How to Paint a Home to Sell

Use the following tips to maximize your selling potential:

• Use neutral colors in high traffic areas. Using neutral colors helps the buyers to envision what can be done to the house. If the high traffic areas are painted a bold or dark color, it may be difficult for the buyers to see the potential.
• When you paint, be sure to sand off any bumps that may have been left behind in the prior paint jobs. Painting over blemishes will only call attention to them. Another important part of painting is to use primer if you are painting the walls a lighter color. Primer helps to cover the darker color entirely, thus giving you a blank slate to paint on.
• Use the bedrooms to showcase colors. Since the main part of the house is generally a lighter color and bedrooms are color palettes, this is a great way to emphasize bedroom sizes. If you have a large bedroom, using a darker shade can provide a cozy atmosphere. Where the bedrooms are small, use lighter colors to give the appearance of a larger room. Use curtains in a coordinating shade to set the stage.
• One of the most often overlooked aspects of a house is the exterior. Painting the exterior of the house a different shade than the neighbors will help the house to stand out. Buyers have different preferences, so keep the house within a reasonable shade, yet different from your neighbors. At best, give the exterior a good power wash so that the house appears clean from the outside.

Setting the stage is an important part of selling your house. Prospective buyers need to envision the potential that exists within the house to consider it a property they may want to buy. Painting the house is a great way to show off the best features of the house and draw more buyers in.