A long list of factors determines the curb appeal of a home: exterior home paint colors, landscaping, neighborhood, and even minor details like the mailbox and house number can have a big impact.
Studies have shown that improving the curb appeal of a home can increase its resale value by over 7 percent. So it’s worth considering, especially if you’re flipping a home, renovating a rental, or preparing a customer’s home to sell.
For builders looking for an easy, cost-effective way to dramatically improve curb appeal, exterior home paint colors are an ideal solution. But with so many color options it’s hard to know which is the right choice. Should your customer match with their neighbors, go with whatever is trending, or choose their favorite color?
Luckily there are some universal guidelines that can help. In this post, we’ll go over how to choose the best exterior home paint colors for your customer’s house. Keep reading to learn how to maximize a home’s curb appeal.
The Most Popular Color Schemes for Exterior Home Paint
If your client is looking to put their home on the market, it’s a good idea to choose a popular or popular exterior home paint color. That way, even if prospective buyers don’t love the color, they won’t be turned off by it.
Neutral colors are always a safe bet. A recent survey conducted by Better Homes and Gardens showed that the following colors were popular for 2023:
- Classic neutrals: Cream, black, and charcoal gray were the most popular neutral tones for exterior home paint.
- Muted colors: Dark green and navy were the two most common color options.
- Trendy pops of color: Pastels and lighter colors were popular, especially in warmer climates and coastal areas.
The important thing to remember when suggesting an exterior home paint color to your clients is that the paint color has to match the home’s accents. Muted colors like navy and green, for example, pair well with wood accents. Neutrals like charcoal and cream suit black, blue-gray, and white accents.
Trendy colors, on the other hand, should be considered on a case-by-case basis. As a home-building professional, you’ll likely have experience with a wide range of home designs and aesthetics. Don’t be afraid to share your professional opinion with your clients. It could make a major difference in the overall look of their finished home.
The Best Exterior Home Paint Brands
There are so many paint brands to choose from, and each claims to be better than the next. If you work in construction, you probably know that many of the high-end paint brands offer similar results. Still, it’s essential to choose the right one.
Here are some popular and trusted options:
- Behr Marquee: this leading paint brand is sold at The Home Depot. It is a great choice for any project because it has a primer in the formula. The paint is specially formulated so it can be applied at lower temperatures than traditional paint. One thing that makes Behr paint trustworthy is its guarantee: if you or your client is unhappy with the paint, the company will cover the cost of any additional paint you need for your project. Just be sure to keep documentation of your costs and process.
- Benjamin Moore Aura: this popular choice has color-lock technology that helps prevent fading due to UV rays. It also has a primer included in the formula and is a durable option that will last for years after application.
- Rustoleum: if your client needs oil-based paint for exterior metal finishes, look no further than Rustoleum. This specialty paint performs exceptionally well on metal surfaces and prevents rust. As a builder, you probably already know that oil paint is difficult to work with—just make sure you warn your customer about the extra dry time and the strong scent.
Tips & Tricks to Choose the Best Exterior Home Paint Color(s)
Here are a few useful tips for helping your customers select their exterior home color palettes.
Follow the “Rule of Threes”
Don’t just have your customer pick out a single exterior home paint color. The best color designs are based on three cohesive colors that make up a palette.
To build a palette based on the rule of threes, start by selecting a base color—this will be the color of the home or the main color in the palette. Then choose two accent colors that match the base color.
A good guideline is to pick a popular option for the main color, then select a matching neutral, and finally, choose an accent.
Study Common Color Combinations
As your customers consider their options for colors, it might be useful to have them look at completed homes with varying color palettes.
You can show them photos of previous projects you’ve completed, or you can go on a home design site such as Houzz to find inspiration.
Think About Accent Colors
There are likely accent colors in the exterior of your customer’s home that aren’t immediately apparent. Things like metal finishings in your windows, door hardware, and the color of curtains that peek through the front windows can result in a clashing look if you don’t take them into consideration.
Take a look at the front of the client’s home and try to consider all the colors that will be included in the finished product.
Take Your Climate and Surroundings into Account
Different cities, climates, and neighborhoods suit different types of color palettes. Coastal towns, for example, will suit lighter pastel colors, whereas homes in a colonial neighborhood might be better suited to historically-relevant colors.
It’s also common courtesy to consider the homes on the street when deciding on style and color. It shouldn’t be the deciding factor, but it can improve the overall curb appeal of the home to stay cohesive with the existing look of the neighborhood.
Test Out Exterior Home Paint Colors in Cedreo
Once your customers have narrowed their color palette down to a few options, you can test out those colors in a home design software such as Cedreo. This will give your customers an idea of how the finished project will look.
Cedreo is a digital design tool that helps home building professionals complete precise, accurate, and visually stunning home designs in-house.
Outsourcing blueprints and drawings is an expensive and time-consuming process. General contractors who use Cedreo can complete entire home designs for a fraction of the cost in under two hours.
Plus, Cedreo can produce stunning 3D visualizations of your design, so your customers can see their dream home before construction even begins.
Cedreo is the 3D design software that helps contractors improve client relations, increase sales, and establish a professional reputation. Sign up to start using the free version of Cedreo today.
