Preparing your home to sell – updated January 2023
Posted on March 2, 2020
We paint for many South Shore, Plymouth and Boston-area families before they sell their homes, and if they stay in the area, we usually paint for them again on their way into their new homes.
Lots have changed in the past year with the rise of interest rates and fewer bidding wars. This means that selling your home may require some sprucing up that was unnecessary in the past few years as multiple offers were the norm.
3 Takeaways for painting your home before you sell it:
Do: Paint over bold or bright colors with more neutral colors to attract the broadest buyer market. A purple accent wall may be meaningful to you, but it could turn off buyers. Remember, things have changed, and with virtual tours available before people even get to your door, a bold color can prevent people from booking a showing of your home.
Don’t: Spend too much money to paint a home you’re moving out of – painting one “maintenance” coat will make your home look fresh and won’t break the bank. Being judicious with your budget on the way out of your current home will save you money to spend on the home you’re moving into.
Do: Fix obvious areas of wood rot – our carpenters can help you with this. This will help you pass the home inspection.
Here are some ways we can help you get your home “dressed for sales success”:
Choose colors that are universally appealing to buyers
Paint colors that sell homes are usually neutrals (grays, beiges, whites). Neutral colors allow buyers to visualize themselves in your home easily. We have a designer on staff to work with our customers for free to help them “neutralize” their home’s bolder colors. This is a free service once you decide to have us paint for you.
If you are selling a historic home, we have our own proprietary color palette designed by us specifically for South Shore and Boston-area homes.
Our designer Kate Rafoth has revealed the colors that look great on almost every surface (interior an exterior) in this article. Start with these universally appealing colors and tweak them based on the light in your home.
Exterior painting before you sell your home:
Consider a single coat of paint on your home’s trim or body. We can often do this on a tight budget, with minimal prep. We call this a “real estate spruce up” because we’re in and out for a minimal cost to you, the seller.
Think about a coat of paint on high visibility areas like your front door, especially if the current color is trendy or unusual and might not appeal to everyone. A survey even claims homes with black front doors sell for $6,000 more than other homes. Who knew?
Powerwash your deck and shingles to freshen them up and remove the mold and mildew – this can make a difference at a minimal cost.
Most importantly: Make sure whatever you spend to paint your home’s exterior will be paid back to you at a higher selling price; otherwise, it’s not worth it.
Check our paint pricing guide for average painting prices in the South Shore and Boston area.
Interior painting before you sell your home:
Now is the time to paint neutral colors on your walls. You might love pumpkin-colored walls, but the next family might not be able to visualize themselves in an orange living room.
If your colors are already neutral, a quick coat of paint may be all you need to freshen them up. Before you paint, try using a Magic Eraser on walls – often, you don’t even have to paint your walls to remove scuffs.
Important: Be sure to try out the Magic Eraser on an inconspicuous area first, as they can sometimes remove the paint or sheen.
Paint your dated kitchen cabinets. This is less expensive than replacing the cabinets and can make a dated kitchen look modern.
Paint your stained ceilings – and fix the leak above the stains so the water stains don’t reappear.
Touch up your interior trim – Be sure to touch up your scuffed baseboards, door, and window trim. If you’re doing this yourself, be sure not to “spot paint” the scuffs but to instead paint the entire trim board to a natural break. Spot painting often produces a spotty-looking trim board because a color match is rarely perfect.
Small carpentry projects – replacing a broken shingle, a rotted wood trim board, or a spindle can instantly make your home look well-maintained. We have carpenters on staff to help with these projects.
“How can I possibly afford the painting before my house sells?”
We understand that your budget might be tight before the closing and that you might need the proceeds of the sale of your home to pay for the painting. This is why we offer 6-month “same as cash” financing, allowing you to paint now and pay for it in 6 months at 0% interest. We also take credit cards if that’s helpful.
“How much will it cost to paint my home?
Here’s a guide to our interior and exterior painting costs so you understand the average costs we charge. Of course, we can do a one-coat “real estate spruce up” with minimal prep for much less than noted in our guide.
Frequently asked questions:
When can we meet to get a quote for the painting?
Usually, someone can meet with you within 1 day. If you don’t see a time you like when you schedule an appointment online, simply email [email protected] and suggest days and times that work for you, and we’ll meet with you on your schedule.
Is it necessary to paint a home before it goes on the market?
Not always. Take a read at our thoughts on painting in a seller’s market and make sure whatever you’re planning on spending for painting, you’ll make back with a higher asking price for your home.
A few DIY projects to amp up the value of your home before you sell:
Painting your front door will only cost you the price of the paint and a few hours time and might add to your curb appeal.
Powerwashing your shingles using a light wash is an easy and inexpensive way to freshen up the exterior.
Fixing missing shingles is not difficult and gives your home the appearance of being well-maintained.
Interior scuffs can often be erased on walls with a soapy cloth or a Magic Eraser (be sure to test the Magic Eraser as it can take the sheen off your walls if you’re not careful). Check out our guide to washing interior walls for full instructions.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected].
We’re happy to answer your questions and help you sell your home, even if you’re doing the painting yourself.
