Deciding what color to paint the exterior of your house to sell it can be a confusing process. This sometimes differs from what you have or would paint it for your personal taste. Everyone has their own ideas on what this process is but what I have done is taken everyone's opinion and made this into a really easy process.

So, here are the steps to choosing the right color for your home:

Take a picture of your home.

Look closely at the following around your home to make your color choice:

Flowers, plants, walkways, your immediate neighbors, your shade of brick, stone or accents. Roof color is important too. You may find specks of colors that will be in these areas that will give you a clue about what will blend and coordinate with your home. For example, let's say that your roof is gray. You may find specks of green or blue in this roof that will be accented when you add that color to your exterior. If your home is red brick with gray mortar, you will need to complete the gray mortar.

Count the places or areas that you will add paint: door, shutters, trim, exterior siding, etc … Houses usually have 4 areas

Find your favorite things around your home after your inspection.

Find the focal point of your home. Does this focal point have any accent colors that you could use in other areas?

Go to a paint store and buy a paint deck. Avoid going to a paint store and just getting chip panels. This is way too confusing.

Focus on the most focal point and your favorite accent part of your home and then find that color on the color deck. Using the ideas from step 2.

Now, find a color that you feel blends with the focal point and your favorite accent.

Keep these pointers in mind:

Earth tones pay off – do not go too wild. The exception is a red door, which is used by feng shui enthusiasts.

White will call attention to areas of your home and will coordinate well with any other color.

Small homes should stick with lighter colors to make the home appear larger, especially if it is on a large lot.

Light colors on a porch provide a welcoming "cute" feeling.

Know that dark colors fade and require more maintenance.

Investors love to paint homes yellow with green shutters and front door.

Mid-tones on your paint deck are most likely your best choice.

So, when you find your focal point and favorite thing, lighten that color a little on the paint chip by choosing a color a little further up the deck. Then, find something that blends. This is based on how decorators us a piece of fabric that you like and then paint using the fabric pieces. If you are looking at a fabric that you like, you know that everything blends. Use the same principal with stuff that is already around your home.

The only exception to your landscaping is green. You want to make sure that the green compliments the color that you are painting.

Article originally published at Source by Rhonda Duffy