The color of your siding may be one of the most important things about the exterior of your home.
It’s the first impression. It has the power to add or detract value and can affect how soon your house sells after going on the market.
Whether you aim to sell your home immediately after remodeling, or 5 to 10 years down the line — you want to choose the best siding for resale value.
So how do you decide?
In this guide, we will discuss how color siding can affect resale value, which colors sell the best, and what to look out for when choosing a siding color.
You’ve likely heard the phrase, “First impressions are important.”
This is especially true when selling a home. The inside of your home may seal the deal, but the outside sets the expectation. Anything from landscaping to siding can influence your home’s value based on curb appeal.
Curb appeal is the value of a home’s attractiveness from the view of the street. Exterior design projects that are designed to boost curb appeal, like remodeling the color of your siding, can influence your home’s impact on the housing market.
According to a new study published in The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, homes with appealing exteriors have up to 7% higher rate of resale than homes with lower curb appeal. Another study completed by Michigan State University suggests that curb appeal may increase a home's resale value by 5-11%.
While the color of your siding has the potential to boost your curb appeal, and therefore your home’s value, it also has the potential to decrease a home’s value. It’s important to not only choose a color but also an exterior design and remodeling company that can help you achieve the best effect with your siding.
Lifetime Remodeling Systems aims to help homeowners find a siding color that not only increases their home’s value but also their appreciation for their home. Unlike other remodeling companies, we provide our clients access to several tools to help them choose from our myriad of siding options. Use our Benjamin Moore Color Consultant and photo rendering services to find the best color siding before committing to installation.
Contact us today to schedule your consultation.
According to the National Association of Realtors, the most popular colors for a home’s exterior siding are:
Classic neutral colors provide a sense of timelessness and allow for more flexibility with other design elements. These colors also tend to fade less noticeably. A clean and polished look can entice buyers, which can raise a home’s resale value.
Most people may think neutral colors come with limited options, but there are many varying hues to choose from. To help you become more aware of your options and resources, a remodeling company may be able to help you find and install the best siding for your home’s resale value.
Potential buyers may be attracted to siding colors that appeal to the natural beauty of the house and its surroundings.
Earth tones provide a wide choice of siding colors, from browns to tans and greens to reds. These color tones are perfect for adding a touch of elegance to any home.
Earth tones like tans and browns can:
Tawny tans and mid-tone browns work well to hide dirt and aging. While all colors of siding are prone to fading, browns and tans fade without much notice. Earthy browns can also give a contemporary, chic look that appeals to any home, regardless of age or style.
Earth tones like sage green can:
Sage green also works well with a black or charcoal door, which could alone increase your home’s resale value. According to a recent study performed by Zillow, houses with black doors were, on average, valued up to $6,000 more than other similar homes.
Blue exterior siding has been gaining popularity in recent years — and for good reason.
This color works great with farmhouse architectural styles. A hint of blue saturation in a cream or gray color can exude modernity while respecting a house’s historical look, which buyers love.
If you plan on selling in the near or distant future, blue may not be the best color option due to how quickly it fades. More neutral blues fade less noticeably.
We recommend choosing a blue towards the middle of the spectrum. This will allow you to get all the elegance, without the distraction. Blue is an excellent siding color if you’re looking to help your house stand out in the market, without standing out in all the wrong ways.
White enhances nearly any housing style but works best on:
Alside, a leading manufacturer of exterior siding, found in a review of its company data that the demand for white siding has doubled since 2018.
White siding is classy and luxurious. It compliments darker trim to accentuate a home’s silhouette. While it is highly valued, white shows dirt and grim easily. Homes with white siding may need a little more maintenance to keep the home and color looking fresh.
White keeps your home looking bright and open. This can trick the eye into thinking some homes appear bigger than they actually are.
Gray siding provides a sense of calm while remaining trendy and modern. This color comes from either end of the palette spectrum while still remaining neutral. And practically any gray can compliment lighter or white trim.
Lighter grays will be less prone to noticeable fading than darker grays. But this color in general tends to hide dirt and wear well.
