Author: Barbara Horwitz-Bennett | October 11, 2023

It's time for a roof upgrade, but you'll likely be putting your home up for sale in the near future. Where should you invest those renovation dollars? Can trendy siding choices or popular shingle colors boost your property value?

A roof makes up a big part of the visible exterior of your home. Choosing the right shingle colors and roofing materials directly impacts first impressions, curb appeal and resale value.

How to Choose a Shingle Color

So, how can you choose a roofing option that will be attractive not only to you but also to potential buyers? To help make this decision, homeowners should make sure that the color and material blend in with the home's architecture and enhances features like gables or an attached garage.

For example, golden Spanish tiles might fit a historic Mission-style stucco house, but they would look pretty odd on a street of blue and gray colonial homes.

Take a good look around your neighborhood for home designs you admire. Local real estate listings and nearby homes that catch your eye can make good inspiration for a color palette.

In addition, your roofing contractor is a good source of information regarding popular shingle colors, patterns and textures in the area.

Generally speaking, lighter colors can make the house appear larger and make it stand out amongst the neighboring properties. Neutrals such as taupe, beige or gray are among the most versatile colors. Depending upon the color of the siding, black or red might pair well, too.

If your contractor uses Beacon 3D+, you can see what different potential roof colors would look like on a customizeable 3D model of your home.

Professional Advice

In selecting roofing materials and shingles, the real estate services provider HomeLight in San Francisco suggests going with a mid-range product. Homebuyers might look askance at the cheapest possible roofing option, but many may also balk at paying a high price in a sale for an expensive, freshly replaced roof that they had no part in choosing.

If you do have to install a new roof before you sell, most roofing contractors and real estate agents will recommend a full tear-off rather than simply installing the new roof on top of the old one. Layering shingles can trap heat and add too much weight to the roof, and it could obscure deeper problems such as rotted decking or weak trusses.

"Buyers, their agents and inspectors are likely to mention a roof with a double layer, and this find is more likely to hurt you than putting on that second layer 'new roof' will help you," warns HomeLight.

Return on Investment

While a new roof will increase the home's resale value, there is a difference in opinion regarding the return on investment (ROI). On the one hand, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry's 2019 Remodeling Impact Report states that a new roof yields a 107% ROI. However, data from Remodeling's 2019 Cost vs. Value Report states that the ROI on a new roof is 68%.

Either way, it is likely an excellent idea to check whether you need a roofing upgrade in preparation for putting your home up for sale.

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