Should You Repaint the Exterior of Your House Before Selling It?

If you’re putting your property on the market, you should repaint it before you have your first open house. Adding a fresh coat of paint is one of the most cost-effective ways to increase the value of your home. You can get a higher return on investment (ROI) for your house with the right exterior colors.

Does painting the exterior of the house add value? While most homeowners focus on interior design, better home paint colors on the home’s exterior provide an inviting first impression for potential homebuyers. Use this guide to discover the benefits of painting the house before you sell it.

How Much Does Painting Your House Increase Value?

Since painting the exterior of your home is one of the most cost-effective renovations you can make on your house, you also have the opportunity to make the most money from it. The ROI of any home improvement is the difference between the resale value and the project cost. It’s difficult to measure the exact ROI of painting the exterior of your house because several components affect its resale value and the cost to paint it, including:

• The size of your home: You need enough paint and workers to finish your house effectively. The number of stories in your home will affect both the resale value and the amount you will spend to paint it.
• The colors you choose: Light gray, dark gray, blue or charcoal seem to be better home paint colors. Find a way to include these colors in your house for the highest ROI. Focus on a couple of colors instead of overwhelming the eye. Bold, eccentric colors can repel potential buyers. You should also note that if you’re going to switch from a darker to a lighter color, you may need to use two coats of paint. Our team at Shoreline Painting will provide you with more information about the best colors for your house.
• The location of your home: Property values vary depending on your home’s location. In popular areas, the resale value of your house might increase even without renovations. Your neighborhood also affects what colors you should paint your property. While your home can be unique, it should also blend in with the other dwellings on your block.
• Labor costs: Before booking a painting service, discuss what fees are included in the final price. The price to paint the exterior of your home involves the inspection, preparation, cleaning and painting of your house. By paying labor costs, you’re saving time and energy in exchange for high-quality service. At Shoreline Painting, we will discuss what the price of our painting services covers so that you know what to expect before hiring us.
• Additional painting materials: Aside from the paint itself and a paintbrush, you also want to consider other supplies necessary. If there are holes or cracks in your siding, you may need caulking materials. Painter’s tape and protective screening also ensure a clean look, especially when painting trims. When you choose us as your professional painting company, we will have these supplies on hand.
• The type of paint you use: Repainting your house adds value when you use high-quality paint. Choose a paint brand that lasts longer and is better for the environment. While top-notch brands may cost more money up front, you’ll have a better impact on potential homebuyers and may even get a higher offer for your house.
• The siding of your home: You can paint pretty much any type of siding, but some siding materials take better to paint than others. Even without coloring it, the new siding you choose for your home will affect its resale value. For example, replacing the fiber-cement siding on your home brings an ROI of 77.6%, while replacing vinyl siding has an ROI of 74.7%. If you’re simply painting your vinyl or fiber-cement siding, you could potentially achieve the same look without paying for new siding materials. Consider the type of siding you have to find out the current worth of your home and what it would cost to paint it. Generally, metal is the most affordable siding to paint, while concrete is the most expensive.
• What you paint: While you’ll get the most money out of painting the whole exterior of your property, you can sometimes get away with painting part of it to increase the resale value of your house. Adding a fresh color to the front door can draw attention to the center of the house and enhance your curb appeal. If you have brick accents or stone veneer on the front of your home, you can paint the rest of the house a neutral color to bring out the natural shades of the material.

4 Reasons Why Repainting the House Adds Value to Your Property

You can make more money on the sale of your property by painting the exterior of your property. By investing in our professional painting services, you can attract the attention of potential homebuyers and encourage them to make a better offer. Here are some of the ways that a fresh coat of paint enhances your house’s curb appeal.

1. Create a Better First Impression

The color and material of your siding are what potential homebuyers notice first when they pull up to the curb. Most homebuyers are on a tight schedule, so they often have an opinion about your house before they walk through the front door. A crisp coat of paint gives the impression that you put effort into keeping up your home over the years.

Neutral colors can accommodate the style of a wider audience so you can catch the eye of more people than a bright color would. Too many colors can make a house feel choppy, so stick with a few subtle colors for your home’s exterior. If you have a material like brick or stone, you can paint the additional siding or the door of your house a contrasting color, like light gray or dark brown.

2. Clean Up Worn-Out Siding

While high-quality paint can last for decades, over time, paint can chip off the siding panels. You would need to repaint your home if you notice paint missing from the siding. Chipped paint sends the message that you’re not proud of your living space. Potential homebuyers don’t want to do more work before they move in, so they’ll feel better about your property when the paint job is neat and fresh.

A fresh coat of paint gives your house a clean appearance. When the exterior of your house looks new, potential homebuyers believe that the interior of your home is updated and well-maintained. They’ll be more encouraged to walk through your house than if your exterior was worn-out and falling apart.

