Improve Your Home’s Appeal With a Little Paint

Infuse your home with your personal taste and style!

We’ve all heard of that proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. When planning a move, that treasure might be easier found in your basement — or at your neighborhood paint store — in the form of a can of paint. Painting is one of the quickest, easiest, most economical ways to prepare your existing home for resale. Plus, it’s a great way to infuse your new home with your personal taste and style!

Don’t believe it? Ask your realtor. Real estate experts advise sellers that a little paint goes a long way when it comes to improving a home’s appeal and speeding its sale, which can translate to a higher selling price. According to these experts, a fresh, new paint job that’s crisp and clean can reel in buyers wherever you live.

Start with the exterior to improve “curb appeal”. You don’t want prospective buyers, when driving by at five or ten miles an hour, to be put off by your salmon-colored garage door. While you may be tickled about the look of that garage door, realtors say most homebuyers prefer white exterior features. So, before your realtor photographs your house for the listing, be sure to “neutralize” offbeat colors, repair peeling trim paint, spruce up porch floors and rails, and create a welcoming entryway by splashing a fresh coat of paint on the front door.

Inside, if you haven’t done much painting recently, it usually makes sense to repaint the entire interior, especially if smoking or cooking has caused a gradual darkening of the paint over time. Once again, think light and neutral. These colors will help the rooms appear larger while making it easier for prospective buyers to visualize their belongings in the space.

Once you take possession of your new home, though, the rules are exactly the opposite! To make the home feel like your own and increase your satisfaction with it, personalize! There’s no easier way to claim a space than by painting or faux finishing with colors that express your style and enhance your home furnishings. Today’s new color palettes are rich and inviting, and new technologies from optical brighteners to scrubbable finishes offer better appearance and durability than ever before, so take advantage of these advances to feather your nest just the way you like it.