Should we paint? What colour should we use? Do we need to paint everything?

Written by Janet Helm, Realtor® Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES®)  Canadian Certified Seniors Representative (CCSR)

I am writing about painting again because it is a question that comes up often when I am helping clients prepare their homes for sale.

Thinking about painting before you sell? You probably want your home to look fresh, clean and well cared for. At the same time, you probably do not want to spend thousands of dollars painting if it is not going to make a meaningful difference to the sale.

This is where having a plan can help.

As part of my 55 AND BETTER™ Move Management System, we look at your home as a whole and identify the improvements that make sense before going to market. That includes looking at paint. Sometimes a full paint job makes sense. Sometimes a few strategic touch ups are all that is needed. And sometimes the money would be better spent somewhere else.

The question is not simply, “Does the house need paint?” It is, “Will painting this particular home improve the way it shows and the return you are likely to get from the investment?”

If you are painting your interior, light, neutral and timeless colours are generally a good place to start. Three Benjamin Moore whites worth considering are White Dove OC 17, a soft classic white with warmth; Simply White OC 117, a clean white with subtle warmth; and Chantilly Lace OC 65, a crisp, clean white with very little visible undertone. These are simply starting points. You do not have to use Benjamin Moore paint to get a Benjamin Moore colour. Most quality paint stores can colour match a colour from another brand.

And here is a tip you may not have considered. If you see a house colour you love, knock on the door and ask! I did just that. I saw a home with a colour I really liked, knocked on the door and asked the homeowner what colour they had used. They were thrilled to share it with me. Seeing a colour on an actual home beats a small colour swatch every time!

You can also ask your paint supplier for a larger swatch, or purchase a small amount of paint and test it on your wall. Look at it at different times of the day and in different light before committing to the entire room. Lighting, flooring, cabinetry and existing finishes can all change how a colour looks.

Remember burgundy feature walls? They may have looked fantastic at the time, yet strong trend driven colours can quickly date a home. If you are preparing to sell, you probably do not want to spend money on a colour that looks great today but makes the home feel dated.

The goal is not to follow every new trend. It is to make thoughtful choices that help your home feel fresh, well cared for and appealing to buyers, without spending money unnecessarily.

Before committing to painting the entire interior, take a good look at the home. Are there scuff marks that could simply be touched up? Are there one or two rooms where the colour really works against the home? Are the walls generally in good condition? Would a little paint in the entry, main living area or another key space make a noticeable difference?

And sometimes, there may be another option. Through the magic of technology, we have actually digitally changed purple walls to white in listing photographs so buyers could better imagine the space in a neutral colour. It is not right for every property or every situation, but it is an example of why it is worth considering your options before spending money on a full paint job.

Some touch ups and painting will improve your return on investment. Others will simply add expense. That is why this is part of the preparation conversation I have with my clients.

What About the Exterior?

Exterior colour can have a big impact because it is part of the first impression buyers have of your home. You probably want the exterior to look current, but you may not want to choose a colour that is so trendy that it quickly feels dated.

For a classic exterior that can appeal to a broad range of buyers, three colours I would consider are White Dove OC 17, Revere Pewter HC 172 and Coventry Gray HC 169.

White Dove gives a home a clean, timeless appearance. Revere Pewter is a warm, versatile neutral that can work beautifully with stone, brick and landscaping. Coventry Gray offers a slightly deeper, classic grey that can give an exterior a more defined look.

Of course, the right colour depends on the architecture of the home, the roof, brick, stone, landscaping and surrounding properties. If you aren't sure just ask! Soft whites can create a clean, classic appearance. Warm greiges offer a sophisticated neutral that works well with stone, brick and landscaping. Muted greens can complement natural surroundings, while blue greys can add a subtle touch of colour while remaining relatively classic. Charcoal or soft black can also work well for doors, trim or some exterior applications, depending on the architecture and existing materials.

If you are preparing your home for sale, there can be a long list of things you could spend money on. Painting is just one of them. You probably do not want to spend money fixing something buyers will not care about. And you probably do not want to leave something untouched that could make a real difference to how your home shows.

That is why the preparation process matters. As part of HELM’s 55 AND BETTER™ Move Management System, we look at the bigger picture together. What could be done? What does not need to be done? Where could an investment improve the presentation of your home? And where would you simply be spending money that may not come back to you?