Preparing to put your house on the market? A tidily presented home with a well-maintained paint job is bound to attract the most buyers and the best price.
Here, two Resene experts share with Newshub their tips for painting your place to sell.
The Outside
After decluttering and spring cleaning the inside of your home, the first step in presenting it for sale is to give the exterior a good clean. If your paint job has been well maintained this might be all you need to do. Water blasting could be the best option for some hard surfaces, but can damaged softer surfaces. If you’ve got timber weatherboards be sure to opt for specific cleaning product such as Resene Paint Prep and Housewash and apply with a soft brush.
If you are doing a full exterior repaint, neutrals will appeal to the widest range of buyers. The trend for greys and whites shows no signs of abating so if you want a sure thing, start there. For a modern yet classic take on this colour combination, Resene colour expert Brenda Ngatai suggests a soft black like Resene Element on the roof, front door and garage door, a perennially popular white such as Resene Alabaster on fascia, soffits, window and door frames, and a classic greyed white such as Resene Double Sea Fog on the exterior walls.
If you’re wanting something slightly more adventurous but still appealing, Ngatai suggests a darker, sophisticated grey and black colour scheme using Resene Quarter Fuscous Grey for walls, Resene Atmosphere for the trims, roof and garage door, and a front entrance door in a showstopping deep green like Resene Permanent Green.
Alternatively, pale, dusty tones such as sand, duck egg blue and sage won’t turn people off but will still enhance your home’s features and make it memorable.
An inside job
A dated or damaged interior paint job will also need addressing if you want top dollar for your home. Ngatai recommends keeping the palette light and neutral. "It needs to work well with anything that's fixed such as aluminium joinery, flooring and kitchen bench tops. It needs to be attractive to buyers so they can imagine their own furniture in the space and put their own personal stamp on the interior."
White is still the undisputed king of broad-appeal interiors. If you’re confused about which white to choose (there are hundreds), Ngatai advises starting with the most popular off-whites found in Resene colour families such as Resene Alabaster, Resene Black White, Resene Sea Fog, Resene Rice Cake and Resene White Pointer. You can adjust the tint as required from there; visit any Resene ColorShop for help.
If you’d like a little bit of warmth and character but don’t want to put anyone off, Resene colour expert Rebeca Long recommends exploring the potential of warmer whites and neutrals.
"Character neutrals such as Resene Double Merino, Resene Quarter Akaroa and Resene Half Truffle will offer warmth and personality while still bringing a modern feeling to your home."
Or, if you want your home to appeal to families with children, consider painting one or two of the bedrooms in another pale or dusty shade. Long says another idea is to use masking tape to paint a bed head behind a child’s bedspace in a bold colour.
Quick fixes
If you don’t have time to give your home a full facelift there are plenty of smaller jobs you can tackle to catch the eye of buyers. Ngatai suggests touching up painted areas that are weathered, peeling or badly faded. "These are often barge boards, decking and timber window frames and sills."
Choose a similar colour to what you have so less coats are required and make sure you sand and prep surfaces thoroughly to make sure your new paint looks its best.
Long suggests paying particular attention to your front door. "You can instantly make your home feel more inviting by freshening up your front door with a few coats of paint," she says. "Make your entrance memorable with striking black Resene Nero or charismatic Resene Bi Hoki." Inside, she suggests adding personality to the master bedroom with a statement wall behind the bed and dressing the bed in complementary tones.
This article was created for Resene
