If you’re wanting to sell a property that requires a lick of paint, think carefully about the colour palette.

The best

Neutral tones

Shades such as white, beige, light grey and taupe are universally appealing. They make spaces look larger, brighter, and allow potential buyers to envision their own furniture and style in the home. This is the no-brainer option, offering maximum neutrality to spark their imagination. However, this can feel ubiquitous in a flooded market.

Soft blues

Light blue tones, especially in bathrooms and bedrooms, are calming, often associated with cleanliness and tranquillity. The key is to keep it subtle and avoiding anything too kitsch such as maritime themes and seashell toilet seats.

Greens

Subtle greens essentially bring the outside in. This is particularly effective in urban areas where nature is scarce, and a rich olive shade or leafy hue can create a calming atmosphere. You can also add plants to offer that living element of colour.

Off-White

While you don’t want to be that person obsessing between ‘polar bear’ and ‘frost’, off-white shades really do add warmth without being too imposing, creating a homely yet stylish mood. It’s also worth investing in good quality paint with a high percentage of pigments and binders for key areas such as hallways and lounges.

The worst

Bold or dark colours

Deep reds, purples and dark browns can make rooms feel small, gloomy or overly personalised, which may turn off buyers. The key is to create a sunny, calm and welcoming space.

Bright colours

Vivid oranges, yellows or greens might overpower a space and make it difficult for viewers to imagine the home as their own. Also, buyers may be reluctant to pay the maximum for somewhere they need to do a costly repaint job, so tone it down.

Unusual colours

Strong pinks, bright blues or quirky accent walls can be a distraction and very off-putting for the average buyer. Remember, the point is not to present your personality, it’s to appeal to the broadest market possible. So back off and embrace your most conventional side, because you can unleash the real you onto your next home.

Black

Why not just leave the chalk body outline and pentagram drawing on the floor? In other words, no. Just no!