Should You Paint the Interior of Your Home When Selling?

Paint, both inside and out, is the best investment a Seller can make when marketing their home. Curb appeal is an essential element in the sale of a home so first make every effort to clean up and beautify the exterior of your house. Freah paint, power washing, a manicured lawn, trees and bushes all contribute to enticing a buyer to come inside and look more.

Once the exterior is in pristine condition, then and only then, do you devote your efforts and money to the interior. A fresh paint job in attractive neutral colors (no harsh white please) is always a good investment of time and money.

First de-clutter your home; no use in painting if no one can see the walls once they are done. Put excess furniture, toys, photos and pictures in storage. Get rid of any odors including cigarette or cigar smoke, cooking smell and pet odors. If you feel you have to "perfume" your home, you need to deoderize more. Perfumed air fresheners are often as offensive as the original odor and do nothing to mask smells. Finally, choose a popular neutral with a white trim to make the colors "pop." If you are not an expert painter let someone else do the job. Paint spatters, drips and smudges on the ceiling and floor are universally unappealing to buyers.

So yes...paint your interior, but do it in the context of an overall careful preparation of your home for sale. In this tough market your efforts might just be rewarded with happy buyers and a quick sale for a good price.