If you’re preparing to sell your house, you want to make it appeal to as many potential buyers as possible. Repainting is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to improve your home’s appearance and help you attract a buyer. If the walls have stains, scuff marks or other forms of damage, repainting can transform your home’s interior and create a positive impression.
Think About Mass Appeal, Not Your Own Personal Style
When you live in your house, you can personalize it however you want. When you’re preparing to sell it, however, you should depersonalize it as much as possible. Prospective buyers need to be able to picture their own furniture in the rooms and imagine themselves living in the house. One way to depersonalize your house and make it appeal to a wide range of potential buyers is to repaint the interior in neutral colors.
Choose Colors Carefully
White may seem like the most obvious choice when it comes to neutral colors, but painting your rooms white can backfire. Many people consider white a boring color. Painting the interior of your home white may even reduce its sale price.
It’s better to go with a neutral color that isn’t simply white. Off-white, gray and beige are all good options. Greige (a combination of gray and beige) is another popular choice. Choose light colors that will make your home seem more spacious.
Don’t Use Too Many Colors
You can incorporate multiple paint colors throughout the house, but it’s best to limit yourself to a few. If potential buyers pass through several rooms that are all painted the same color, that will give the house a cohesive feel and can even make it seem larger than it really is. Using a single paint color throughout is particularly important if your home has an open floor plan.
For rooms that are completely separate, such as bedrooms, bathrooms and the laundry room, feel free to experiment with other neutral colors to give your home aesthetic variety without overwhelming potential buyers. Pale blue is a good choice for small rooms because it can make them seem larger and brighter.
Remember the Trim and Ceilings
The door and window frames, baseboards and crown molding should be painted neutral colors, but you should use different colors than you used on the walls to make the trim stand out. White is a good choice for trim, as long as you don’t paint the walls white, too.
Don’t forget the ceilings. If you repaint the walls but not the ceilings, potential buyers will notice the contrast and may come away with a negative impression. Painting the ceilings white can make them seem higher, which will make rooms feel more spacious.
Ask Your Agent for Advice
These are general guidelines, but every house is different. If you’re not sure which paint colors would be best for your home, talk to your real estate agent and ask for recommendations.
