Paint your way to investment.
A home is a precious investment where many of life's most treasured moments take place. In the market for renovations to increase the value of a home? Painting is the single quickest and easiest way to raise the selling price of a property. If the exterior and interior walls reflect a high level of care, a home buyer will feel confident the same attention has been given to other areas of the home.
Exterior Paint and Curb Appeal
An exterior paint job is the place to start when presenting a polished, fresh curb appeal to the potential buyer. Curb appeal is the seller's opportunity to give the buyer a lasting first impression of what the home has to offer. A new coat of paint can breathe life into a home that may otherwise be overlooked. When choosing colors for the outside of the house, be careful to choose wisely as the color can affect the values of the homes in the surrounding neighborhood as well. According to Home and Garden TV, when selecting paint colors, you should keep in mind that neutrals appeal to the greatest number of people. Neutral color variations of white, gray, blue, tan and brown are best. If bolder colors are suitable, stick to accents such as the front door and window shutters. Doors that are painted bold shades of blues and reds welcome the potential buyer and help set the home apart from others for sale in the area.
Interior Style
Painting the interior of a home brings a sense of warmth and livability. Modern palettes in rich tones are essential in creating a competitive style in the housing market. The overall feeling of a room can be enhanced with different shades of paint. Lighter shades work best in smaller spaces to add depth and help create the illusion of a larger area. Darker shades facilitate a sharp, pulled-together look for an oversized room. Painting one or two accent walls one shade deeper than the rest can create a feeling of purpose in an overwhelming space. It is also important when painting the interior of a home to keep with a consistent color palette, creating clean lines and flow throughout.
Doing It Yourself
It is not necessary to hire a professional for the task of painting. Painting is one renovation project in which quite a bit of money can be saved by doing it yourself, thus adding to the increase in profit when the home sells. For exterior painting, starting on a day when the temperature is 50 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal. Make sure low wind, rain and humidity levels are in the weather forecast. Paint in the shade, following the shade as the sunlight shifts to avoid overheating. A considerable time commitment is necessary, as removing old paint, pressure washing, priming and painting all must be done. These can be broken up over a few days or weeks. Inviting family and friends to help can speed things up and make the project more enjoyable. The weather conditions are of far less concern when painting interior rooms, as paint dries rather quickly inside. The most time-consuming part of indoor painting is taping the rooms with painter's tape. With a few paint rollers the job moves fast.
Considering Potential Buyers
When looking to increase home value, it is important to remember that what may appeal to you and your family may not appeal to others. While a deep magenta may be just what a teenage daughter enjoyed, before putting your home on the market be sure to replace the color with a more traditional tone. Color is known to affect mood. Certain colors of cooler tones such as greens, blues, and violets induce calming feelings in those who are around them. Consider painting bathrooms, bedrooms and other spaces of relaxation in hues cooler in nature to encourage interest in the home. On the other hand, warmer colors in the yellow, orange and tan families promote a sense of happiness and optimism; these are good shades for main living spaces and kitchens. If a buyer feels comfortable throughout the home, he is more apt to remember it later when considering his options for purchase.
Budget
Homeowners have many things to consider when trying to sell a home and gain the most out of their investment. If the budget is limited for improvements on a home to increase its financial worth, the place to start is a gallon of paint. While other amenities such as new appliances and granite counter tops are nice, they are also pricey. A house is made a home with life and color on the walls. The actual cost of painting a home depends on several factors, the inside and outside square footage as well as the number of inside walls involved. A gallon of paint varies in price from $12 to $40 dollars, depending on the quality. A single gallon of paint will cover 400 square feet of surface. All other materials involved such as painter's tape, drop cloths, brushes, rollers, pressure washer rental, primers and scrapers also need to be figured into the cost. These materials are included in a professional painter's fee along with labor costs, but it is more affordable to do it yourself. Painting is a simple and budget-friendly way to quickly add to the investment of your home.
