If you’ve decided you need to repaint to get your home ready for the market, here are some quick and simple guidelines:
• Make sure drywall repairs are complete before repainting.• COLORS: Since you’re repainting, select from a neutral color palette. Currently, warm colors are “in”… so choose a light beige type color for the walls; and use white for the trim – this two tone look adds richness and makes the trim “pop”. Ceilings should always be painted white. (See image on right.)
• TYPE: Flat paint is more forgiving of flaws in the drywall, so be sure most of your home is painted in flat paint (if you were repainting for your family you might choose a more durable, washable paint, but you’re painting for the market here). Flat goes everywhere EXCEPT the kitchens, bathrooms, doors and trim – those are all painted in white semi gloss. Ceilings are painted in flat white paint, if they need to be done.
Keep the end in mind – this just needs to spruce up your home enough to sell it, so it is not necessary to use the highest grade paint… you just need it to cover up what’s in place.
• If you don’t have to repaint all areas of your home, don’t. Very often, ceilings do not need to be repainted.
• If you’re repainting the whole house, consider repainting it all the same color to keep costs down, unless you have a floorplan that is “too open” and you need to do have color variations to define spaces. This becomes critically important in vacant homes, but even so, you can generally choose just two tones of the same color and use them strategically to define the spaces. Get a second opinion if you’re not sure if you need to do this.
• Do consider options for painting over paneling and wallpaper rather them having them removed.
Last but not least, please remember this: A bad paint job is worse than no paint job, and despite what you may think, very few people paint well. Please consider hiring a professional (not your brother who needs the work) to do this job, and hold them accountable for the end result and staying on schedule.
