How to Paint the Interior of a House to Sell

Choosing the right color pallette for your home can mean a quicker sale.

When selling your home and trying to get the best possible offer for it, paint is a quick and inexpensive way to freshen the look and feel of your property. "A good first impression is everything," according to the National Association of Realtors, and paint can draw a potential buyer's attention to your house's best features, such as architectural details, while drawing attention away from minor flaws like

Instructions

1. • 1
     Choose neutral colors, like beiges, creams and grays. It doesn't matter if you win high praise from your friends and family for your bold choices or striking design flair; one key to a quick and successful sale is to appeal to as many potential buyers as possible. Color choices are both personal and idiosyncratic, so avoid choosing bold colors that may turn off potential buyers.
     
     
   • 2
     Accent crown molding, chair rails, built-in bookcases and other design features in a contrasting paint color. Think of paint as makeup for the home: Don't be afraid to draw attention to your best features. If your dining room is a light shade of satin-finish taupe, for instance, consider painting the wainscoting in a semi-gloss white to draw a visitor's eye.
     
     
   • 3
     Use paint to fix or hide problem areas in your home. Have an old brick firebox that simply won't come clean? Paint the interior white to brighten the space and draw the eye, or choose a dark color to make imperfect brickwork fade into the background.
     
     
   • 4
     Choose the right paint finish for each surface and consider the function of each room. If you have uneven or patched walls, choosing a flat or satin finish paint will reflect less light, and draw less attention to imperfections than a semi-gloss paint that reflects more light. On the other hand, semi-gloss paints are generally washable, where flats or satins are not, which makes semi-gloss a good choice for high-traffic areas like kitchens and bathrooms.
     
     
   • 5
     Finish every room. If you have been putting off repainting that flawed corner of the back bedroom, the time to do so is before you put your house on the market. A certain percentage of your potential buyers might be looking for a move-in ready property, have small children that make home-improvement projects impractical, or simply hate painting. A little effort (and paint) invested in your home before the sale can pay off handsomely in quicker, higher and more attractive offers from buyers.
     
     Montes Painting 2012