Why do some houses with similar layouts sell for different prices? Maybe it comes down to the buyer’s perception of the house.
Paint colors and finishes make a huge difference when it comes to the perception buyers have of your home. Certain colors can make the house seem small, large, bright or gloomy. Often, if colors are too eye-catching, it can prevent buyers from seeing themselves living in the house. The number one thing to remember, if you’re going to paint your house before selling, you need to appeal to the widest possible audience (which may not necessarily suit your own tastes)!
Would you like to receive a free pdf of our best selling home improvement items? We’ve compiled a list of the items you can use in your home before selling to increase the value and ensure that your home sells fast. Keep reading to learn how to get a free copy!
Which colors make the biggest difference?
Dark, vibrant, or inconsistent schemes (lots of different colors or inexperienced mixing of cool and warm tones) can make houses feel smaller, constricted, chaotic and less inviting. These colors also reduce the buyer’s ability to imagine themselves in the house with their style and items. In contrast, light or neutral color schemes make a house feel open and spacious. This lets potential buyers have a blank canvas to use their imagination on what they will do with the space. Even with the same layout, one house can feel open and free, while another can feel closed off and restricted, just because of how the buyer perceives the paint colors.
Do it Yourself?
Two of the most important things when renovating prior to selling are speed and quality. Another important thing to keep in mind is that it’s best not to paint just a few surfaces in your home. If you are going to paint, it’s highly recommended to paint all of the necessary surfaces. If paint isn’t fresh and looks dingy, it will show, especially if you only paint some things and not others. With that in mind, making the decision to paint your entire home yourself might look like it could save you money, but when selling your home, this isn’t the best choice.
Between planning your move and selling, there can be limited time to prepare your house, so it helps if you can save time. There are some great perks and cost benefits to hiring professionals (like us at Zingfix). They are going to get the job done faster and make it look great. Fast and easy is the name of the game when you’re selling. Painters can also save on materials via their contractor accounts, which can offset some of the labor costs. As skilled as you think you may be, trust us, the pros are better and will get you more bang for your buck.
What types of colors should I pick?
There are some general guidelines for painting your home prior to selling it. Stick to neutral colors (white, gray, beige), even if they’re not your favorites. These colors will sell fastest. Flat paint is less expensive and great for hiding imperfections on the surfaces of your walls. High-gloss and eggshell finishes tend to be more durable than flatter finishes. However, it’s good to remember that you’re painting to sell! Your new paint job just needs to look great (for a few months) get your home sold. Don’t get us wrong, most professional painters use a high quality paint that takes less coats and lasts well, but you only need it for the sale of your home. Often, buyers will repaint when they move in, as they want to personalize their new home.
Bathroom Renovation by Zingfix
Should everything be neutral?
Yes, it can be different neutral colors or even have different finishes, but neutrals are the best sellers. For example, a flat-white paint is the go-to choice for ceilings because it can make the ceilings feel higher, it hides imperfections and it’s inexpensive.
Are you sure everything should be neutral?
Absolutely! According to a Zillow home market analysis: A freshly painted, neutral color front door can add $1,500 to your home’s value over other colors. Similarly, some of our favorite exterior gray and beige colors can also add over $1,500 more resale value than other exterior colors. Meanwhile, a medium brown exterior paint color can decrease your home’s value almost $2,000. A lot of people really don’t like that color brown. That’s not the only color that could decrease your home’s value though! A red dining room can also decrease your home’s value by over $2,000.
Which neutrals paint colors are the best?
Sherwin Williams – A New Day
These are some of the colors we personally recommend to increase your home’s value:
Dove (Behr)
Granite Dust (Behr)
Chic Gray (Behr)
Polar Bear (Sherwin Williams)
Anew Gray (Sherwin Williams)
Almond Wisp (Behr)
Get our free pdf below that contains a helpful list of the items (and links to find them online) you can use in your home before selling to increase the value and ensure that your home sells fast.
Click here to download a free pdf of
our best selling home renovation items.