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Should You Paint Your Home Before Selling It?

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Selling your home can be a stressful process – in fact, a 2014 survey found the people rank the stress of selling a home higher than other major life events, including losing a job, becoming a parent or planning a wedding. Homeowners are worried about things like the ability to sell their home quickly and how much their home will go for. Most homeowners know there are things they can do to improve the speed and price of a home sale, but they are unsure where to start.

Experts say that selling your home is a process that should begin two months before listing. Among the steps suggested before listing are:

(1) Assess your finances and make a personal timeline.

(2) Assess the condition of your house and make improvements where possible.

(3) Research the local market and set a price range.

(4) Get ready for the listing by decluttering, cleaning and staging the home.

Although all steps are important, it is in step #2 where you can greatly improve the value of your home and help it to sell quicker. While there are many things you can do to improve the value of your home, a question we receive frequently from homeowners will be painting the interior or exterior of my home before selling provide a return on my investment?” When it comes to ROI, one of the top suggestions is to paint your home’s interior and/or exterior.

At ALLBRIGHT 1-800-PAINTING we know how helpful repainting is in helping you sell your home. We also know that you have more specific questions, so we reached out to some of the top realtors in Santa Clarita Valley to provide guidance.

NATE BUTCHER

Nate Butcher is a real estate consultant with over 21 years serving the Santa Clarita Valley community. He’s been ranked as one of the top real estate experts in Southern California and has won national awards. Here are his tips for using paint to sell your home.

In your experience, do freshly painted homes sell faster?

It’s nicer to have them painted. Buyers like it.  

What colors should homeowners use if they are selling their home?

Neutral tones, creams and beiges.

Will painting the interior/exterior provide the homeowner with an ROI?

Yes, I believe so.

In your experience, is it recommended to work with a professional painting contractor as opposed to DIY?

The quality of the work is much better.

Other considerations or points related to the topic?

First impression is everything. A nicely painted home can work wonders to make a great first impression.

NEAL WEICHEL

Neal Weichel is an RE/MAX broker and realtor who has been in the industry since 1994. He is an expert in the Santa Clarita Valley real estate market and has sold over 2500 homes in the area to date. Here are his tips for using paint to help sell your home.

In your experience, do freshly painted homes sell faster?

My honest answer is that the single best investment a homeowner can make is to paint.  New paint just freshens up the property and helps to provide a better overall selling experience.  Properties that have just received fresh coat of paint are better received by the buyers.

What colors should homeowners use if they are selling their home?

Neutral colors usually work best. However, it can really depend on the décor. For example, if you have dark woods in the home, lighter paint is O.K. and if you have lighter woods, darker paint will work.

Will painting the interior/exterior provide the homeowner with an ROI?

There is no question – painting will provide an ROI

In your experience, is it recommended to work with a professional painting contractor as opposed to DIY?

It really depends on the client, but I’d estimate that 90% of my clients aren’t qualified or simply just don’t have the time to do it themselves. The ultimate goal here is to get a good rate of return which will require a quality paint job. This typically translates to hiring a professional painting contractor.

Other considerations or points related to the topic? 

Yes, regarding exterior paint, issues like faded trim or any peeling or flaking can dampen a first impression.  You can sometimes get away with a little fade on stucco, but if there’s any other exterior paint issues, it’s best to get them resolved before putting your property on the market.

NICOLE STINSON

Nicole Stinson is a realtor and entrepreneur who has almost two decades of experience in the housing industry. As a resident and active member of the Santa Clarita Valley community, she knows what buyers are looking for when they search for a new home. Here is her advice on how to use paint to help sell your home.

In your experience, do freshly painted homes sell faster?

Yes, however, it does depend on the market of the particular home in that is a potential listing.  If inventory is low, then paint doesn’t matter, but it does when there is a lot of competition with listings.

What colors should homeowners use if they are selling their home?

Neutral anything always works. People sometimes can’t see past too many colors.

Will painting the interior/exterior provide the homeowner with an ROI?

Again, it depends on what the market is doing.  Most of the time, I would say no.

In your experience, is it recommended to work with a professional painting contractor as opposed to DIY?

ABSOLUTELY!

Trusted Professionals Are Ready To Help

Our real estate experts tend to agree that painting is a great idea to improve your home’s value and help it sell faster. So where do you go from here?

If you’re thinking of selling your home, you can check out this handy guide which lists the steps of selling your home. When you get to step 2, it’s time to paint. To help you out we have created the Ultimate Homeowner’s Guide to Painting Your Home. This guide walks you through every step of the process so you’ll know what to expect.

When you are ready to paint, you should reach out to ALLBRIGHT 1-800-PAINTING for professional painting services. ALLBRIGHT is the leading paint company in the Valencia, Santa Clarita area with a long history of bringing Painting Happiness to homeowners. We are happy to provide the quality painting services you need to sell your home – just contact us today to get started.