You only get one chance to make a first impression when selling your house. The moment when people drive up to the home and look at the exterior paint is a huge one.
Luckily, we interviewed luxury realtor Emma Hernan and got her top tips on the best paint colors for selling a house, starting with the first area that people see. 'Designing with white is always right,' she says. 'I also like to lean in towards those earthy tones and embrace more of a modern organic vibe.' While white comes out on top as the best paint color, there is room for flexibility.'
If this alone feels boring, Emma is also a huge advocate of adding exterior cladding for a bit of visual interest. She states: 'You can always incorporate some wood. So, say you have a beautiful white house. You could also add, for example, a wooden pane on the garage.'
'A girlfriend of mine, who I happen to film with, Chrishell, added some wood to the front of her house, which honestly took her house to the next level. So I recommend that to a lot of my clients too if they want to add some dimension to their house.' According to experts, this is a great way to make the exterior of your house look expensive.
As for front doors, Emma recommends going, 'pretty neutral all the way around.' However, there is more room to play around here. Emma told H&G, 'For the inside, for the kitchen, and for the exterior, I would say advise lighter neutrals, but for outside, if you were going to paint your door, I actually wouldn't be mad at a little bit of a pop with like a darker gray or a darker olive. You can have a nice neutral pop, but you can also have it a little bit darker.'
However, though she likes a pop, Emma says bright shades are front door colors to avoid. She says, 'I definitely don't think you don't want a bright yellow door or a bright pink door.' She continues, 'Although I do love a Barbie moment. I don't think you want that for your forever home.'
How would Emma paint the exterior of her own home? She tells H&G, 'I'm actually thinking about doing a remodel right now on my home. I'm considering doing white with black windows, you know, that look just adds a little pop and a little dimension.'
Selling Sunset star Emma Hernan is the go-to agent for many luxury home buyers and sellers, both across the US and internationally. Alongside her place in the real estate industry, Emma has a rich background as an entrepreneur and angel investor – simultaneously serving as the CEO of her successful food company.
As Emma demonstrates, the world in black and white doesn't need to be boring. Neutral colors can instead form a timeless base around which to make the rest of your interior and exterior design decisions.
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