If you’re moving houses, you’ll want to make a great impression on potential buyers. This is why most people spend weeks cleaning out all the nooks and crannies, sweeping away spider webs, buying cushions and plants to add a welcoming touch, and making sure their pets stay off the furniture. After all, once you’ve put your property on the market, you want to sell quickly and get the best price you can for your old home.
Of course, buyers look for many things in a new house – large gardens, good location, spacious rooms, well-maintained infrastructure etc. But what will make the biggest impression, inside and out are the walls. After all, these make up the most visible parts of the house. If the paint is peeling, discolored or shows dirt and damp spots, it really won’t make a very good impression. Inside walls too can become scuffed, show stains or fingerprints (especially if there are children in the house) and these can’t all be hidden easily.
As painting experts, we do recommend painting your house if you’re putting it on the market. It may seem like you’re paying out quite a large sum for something you won’t get to enjoy for yourself, but how your house looks can make the difference between you getting your asking price and fair market value, and a prospective buyer beating you down on price as they think you’ve not kept the home in a good state of repair.
Painting the exterior before selling
First impressions last, and it’s your home’s exterior that potential buyers will be examining in detail as they approach your house – they’ll be looking at the window frames, the walls, guttering, and of course your front door. So these are the parts of your exterior you want to ensure are well presented. This is what we call, “curb appeal” in the trade and if the exterior of your house seems badly maintained, buyers will be immediately put off. So if it’s been awhile since you’ve given the old homestead a new lick of paint, it’s time to get the brushes out, or drop a line to the experts here at Sharper and we can transform your facade for you. A newly painted house will stand out from the neighbor’s homes and make a positive impression. But it’s important to choose a neutral color, as this is will more likely to appeal to a wide range of tastes – increasing your chances of making a sale. You may love the idea of a bright pink house and dayglo orange garage door – but this isn’t likely to appeal to the mainstream. Bold colors can fall out of fashion so if you must use them, maybe limit them to areas like the trim or window frames.
Make an impression with your interiors
It is probably the interior of your house that most reflects your personality – here you can display the colors you love, and the paintings and ornaments you cherish. The problem here is that people’s tastes vary greatly. You are not trying to sell your outlook on life, you want to sell your home. So it’s well worth taking out the paint brushes and giving potential buyers a bit of a blank canvas. If your walls are of a neutral shade, people looking round will be able to picture how they would live there. They can visualize how their furniture would look in place and imagine what they would do to decorate the place. White, or bright creamy colors like ivory or beige also can open up the smaller rooms of your house, making them look larger and brighter. A lick of paint also eliminates dirty marks, scratches and peeling paint that can lead to buyers thinking that your home hasn’t been taken care of, or that larger issues may be found below the surface. You might also think about getting rid of wallpaper. Wallpaper choice can be highly personal and can turn buyers off. It also tends to make a house feel outdated rather quickly. We all remember those bright and zany 70s wallpapers that were once seen everywhere but now seem irredeemably kitch. What’s more, people hate removing wallpaper and if they suspect they may have to spend their first few months in a new home, stripping paper off the walls, they may think twice about buying.
Other tips
- If you are going to give your house a lick of paint before you put it on the market, make sure that you get the job finished before you have the photographer come round to take pictures.
- If you really don’t have the time or inclination to do the whole house, consider a fresh coat of paint for your front door, or just touch up areas like the windowsills and trimming, which can take a battering from the elements.
- If you’re giving your bathroom a fresh coat of paint, maybe take some time to regrout tiles and caulk the tub to give a finishing touch.
If you are planning to sell your house in the next few months, why not leave it up to the professionals at Sharper Impressions. We can give your home that “must-buy” look, while you get more time to dedicate to the big move.