When you come across a house with bright pink walls everywhere, the first thought might be, “Will it sell?” In my opinion, the better question is: How much profit will the seller lose due to the bold color choice? The house will sell eventually, but the seller may end up losing a substantial portion of the net profit.
Just this morning, I came across an article about a pink home for sale. The seller, who is in financial hardship, decided to list her pink house. She previously raised about $237,000 via Kickstarter to launch a patent-pending cupholder bag. However, knockoff versions hit the market, which led to her financial difficulties, and now she’s selling her home—listed for $500,000.
The unique thing about this house is that everything is pink. From the walls to the details, the home embraces this bold color scheme. However, it raises an important question: Will this affect the sale, and how much will it impact the final price?
The Impact of Bold Colors on Home Sales
The real question isn’t whether or not the house will sell; it’s about how much money the seller will lose. Here’s the reality: a home with bright, unconventional colors like pink might alienate 90% of potential buyers. This is because selling a home is all about appealing to a broad range of people. The more people who like your house, the more likely you are to receive multiple offers. More offers lead to a higher sale price and better terms for the seller.
The issue with such a personalized, bold color choice is that potential buyers have a hard time envisioning themselves living there. For many, it’s hard to feel “at home” in a place with such a specific aesthetic. That’s why it’s important to depersonalize your home before listing it for sale.
A Simple Selling Tip: Offer a Painting Credit
In this case, it seems the seller may not have the financial resources to repaint the home before selling it. But there’s still a great strategy: offer a credit to potential buyers in the listing description. For instance, offer $5,000 towards repainting costs to sweeten the deal. This will help buyers realize that they can easily fix the issue themselves after closing. Without offering a credit, buyers may walk away, feeling like the home is “too much” to fix.
However, let’s be realistic. In Portland, Metro professional painters charge between $10,000 to $15,000 to repaint a 1,700 square foot home, especially when dealing with a color as bold as this one. A house like this will likely need at least three coats of paint: a primer and one or two coats to cover that intense pink completely. Having been a professional painter myself, I can confidently say this isn’t a quick, easy, or cheap fix.
Bold Colors and the Social Media Factor
On the bright side, a home like this gets a lot of exposure on social media. Its uniqueness can attract attention, especially with the Barbie pink craze still lingering. But again, exposure on social media doesn’t necessarily translate into serious buyers. The reality is that bold colors like this one eliminate the majority of the actual buyers in the market.
Taking a closer look at the listing itself, the pink home has been on the market for 10 days and it is listed at $281 per square foot. From the looks of it, the roof needs replacing—a project that could cost around $10,000. As a buyer’s agent, that’s one of the things I’d point out. The condition of the home outside isn’t the best either, and with all the pink on the walls, buyers will have a tough time seeing past the overwhelming aesthetic.
Key Takeaway: Neutral Sells
If you’re thinking about selling your home, the best thing you can do is to paint it in neutral tones. Neutral colors make the home feel bigger and more inviting, and they allow potential buyers to envision adding their own personal touch. When a home is neutral, it’s a blank canvas, which opens up the opportunity for more buyers to see themselves living there.
But what if you don’t have the time, energy, or budget to repaint? Offer a credit. A $5,000 credit towards closing costs or repainting can go a long way in easing buyers’ concerns and showing that the color issue is easily fixable.
Final Thoughts
Selling a home isn’t just about listing it; it’s about presenting it in a way that appeals to as many buyers as possible. Bold, bright colors can alienate buyers and cut into your profit, so if you’re thinking about selling, make sure to think strategically. Whether it’s a new coat of paint or offering a credit, there are always ways to make your home more marketable.
Update 3/11/2025
Well, the pink house finally sold after listing for almost 6 months with multiple price reductions. It was originally listed at $500,000 in July 2024 and sold in January 2025 for $428,000. It looks like they had to pull off the market a few times and made changes inside to get rid of the pink paint color. A big publicity doesn’t help home sale when you have a house that is not prepared well. Take a look: https://www.redfin.com/NJ/Trenton/835-Hughes-Dr-08690/home/36649463
If you’re in the Portland, Oregon market and considering selling your home, feel free to reach out. I’m here to help and happy to guide you through the process. Thanks for reading, and have a great day!
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Disclaimer: The content in any of Shawn Yu (Shawn Realty) Youtube videos or this website shall not be construed as tax, legal, insurance, construction, engineering, health & safety, electrical, financial advice, or other & may be outdated or inaccurate. Shawn Yu/Shawn Realty is a licensed principal real estate broker/brokerage doing business in Oregon. To contact Shawn Realty for selling, buying investing in Oregon, please email shawn@shawn-realty.com or call 503-515-4499.
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