A survey conducted by Opendoor found that gray was one of the most popular home exterior colors (30%).
While popular, gray also has the propensity to influence real estate value. According to Southern Living, Sherwin-Williams’ color, Agreeable Gray (SW 7092), is one of the top interior and exterior shades reported by realtors to increase home value.
You don’t have to kick unique styles and colors to the curb to maintain your curb appeal. Homebuyers are likely to overlook accent colors on doors and shutters since they are small and easy to change.
A simple pop of color might be effective at increasing resale value if done correctly.
What is the ultimate goal of your siding remodel?
Are you:
Conducting large-scale remodeling immediately before moving may not generate as large a return on your investment if your siding isn’t old or deteriorated. Also, keep in mind that if you’re selling in the distant future your siding remodel may not be valued as much as if you would have remodeled and then sold several years down the line.
It may also be more efficient to remodel the exterior of your home while undergoing other renovations like window replacement.
The influence siding color has on a home’s value is only effective if the siding is made with proper and durable materials.
Wood and vinyl, the traditional choices for home siding, easily deteriorate over time. Vinyl siding has a lifespan of 20–30 years, while wood siding may last anywhere from 15–40 years if properly maintained. James Hardie fiber cement siding is one of the most durable on the market, lasting up to 50 years or even longer if maintained well.
The aesthetic may also affect how much your home is valued based on siding.
Vinyl isn’t valued as much as cedar or James Hardie siding due to its plastic characteristics. Wood is aesthetically pleasing, especially in older homes, but requires a lot of maintenance to remain aesthetically appealing. James Hardie siding doesn’t require a lot of maintenance and can come in plenty of textures and colors to appeal to practically any home aesthetic. It also is resistant to harsh elements and pests.
Lifetime Remodeling Systems has been providing award-winning remodeling services to the Portland area for over 25 years. Our access to the best building materials leaves our services unparalleled to our competitors.
We are a certified James Hardie Elite Preferred contractor and partner with Lakeside Lumber to access only the premium Real Cedar siding. We guarantee that when you invest in a high-quality product — the service and installation will be of equal value. Our Design Build Team is a group of dedicated individuals who know how to design and execute a design remodel that will increase your home’s value.
Siding can greatly accentuate or detract from the architectural details of a house. It might be advantageous to play up the style of your home with the color of your siding.
Styles and the siding color pairings you may want to consider include:
HOAs often limit exterior siding color options— and for good reason. Houses that “stick out” tend to decrease in value, therefore depreciating the value of the surrounding houses.
Choose siding colors and materials that fit in with your neighborhood aesthetic to avoid decreasing your home’s value after a remodel. Be willing to coordinate your home’s exterior with that of your neighbors without turning your home into a replica.
Though buyer interest is not universal, the trends in the housing market reflect a high interest in homes with neutral-colored siding. The “wrong” siding colors may make it difficult to sell your home, or might negatively impact your home’s value.
The worst siding colors for home resale value include:
The wrong siding color could knock thousands of dollars off your home’s value. According to Zillow, houses painted yellow sold for almost $3,500 less than similar homes.
While eye-catching and unique colors are a fun way of standing out in your neighborhood, homebuyers tend to stay away from unusual siding colors. If you feel that you must add an unusual color to your house, try experimenting with pops of color in your door or shutters.
Vivid colors may also be harder to maintain and subject to fading more than neutral colors.
The amount of value a remodel adds to your home is dependent on the quality of the building materials, design, and execution. Most exterior modeling contractors will leave the element of design in the hands of the homeowner. Not us.
Unlike our competitors, Lifetime Remodeling Systems offers exterior design services along with installation. You’ll have the ability to:
For over 20 years, we have been providing Portland with our award-winning craftsmanship and exterior design work. Whether you’re looking to remodel your siding or need repairs on your James Hardie siding — Lifetime Remodeling Services will deliver you the remodel of a lifetime.
We provide a range of siding styles and options. Let our consultants find the best color siding for your home’s resale value. Contact us to schedule your first consultation today.
.svg)