When it comes to getting a home market-ready, paint beats almost any other home improvement upgrade. A new Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate poll found that three out of four real estate agents say repainting the interior can add the most value before a sale—sometimes boosting the listing’s value by as much as 10%, or up to $20,000.

“Painting is the most cost-effective upgrade, and you can cover the most space with it,” says real estate broker Josh McGrath, the owner of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Central in South Charleston and West Virginia and the 2025 President of the West Virginia Association of REALTORS®. Paint and supplies tend to be cheaper than most other house projects, so if a homeowner had $1,000 to spend, McGrath would generally suggest putting it all toward paint.

“Even if you just paint the walls the same color, you get that fresh look. The dents and dings are gone, and you get that clean paint smell,” McGrath says. “That’s the biggest impact you can make.”

Color Choice Matters

Real estate agents understand the value of freshly painted homes. It’s why painting the entire home or at least one interior room is the home remodeling project they most often recommend to homeowners before listing, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ 2025 Remodeling Impact Report.

And, the BHGRE poll confirmed what many agents see every day: Color can make or break a first impression. The color of the walls can make buyers feel welcome or turn them off. The poll revealed that buyers often hold strong impressions of certain colors.

For example, more than half of respondents said red is the number-one dealbreaker for them in homes they view.

“Red has subliminal messaging,” McGrath says. “Red means stop. Red means caution. It subconsciously drives your blood pressure up. It’s great for a restaurant—but not for a house. A home should feel calm and inviting.”

Other bold hues like orange, neon hues, purples and saturated pinks were also ranked as home buyer turn-offs, according to the survey.

Meanwhile, neutrals still dominate in real estate. Eighty-four percent of agents in the BHGRE survey said whites, grays and beiges remain top choices. McGrath points to an emerging favorite that bridges both cool and warm tones—his favorite Sherwin-Williams’ Worldly Gray, which is mix of beige and gray.

The BHGRE poll revealed the following favorite color combinations when staging a home before listing it:

• Beige and soft green (tied as the favorite staging palette)
• White and gray (tied  as the favorite staging palette)
• Navy and white—which offers a contrast without turning off mainstream buyers
• Bold combos—such as black and gold or taupe and teal—but used sparingly and often reserved for luxury listings

Half of homeowners say they repaint not to change out the color but simply to refresh their home, according to the BHGRE survey.

“Think about buying a pre-owned car,” McGrath says. “You expect it to be detailed—clean looking nice and smelling fresh. Buyers expect the same thing with a house. Fresh paint makes it feel like its new again.”

Whether selling or not, he recommends repainting a home every three to five years, depending on how you live in the space. “Life leaves marks on the walls,” he says. “A fresh coat of paint can bring it back.”

Jordan Schaeffer, president of Renovations and Aftermarket at Anthony & Sylvan Pools, shares what buyers should consider before purchasing a home with a pool.

What to Look for During a Walkthrough

Visual Issues

Watch for:

• Loose tiles or missing grout
• Green or discolored water
• Low water levels (could signal a leak)
• Cracks in steps, walls or the floor

Schaeffer notes that “hydration” or spider cracks are often superficial and minor hairline cracks. “The thing you want to be aware of is if there is a separation crack that… looks like you could fit a penny down there,” Schaeffer says. Surface hairline cracks may be easily fixed with just $10 in epoxy, while deeper structural or underground leaks could cost thousands.

Equipment Check

“Ask the homeowner to turn the pool on to make sure the equipment sounds right and is running,” Schaeffer advises. Watch for high-pitched sounds or signs of struggling equipment.

Coping Joint Inspection

Check the joint between the pool coping and the surrounding deck. “If that joint never gets filled in with what we call mastic compound… that would be a red flag,” says Schaeffer. Water can get behind the coping and damage the pool structure, especially in areas with freeze-thaw cycles.

Ask for Photos If the Pool Is Closed Up

If you’re buying in the off-season or the pool is covered, Schaeffer recommends asking the home seller for recent photos. “Ask to see last summer’s pictures of the pool… [and have the seller] affirm that the equipment’s been running well and there are no issues.”

Consider an Inspection

A standard home inspection doesn’t typically include a pool inspection, though some inspectors may offer it as an add-on. Usually, home buyers will need to have a separate specialized pool inspection—averaging between $125 and $250. A qualified pool inspector can assess the condition of the pool and identify potential issues, such as with the pool’s shelling, coping and deck that could indicate cracks and leaks. To find a pool inspector, you can check out professional associations such as the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance.

Budget for Ongoing Maintenance

Pool maintenance costs typically range from $1,000 to $4,000 per year, according to Family Pool Maintenance. Many owners use a mix of professional help and DIY for pool upkeep.

Tips:

• Leave electrical repairs to the pros: “Anytime you’re mixing water and electricity… let the professional do that,” Schaeffer says.
• Never drain the pool yourself: It may seem simple enough to do on your own, but improper drainage can cause the pool to lift out of the ground due to hydrostatic pressure, he cautions.
• Year-round care is a must: “It’s an open body of water outside… and you have to stay on top of the maintenance,” Schaeffer emphasizes. “If you’re ahead of the maintenance game, you’ll spend less in chemical costs and repairs over the long run. If you ignore it… you’re going to spend a bunch of money in remediation chemicals.”

Does a Pool Add Resale Value?

A 2025 realtor.com® study found that homes with pools sold for a 54% premium—$599,000 versus $389,000 for homes without. Pools remain a strong selling point, even after the fading so-called “pandemic premium” for pools.

“During the pandemic, people were looking for ways to get more enjoyment out of their homes, and this surge in demand for features like pools, translated into a substantial ‘pool premium,’ where homes featuring a pool commanded significantly higher asking prices compared to their pool-less counterparts,” says Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at realtor.com®. The pandemic pool premium peaked in January 2022, and “although price premiums have normalized, the presence of a pool continues to drive a premium and be a popular item to include in listings as a home or community feature,” Jones says.

5 Popular Pool Upgrades

Schaeffer says that updating an older pool could enhance the home’s resale value and personal enjoyment. Popular upgrades include:

1. Automation: “With older pools everything is manual, but newer pools you can control –[maintenance] with an app,” Schaeffer says. This includes scheduling cleaning, filtration and even chlorine levels.
2. Energy efficiency: “Switching to a variable speed pump… that’s huge for resale value,” he says. This type of pool pump allows owners to adjust the motor’s speed, allowing for greater energy efficiency and cost savings over single-speed pumps.
3. Water features: Waterfalls, bubblers or jump rocks have become popular add-ons.
4. Sun shelf additions: Also known as tanning ledges, these are shallow areas of a pool and have become trendy upgrades for older pools, Schaeffer says.
5. Darker pool finishes: Pools traditionally have been white and blue, but shades like “raven” or “smoke” are growing in popularity with Anthony & Sylvan Pools. “The water looks almost black,” he says. “That’s starting to become very common.”