Roof shingle color of your MA real estate

Replacing a roof is a costly project. Asphalt products, being the most widely used,  can range from $75 - $175 per square foot installed. They are available in either traditional 3-tab shingles or thicker laminated “architectural” shingles. The latter being the more expensive of the two and better looking in my opinion. Would it interest you to know that it could cost you thousands more when you sell your home if you have chosen a color or style that doesn’t compliment your home’s exterior.  Of course it would. Protecting your real estate investment is paramount. No one wants to throw that kind of money down the drain. I have noticed a few homes that have been recently re-shingled and immediately I noticed that the roof color was a horrible choice in relationship to the color of the house. In each case the home owner had chosen a brown/tan roof shingle and one owner had gone with the “old school” three tab shingle instead of the better looking architectual shingle.  All three houses we’re colonial or cape style homes. I don’t have anything against brown shingles but they seem to go better with homes that are considered contemporary or modern with a natural or stained wood exterior giving it a tone on tone color scheme. Colonial and Cape style homes seem to look better with a Gray/Charcoal shingle when a traditional exterior color is used and sometimes Red/Green with a white exterior depending on the amount of detail the colonial has.  The poor color scheme made the homes look like they needed a paint job even though the paint seemed in fine condition. It also distracted the eye from the overall curb appeal which also was fine except for the color distraction.  You may ask, “What’s the big deal? The new owner can repaint the home to make it more pleasing to the eye.” This is true. But, the buyer is going to take that into consideration when making their offer.. if they make an offer.  As we all know curb appeal sells homes. Consider the following when replacing your roof.

Style of Shingle: Go with the architectural shingle over the traditional three tab. Designed to evoke the depth and surface texture of natural roofing materials, with features such as soft shadowlines, lending the shingles a smooth, refined look. A look that is both striking and classical.The architectual shingle gives the roof some volume and adds to its curb appeal. 

Consider the Neighborhood: Coordinating with your neighbors home should not be a prime consideration, but an overall neighborhood theme is pleasing to home buyers. You may want to consider coordinating or blending in with neighborhood architecture with complementary colors.

Colors and shades:  Select high-contrast colors to produce a bold striking effects. These highlight architectural detail and designs in the home’s exterior. Low-contrast colors hide details, which may be desirable in some cases.  Gather samples that represent the outside permanent colors of your home (brick, siding etc) You can use paper or fabric or whatever other sample you can find that is very close to the home exterior.