Selecting paint colours for the exterior of your home can be difficult. There have been instances where homeowners have selected paint colours without considering any of the factors below and their home stood out negatively in their neighbourhoods. There are three main types of paint colours that are used for the exterior of the building — the dominant one for the walls of the building, the accent which is used for the doors and shutters and trim colours for the windows. Here are a few tips to select the right ones:

1.  Take a look at the other buildings in the neighbourhood – You would not want your home to differentiate too much from the others. Take a walk in the neighbourhood and look at the other buildings and observe the main colours before selecting yours.
2. What does the immediate surrounding say? – Nature can be one of the most important determinants of the paint colours of your exterior. You do not want to paint a house located close to a forest in a green shade, which would only hide your house in the forest. The best colour for such buildings is a shade of brown or cream that will make your house stand out.
3. Consider the architectural style. The design of the building should be be taken into account to find the right paint colours. For instance, for townhouses, one is likely to select brown for the exterior. To make your house stand out, you can use very bright colours for the doors and windows.
4. The climate type. Ghana is located in the tropics and experiences both rainy and very sunny seasons — you do not want to select very bright colours that will fade off shortly afterwards. General Manager of City Paints Supply Carl Kharter advises: “Some paints last for a year, others two or three years and this depends on the brand and colours — bright colours fade easily away and lighter colours last longer, so it is advisable to select light colours for the exterior.”
5. The brand of paint. The paint also determines how long it will last on the building. Cheap and bad-quality paint will fade and peel within a year after applying it. “You can apply any colour to the exterior of your building depending on the brand; the brand and the pigment are very important,” says Kharter.

Modern colours are used by a lot of homebuyers and include white, light ivory, grey, and lemonade.