The 5 Most Popular Exterior House Colors

Repainting your home from time to time is a critical aspect of good home maintenance because exterior paint does a lot more for your house than just look pretty. If you live in the Southern United States, for example, your home’s exterior is probably bombarded by intense sunlight day after day for much of the year. This can lead to cracked and blistering paint that doesn’t adequately protect your house from water damage and wood rot. If your home is in a coastal area, it may face additional threats from strong winds, heavy rains, high humidity, and saltwater spray.

But protection from the elements isn’t the only good reason to repaint your house. Changing the color of your home or even freshening up the same color with new paint can dramatically transform your home’s appearance and increase its curb appeal.

No matter why you’re planning to have your home repainted, you’ll want to get the best bang for your buck. The ideal way to do that is to partner with professional painters who are savvy about the optimal colors to use for your specific house in your specific community. At Southern Painting, we have highly skilled and experienced painters serving many communities throughout the Southern United States, and we offer expert color consultations along with our top-notch house painting services.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Exterior House Color

Generally speaking, the five colors that experts say are most frequently chosen for exterior home painting are:

• white and various off-white shades;
• gray, ranging from soft shades to charcoal;
• blue, including many light and dark shades;
• beige and similar creamy colors; and
• pale yellow.

However, there are many factors to consider when selecting a color for your home. The truth is that you will probably choose at least two colors for your home: one for the exterior walls and another for the trim. This means you’ll need to give some thought to whether you want two contrasting colors that create an attractive, take-notice appearance or perhaps a more subtle appeal, such as choosing a slightly darker shade of your dominant house color to highlight the trim. Additionally, many homeowners these days are experimenting with using multiple colors to draw attention to various architectural features of their homes.

A few additional things to consider when selecting your exterior paint colors include:

Resale Potential

It’s important to indulge your personal tastes when selecting exterior house colors so that you’ll feel good about your home. However, real estate professionals say neon shades of any color can detract from your home’s appeal on the market, as can black, purple, and any shade that looks drab or dingy. Even if you aren’t thinking about selling your home right away, you may want to consider your home’s future marketability when selecting your paint colors. The experts at your local Southern Painting company will be happy to discuss trends in your community and help you choose your exterior house colors with an eye toward boosting or maintaining your home’s market appeal.

Your Neighborhood

Many homeowners these days live in deed-restricted neighborhoods with strict guidelines about exterior home décor, including acceptable colors. It’s important to adhere to homeowners’ association rules regarding repainting your home so that you can avoid making a costly mistake. At Southern Painting, we’re exceptionally experienced at working with homeowners’ associations, and we’ll be happy to help you meet any requirements that may apply to your project.

Even if you don’t live in a neighborhood with restrictions, it’s a good idea to take your surroundings into consideration when selecting exterior paint colors. For example, if all of the homes in your neighborhood are decked out in pastel shades and you choose a deep sunflower yellow paint for your home, your house may stick out in a negative way you did not anticipate.

Size & Architectural Style of Your Home

If your home is small, a lighter exterior color can make it appear larger and more inviting. And, in some cases, a dark color, even on a larger home, can make the house seem foreboding. The architectural style of your home may influence your decisions about color as well. For instance, the best colors for a traditional colonial or Tudor-style house are likely to be quite different from an art deco or bungalow-style home.

We Are The Interior & Exterior Painting Experts

If you’re in the market for professional house painters to handle your project in the Southern United States, contact Southern Painting today to find out if we have a local company serving your area. If we do, we’ll be happy to arrange for a free in-home consultation and a detailed, written estimate for your project.