Paint has the beautiful ability to change everything about space. From how we feel when we interact with it, the age it appears to be, to the purpose of a room: you can do a lot with a simple coat of paint. But does painting a home increase the value?
If done right, painting a home can undoubtedly increase the value.
The best paint jobs are done by professionals that offer you the chance to have seamless paint and even fantastic coverage.
108% return on investment?!
A home’s average professional interior painting offers a 108% return on investment! This number can be skewed by the colors you use or how good the paint job is, meaning that you can gain yourself an even more significant return if you ensure that you pick the right colors, styles, finishes, and perks that come with the paint.
Many home improvements come at a slight loss on their own, but painting the interior of the average house can cost between $2,000 to $3,500 for an interior paint job of the average 2000-2500 square foot home and between $1,000-$2,000 for most exterior paint jobs of the same size. This can boost your home’s value by well over your investment: so this is something everyone should do before putting their property on the market.
What about a poorly painted home?
If done poorly, a paint job can ruin the look and value of a property. In real estate, a term called the ‘landlord special’ refers to low-end rental properties where they went in with a paint roller over a weekend and splattered every inch of the unit with the same off-white color. This poorly achieved paint often smudges against other parts of the property, including window locks, light switch panels, and even ceiling fans.
This paint job makes the entire property seem lower-value and gives buyers the impression that they’re looking at something that could end up losing them money in the long run. Just like you’d want the high-quality siding to protect the home, you should also want good paint and a well-done paint job to sell the inside.
Does painting the exterior of your home offer a return?
Painting the exterior of a property does offer a return, but it isn’t much compared to how well painting the interior of a home offers. The exterior typically gives you around a 51% return on investment. So it may be worthwhile, especially if the property is older or the siding needs it. You can use anything from log cabin paint to whatever colors or textures speak to you.
How to paint your home on your own.
If you’re unsure if you can afford a professional painting, you must DIY it as well as possible. This isn’t a part of the home to shortcut since it will be immediately noticeable when anyone comes in to view the property.
If you’re DIYing the paint job, you should protect your home by masking and laying down drop cloths. You don’t want to get paint on the floors or other items. Get high-quality paint with excellent coverage that will look fantastic and last as long as possible. These tools will keep the paint from going anywhere it shouldn’t.
Use a larger roller to cover more surface area, making sure you buy a good quality one that won’t leave splatter or drips. Although you may try to save money on supplies, you must get the right tools if you want a specific finish.
Once you’ve saturated it in paint, use the roller in large vertical swaths. This allows you to get the most coverage possible. When you’re finished, you should hand-paint around the trim and feather inwards towards the painted wall portions. You want to cover around six inches around the trim so that it blends naturally into the rolled sections.
Remove the tape before the paint is dry to avoid the paint spreading. If you need more than one coat, apply the second one in the same manner. Make sure both coats are completely dry before you bring in any furniture.
Does the type of paint matter?
The type of paint does matter! In general, you should want paint that’s thick enough to settle flat on the wall. You’ll want it high-quality enough to allow for the finish that you want to see. Updating things like white trim with wood doors will make the space look more polished and purposefully painted.
Seek colors or styles that are muted enough that anyone would want them. You want to appeal to a broad audience. However, choose colors that are also currently popular colors while avoiding any crisp plain white walls. One of the most popular colors is Agreeable Gray. It’s neutral, but not too bright.
Why it’s worth getting it done by a professional.
Getting your home’s interior painted by a professional is the only way to go. After all, you want to increase the value of your home as much as possible and painting can achieve this.
They’ll ensure the you get the quality and style you want. Although it may feel like it’s worth it to DIY: doing it yourself is still expensive. You’ll have to spend hours and it might not look as good as the pros. Professionals will get it done faster, make it look better, and leave you with a great return on investment.
Paint can change everything about a property.
Whether you’re painting this home to sell it immediately or preparing a property for renters, you need to make it look appealing. Painting will ensure your property steals hearts and inspires people to buy.
So if you’re looking to increase the value of your home, you might just consider painting it.
When buying or selling a home, we want you to have the latest and best information possible. So, from time to time we feature posts from other experts in various home-related industries.
Jackie Kaufman is a freelance writer that shares her knowledge and studies of construction and environmental sustainability industries. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her kids hiking the trails of Colorado, where she lives. Jackie’s work as a freelance writer can be found on Building Product Advisors.
