Selling a Home- Painting 101

Painting 101

Color is in…well kind of! It used to be that when selling a home it helped if the walls were white and all other upgrades were neutral. Today when selling a home, it is my opinion that color helps. Now when I say color helps, I’m not talking about bringing out the inner you on the walls…It would be my suggestion as a real estate professional to stay with neutrals. So you ask, why does painting in neutrals help? The general consensus is that it helps to warm a home. The white walls of old seem a little too cold and makes many buyers feel as if they must paint immediately. An overall color can add just a touch of warmth that is inviting and says “move in ready”.

Although I don’t claim to be a professional painter or decorator, I have had experience painting my home and advising (with the help of professional stagers and decorators) clients how to “spruce up” their homes. Here are a few helpful hints that can make your home shine when you're ready to sell or even if your just wanting a new look.

Five Steps

1.) Tape and caulk are your friends! It’s important to make sure you tape ceilings and baseboards to give an over all finished look to the room. It’s really quite simple prior to painting a wall tape with painters tape, then carefully place paintable caulk along the edge of the tape on the wall you are painting. Then proceed to paint. You can paint over the caulk and tape, once you’re done, remove the tape and you’ll have a beautiful even line. One word of caution; don’t wait too long to remove the tape/caulk as it will dry making it difficult to remove.
2.) Using a high quality paint is always preferable but if that isn’t in your budget, make sure to use two coats- this may even be needed with a high quality paint. A wall where the white shows through does not give the impressions of warmth or show potential buyers that you have taken care of your home!
3.) When choosing colors; especially if you are color challenged (like me), ask the advice of friends or family who seem to have a talent for choosing colors that go together. It’s also important to paint based on your structural features i.e., cabinets, carpet, etc. When you sell your home, your taste and furniture will go but those elements will stay. Just because you like reds and blues doesn’t mean the person buying your home does. If you choose to paint in bold personal colors, don’t be surprised if your real estate professional advises you to repaint in neutrals and try not to be offended as they are trying to reach all potential buyers.
4.) My final tip- don’t be afraid, the great thing about paint is you can always paint again. A great way to make sure you like your initial color choice to ask as for a sample paint pot in your color choice take white poster board approx 24”x36” in size and paint the whole paper your color. Let it dry and then place on the wall and look at it in different lights and places to make sure you still like it. This can potentially save you from expensive repaints.
5.) Okay, once more I must reiterate- tape and caulk are your friends, there is nothing worse then paint on the ceilings and/or baseboards or corners where there are not even lines. The technique mentioned above works great for those rounded corners!

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