Homeowners preparing to sell may want to rethink their paint choices before listing, according to new research from Zillow — which shows that certain colors can shave tens of thousands of dollars off a property’s final sale price.
The real estate platform’s 2026 Paint Color Analysis, which surveyed more than 4,400 recent and prospective buyers, examined how bedroom, kitchen, living room and bathroom colors affected buyer interest, tour intentions and willingness to pay. The findings challenge the longstanding assumption that neutral whites are the safest bet for sellers.
The biggest loser? Ochre yellow.
When the muddy golden hue is applied throughout an entire home, it can reduce offers by an estimated $18,164, the study found. Just painting a kitchen that shade alone can knock $6,630 off a buyer’s bid.
Fire-hydrant red bathrooms and pale pink walls also ranked among the worst performers across every room tested.
On the flip side, sellers who choose their colors wisely could pocket thousands more at closing.
Chocolate brown bedrooms, once dismissed as dated, are the study’s top performer, with the Sherwin-Williams shade Turkish Coffee associated with offers averaging $2,277 higher than comparable white rooms. Charcoal gray and sage green rounded out the top bedroom choices.
In the kitchen, moody and bold hues are proving their worth. Charcoal gray walls were linked to offers nearly $1,373 above asking, while dark plum generated an $867 bump.
Zillow found the spread between the best and worst kitchen colors amounted to roughly $8,000 in offer price impact, making it the single most consequential room for paint decisions.
The living room rewards a softer touch. Pale blue walls outperformed all other colors in that space and were tied to offers averaging $1,723 higher than white rooms.
“Tradewind introduces softness and airiness to the space while still feeling intentional, offering a fresh alternative to white that enhances a sense of openness without sacrificing personality,” Emily Kantz, Color Marketing Manager & Trendsight Team member at Sherwin-Williams, said in the study.
But the study’s breakout star is sage green, the only shade to rank in the top tier across all four rooms.
The earthy tone added more than $1,000 to offers in bedrooms and nearly $500 in living rooms, while also claiming the top bathroom ranking.
“Greens continue to be seen as a modern neutral; sage is calming and nature-inspired bringing that dose of versatility to the bedroom without feeling plain,” Kantz said.
The broader trend the data reflects is a buyer appetite shifting toward warmer, more layered interiors and away from the cool, minimalist whites that dominated home design for the past decade.
“Giving your home some personality by using a color that has depth is driving measurable return on investment,” Kantz said. “I’ve been seeing that a lot lately when it comes to design — playing it safe is riskier than experimenting with color and design.”
Zillow home trends expert Amanda Pendleton echoed that point, warning sellers against reflexively reaching for white paint rollers.
“White will always be a timeless, versatile choice, but sellers who default to all-white walls everywhere may be leaving money on the table,” Pendleton said.
“Buyers today respond to homes with soul, and paint is one of the easiest, most affordable ways to add personality and character to a space. The right colors can stop an online home shopper mid-scroll and instantly create an emotional connection, which ultimately drives higher offers.”
For sellers who currently have ochre kitchens or scarlet bathrooms and love them, Pendleton had a practical suggestion.
“If an ochre yellow kitchen brings you joy, embrace it!” she said. “There will be some buyers who will love your yellow kitchen as much as you do. But getting top dollar for your home is all about appealing to the most potential buyers. So enjoy your ochre kitchen and when it’s time to sell, paint it charcoal gray or plum.”