Selling Your House? Paint Your Bedroom One of These Colors

Ask any realtor, and chances are they’ll have some wise advice when it comes to what color your bedroom walls should be when you try to sell your house.

“I tell my clients to keep it simple and go with a light gray,” says Sarah Maguire of the Maguire Group at Compass.  “As a seller, you want your paint choices to appeal to the masses and be as unoffensive as possible.”

Neutrals like gray, light blue, and light beige are the best bet, thanks to their ability to produce calming effects, as well as their versatility with the furniture and decor that prospective buyers are already imagining bringing into the space.

“The trend now is gray,” says Ed Deveau, a realtor with Century 21 Mario Real Estate. “Gray cabinets, gray walls, gray tile.”

Experts say it’s probably best to avoid straight white walls. After all, you want prospective buyers to conjure images of a serene sleep in their new bedroom, not the sterile nature of a hospital ward.

“White can look a little institutional,” says Deveau, who adds that anything too beige-y can look out of place, too. ”Earth tones are a little outdated.”

“Any time you start to get into other neutrals in the beige/tan or even blue family, you run the risk of it being too dark and/or can make the home feel dated and even dingy,” says Maguire.

Keeping a cohesive color flow through the house is also important, particularly if it’s an open floor plan. While you may have a deep connection to that bright red accent wall in your living room, too many colors can create a choppy aesthetic.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun when picking which shade to go with. Choose a gray tone that has elements of other colors, since deep grays can get a bit heavy if you’re painting an entire space that  shade.

“I personally use and recommend Benjamin Moore Linen White,” says Deveau. “It has a little bit of a yellow-ish tint and shows really well with natural light. It’s clean without being sterile.”

Maguire has a laundry list of favorite Benjamin Moore grays, like Graytint, Light Pewter, Gray Owl, Balboa Mist, and Wickham Gray.

Even if you’re not one for a neutral tone, it’s important to keep one thing in mind: In this situation, your personal taste doesn’t really matter. Your goal is to sell the house, not to cater to your own color palette. After all, the buyer will probably just change it anyway. 

“Chances are pretty good the new owners are going to choose their own paint colors,” says Deveau. “You just want the property to show well.”