Don’t paint the walls of your house this color — it could cost you thousands
Ochre yellow will crush the resale price of your home: Zillow
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118+ best Amazon Prime Day deals, hand-picked and updated live for 2026 Real EstateDon’t paint the walls of your house this color — it could cost you thousands
By Mary K. Jacob Published June 22, 2026, 6:48 a.m. ETSee more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The New York Post on GoogleHomeowners 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.”
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- homeowners
- interior design
- painting
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- residential real estate
- study says
- zillow
- 6/22/26
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
