According to Zillow’s 2018 Paint Color Analysis, which involved examining more than 135,000 photos from sold homes around the country to see how certain paint colors impacted their sale price, a house with a black or charcoal gray front door, on average, sold $6,271 more than expected. 10. Should you tip painters? Probably. Above: For the renovation of their own house situated on a steep cliff in Silver Lake, LA-based architects Cleo and McShane Murnane of Project M Plus painted the lower half of the exterior siding with Benjamin Moore Cracked Pepper (2130-40). See An LA Cliffhanger: Go High or Stay Low? for a house tour.
It is true that you have invested a lot to make your home valuable, but to ensure that its value keeps rising, you need to keep its exterior looking fresh and sharp. An impressive exterior will create a good first impression on visitors and home buyers, which means higher resale value.

Eggshell paint is the most popular exterior paint finish for the body of a home. Because eggshell isn’t dull like a flat finish, or too shiny like a high-gloss sheen, it looks great on a variety of siding types such as HardiePlank, stucco, horizontal wood, and others. Eggshell paint also offers more durability than flat paint, so it can easily be washed with occasional power washing. It’s also an ideal choice when you need to hide imperfections under the coating on older wood or stucco divots. Eggshell can also protect your home from precipitation and seasonal weather changes. This popular paint finish lays down nicely, so you won’t be able to see any brush strokes, roller edges, or spray marks after applying.
But every old home needs maintenance, updates or a refresh every few years or so. Paint is one of the best ways to give an old home new life while still retaining the integrity of the home. Painting an old home, however, is often accompanied by its own set of challenges which can range from small (tricky corners and trim) to large (replacing and repairing damaged walls or wood).