate of $969 more for a home with a green front door. The color brings a fresh look without straying too far from neutral colors and often compliments black accents (e.g., black trim on doors and windows).

Green is so flexible, you can also opt to paint the exterior of the house instead of the front door, too. It’s muted and natural enough to be a central color without being overpowering.

Grey, Pink, and Yellow Front Doors: Drops Perceived Value

Black, blue, and green front doors are excellent choices. But with good options come bad ones, too.

Avoid cement-like gray, pale pink, and bright yellow as much as possible. These are off-putting for prospective buyers and renters, where they’re often referred to as “shabby looking” and “easy to look dirty” colors. Research even showed that people are willing to pay, on average, $6,516 less than expected if the door’s colored pale pink and $3,500 less for yellow homes.

Repaint the front door immediately if it’s one of these colors!

Leverage on the Perceived Value of Front Door Colors

Color may seem trivial in the real estate market. But they can completely change the value of your home in reality. Moreover, it’s easy to control and certainly affordable—there’s no reason to skip it to boost the potential selling price or rental fee of your property.

Do you want more help? Our team of expert property managers is at your disposal. With more than two decades worth of experience in the Metro Detroit area, we have the knowledge you need to be successful in real estate investing. !