Should I Paint Before I List?

A coat of paint in the sale of a home… is it necessary?
Every home has a story to tell and makes a first impression on prospective buyers. The colour of paint in a home is something often overlooked but can have a big impact on a prospective buyer’s first impression. One of the main purposes of freshly painted walls in real estate is to give the space a larger feel. A paint color with a neutral tone can trick the eye. A darker shade can offer drama, but in staging, ideally the walls should fade out letting the attention go to the actual space itself. Consider using throw pillows, pictures, and accessories instead of an accent wall.

There are certain colours that can have a negative impact on a selling price. In a Zillow survey, some of these colours were deep blue, yellow, dark brown, and red. Buyers like to visualize themselves in the space with their own furniture, and it is distracting if the walls are brightly colored. In staging, we like to create a function to each space and open it up as much as possible. We often tell clients to remove items from tables or countertops, or just to simply declutter. It is about line of sight as a buyer enters the room.

Some of the colours we recommend are from Benjamin Moore
For Ceilings: Decorators White CC-20
For Trim: Flurry CC-100
Other Colours for Various Rooms: Baby Fawn CC-15, Inukshuk CC-460, Muslin OC-12, Natural Line CC-90, Pale Oak OC-2 or Sea Salt CSP-95

A fresh coat of paint gives the feeling of a well maintained, clean home. It seems more important now that online photos of your property are being viewed in the process of sale. A coat of paint is worth the cost but should be done by a professional painter who will also fix and patch areas that need attention.

If you are selling a “sold as is” property, development site or a property that will be renovation, painting is less important. In this case, you might just need to paint the entrance, kitchen, bath or basement to freshen up the property.

We would be happy to help you in the decisions before you list with recommendations and full staging inventory to help your home sell. Call us at 416-222-1212 or email us at team@oulahen.com.