Do you really need to paint before you sell your home?

“The Boston housing market is booming…Do I really need to paint my home before I put it on the market?”

With the South Shore real estate market soaring and the lowest inventory of homes for sale on the South Shore and in the Boston area in years, you may be considering putting your home up for sale.

We help hundreds of South Shore families with painting before selling their homes. But painting before selling your home may not matter as much if you’re expecting multiple offers or if your home is in generally great shape, to begin with.  Look at our reasons to paint and not paint on our infographic.

2 reasons to paint even if you won’t recoup the cost to paint in a higher selling price:

• Your house is dark brown (the color that usually brings in a lower selling price).  If you paint it gray you may get more traffic.  Remember, buyers narrow their choices down using web searches before deciding to tour a home.
• Painting the exterior assures the buyers that although they may need to spend money renovating the inside, the outside will be fine for a few years. This makes your home more desirable.

If you are thinking of painting before selling your home, here are ways to save money on the painting:

1.) Paint it yourself. If painting your front door would add lots of curb appeal and you have the time, this is something to consider tackling.

2.) Choose to paint only one coat of paint – this will give you a fresh look for less money.

3.) Have your painter give you the option to prepare the walls by addressing only large flaws only. This saves on labor costs.

4.) On walls with only minor scuffs, try scrubbing them clean before you paint – you might not have to paint at all. Most modern paint is highly washable – test this in an inconspicuous area first.

5.) Repair and paint moldy bathroom walls & ceilings – again, a DIY project that may not take too much time, and mold and mildew detract from an otherwise great-looking house.

6.) Check out our painting pricing guide so you know approximately what you’ll pay and can weigh the price of painting versus the gain in home value.

7.) Repair rotted wood on your exterior, so you pass your home inspection.

8.) If your home has odors specific to your family (pets, cooking smells, cigarette smoke), invest in deep cleaning of your walls, carpets, and home.

Complete our online form to receive a free estimate on your next painting service.

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More like this:

Clues you need to paint your home’s exterior.

Getting your home ready to sell.

Our painting quiz – see if your exterior needs painting in about 20 seconds.