The Paint Color You'll Regret When It's Time To Sell, According To A Real Estate Expert

When you choose paint colors for your home, there are so many options from neutral and soothing to bold and bright. While your personal taste and interior design preferences can help guide you to the perfect paint color for every room, if you ever plan to sell your home (or you're thinking about selling it now), certain color choices may pose a problem and make you regret your decisions. Going bold might make rooms eye-catching and statement-making (and fun, too, if you love a pop of color), but when the time comes to sell your home, opting for certain colors could be viewed as a drawback for potential buyers. 

One of the most regrettable colors? It's lime green, a color that's been identified as the most off-putting option for potential home buyers. Licensed realtor Lindsey Schmidt spoke exclusively to Hunker, noting "Loud colors like lime green feel extremely dated." It's a color you're very likely to regret if you're putting your home on the market, along with other bold hues. Schmidt explains, "Bright blues, yellows, and oranges can be very distracting and seem dated. Dark browns also feel very '90s/early 2000s."

Choosing lime green might perfectly fit your preferences and design aesthetic, but there are issues with keeping it on your walls while trying to show your home. "It could slow down showings, leaving the home on the market which could lead to lower offers," Schmidt says. As our expert also notes, "Paint is one of the easiest things to change to make big impact and most buyers know this."

If you're hoping for features that can help sell your home easily and in a timely manner, you'll want to repaint any lime green walls in your home before listing it or hosting showings with your realtor. In her exclusive interview with Hunker, Lindsey Schmidt recommends taking the extra time and making the investment in a new coat of paint. "Fresh paint not only looks better, [but] it gives the feeling of fresh and new, which usually pushes buyers toward an offer," she tells us.

As Schmidt acknowledges, "While buyers know paint is an easy change, it still takes time and money." For you as the current homeowner, it's a relatively minor touch that could make a significant difference. A fresh coat of paint over existing lime green walls (or rooms that are painted another divisive color) can also be the touch needed to sway potential buyers. As Schmidt explains, "Painting before listing automatically makes the home show better and stand out online. You've got to [convert] the online shopper to an in-person showing."

Wondering what color you can swap out lime green — or other potentially dated hues — for? "Neutrals are generally best for selling a home as you want buyers to be able to picture themselves and their belongings in the home," Schmidt points out. And they're versatile, too; there are neutral colors for every room of your home and they can fit into any aesthetic.