Whether you're trying to update your home for yourself or you want to spruce it up for a quick and easy sale, picking an exterior paint color can be tough.
Painting the exterior of your home is a great way to refresh it completely, but how can you decide what color is the right choice? There are so many options and you (or your buyers) have to live with your decision for a long time.
If you need help choosing a paint color to amp up your curb appeal, we might be able to help you out. Keep reading for a few tips on choosing the next color for your home.
Look Into Neighborhood Rules
Unfortunately, some neighborhoods have restrictions on the colors that residents are allowed to paint their homes. It might seem unfair, but it's not uncommon to require neutral tones so that everyone blends in.
Some neighborhoods even require that you choose between one of several pre-chosen exterior paint colors.
Before you go all out and start choosing paint swatches at the home and garden store, take a minute to look into the rules and regulations of your neighborhood.
See What's in Style
A look around the neighborhood or in any home and garden magazine will give you an idea of what's "in" for your area.
Each neighborhood has its own character, but currently, bright colors are coming back into style as the suburban uniformity is fading into the background. Teals, yellows, and reds (as well as statement brick walls) are hot right now.
With such bold choices, you're going to have to do some serious planning before you get started.
Don't Forget to Swatch!
When you find a color you love you have several stages of swatching to do.
The first is actually picking up paint swatches at the store. These are generally free and you can grab a handful in any colors that you're considering.
Once you've spent time mulling these over and you've narrowed it down to 2 or 3 options, buy the tiny sample cans of paint.
Paint a small section of your exterior wall with the colors that you're considering so that you can see how they look in all forms of lighting and how they fit with the houses nearby.
This isn't foolproof, but you will be able to see what the paint colors actually look like in practice.
Use Apps
The future is now and it lets us use apps to paint our homes.
Well, kind of.
Many photo editing apps are available for every phone, tablet, or computer now. With these, you can choose a color that you'd like your home to be, take a picture, and recolor it.
This is a great way to get a general idea of how you'd like your home to look without going out and getting swatches and paints first.
This can't do all of the work, but it can narrow down your options and let you see what your home will look like in relation to your neighbors' homes and your yard.
New Exterior Paint Color? No Problem
When choosing an exterior paint color you might want to keep trends in mind, but it's most important to pick something that you want to live with long-term. How often do you really repaint your house?
Swatching the fun colors that you have in mind is important so that you're able to acclimate yourself to your new choices before pulling the trigger.
For more guides like this on home improvement, be sure to check out the rest of the Soffit blog!