3. Show Your Appreciation for Your Living Space

The money you invest in your living space is evident in its appearance. Potential homebuyers like to move into a trustworthy property that won’t have problems down the road. When you apply a fresh coat of high-quality paint to your house, you show potential homebuyers that you’ve taken care of your property.

Potential homebuyers want to be able to imagine themselves living in their new home. Since they’re paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for your house, they’ll appreciate moving into a home with fewer cosmetic projects to undertake. If you’ve done an excellent job of taking care of your home over the years, they might feel confident enough in your property to make an offer.

4. Paint With Healthy, Eco-Friendly Materials

If your home was built before 1978 and it needs a paint job, you might have lead in your paint. Old, chipping paint could expose you and your family to this harmful material, which can cause learning difficulties and loss of appetite. If you haven’t applied a fresh coat in a while, you might have old paint chips containing lead in your yard.

Modern homes use eco-friendly paint that’s free of toxic chemicals and fumes. Brands made from plant-based balsam and other green materials are better for the environment as well as your family’s health. When you choose Shoreline Painting to paint the exterior of your home, we will replace the old, harmful substances with high-quality paint.

How to Clean Your House Before You Paint It

As you inspect the siding of your home, you might notice mold or dirt. The house must be completely clear of dust and debris for a fresh, even coat of paint. Before we apply a new color to your house, we will remove the mold and mildew from your home.

When you choose us to paint the exterior of your home, we clean your property thoroughly before we start to paint to make sure all the mold and debris is off your house. Even if we pressure wash your home, which takes a few hours, we will have to wait a few days for the house to dry completely.

Here are some ways to clean your house before painting it:

• Inspect for damage: Before you clean the exterior of your home, check for visible damage, like cracks or holes in the siding panels. Any gaps in your siding could let water into your home and damage your property, so these damaged pieces need to be replaced. You should also check your gutters for clogs that could damage your roof and siding. As professionals in the painting industry, we have the necessary tools to safely and accurately pinpoint areas of damage on your home’s exterior.
• Wash your siding: Be careful if you use a pressure washer to clean the side of your home. The water pressure might damage vinyl siding. Instead, wash the exterior of your house with a brush and mild soap and water. You should also pay special attention to stains that have developed on your siding. Our experts at Shoreline Painting know which siding materials can be power washed, and we will carefully clean your home before painting.
• Clean out the gutters: Debris or water from the gutters can damage your siding and slow down the painting process. Before you begin painting, you should take a brush and clear the leaves and gunk out of your gutters. Our professional painters can inspect and clean your gutters to get the most out of your painting job.
• Make cosmetic changes: While you’re cleaning your house, you should seal all the openings for energy efficiency and proper ventilation. After we clean the house, we will seal the gaps in your siding and trim. We will also weatherstrip any worn-out windows and apply a fresh coat of paint to those accent pieces.

Why You Should Hire a Professional for Painting the House Before You Sell It

While you could always paint the exterior of your house on your own, hiring a professional is a smarter, safer idea. As expert home painters, we know what it takes to apply a fresh coat of paint to your property. We’ll handle all the stressful details of taping off the area, safely climbing ladders and following the directions for proper technique.

You should trust our experts at Shoreline Painting to paint your house to:

• Save time: At Shoreline, we will take care of all the steps of preparing, cleaning and painting your property. This preparation of the house can eat up several days of your busy schedule. Instead, you can trust us to remove the debris from your siding, prime and stain the house and apply the right coat of paint. You could use the time you save to make memories with your family and get the rest of your home ready to sell.
• Put your house on the market faster: Since we take care of your painting job, you can put your house on the market sooner. Instead of painting your whole house by yourself, we will send a group of painters to work on your home. With our team painting your house, you can focus on finding a real estate agent and deciding on a reasonable price for your home.
• Get knowledgeable advice: Our professionals at Shoreline Painting have experience painting other properties and know about what works for each type of house. We will offer you insight into the best exterior paint for resale value and how to carry out the painting process. While DIY videos online can be helpful, a person speaking with you face-to-face can answer your questions directly and provide you with feedback on your ideas.
• Have access to high-quality paint: For your prized property, you only want the best type of paint. At Shoreline, we know what kind of color would be best for your home, and we will only offer you the highest quality of paint for your living space. Since we have worked with various types of paint over the years, we know which brands to trust. We can also provide consultation on which shades and colors would be best for your living space.

Contact Shoreline Painting to Paint Your Home in Fairfield or Westchester County

Shoreline Painting is the team of painting professionals you can trust in the coastal areas of New York and Connecticut. If you’re thinking about selling your home, explore your painting options to increase the resale value of your property. Our painting specialists can give your home a fresh coat of paint to make your property look brand-new. Contact us online or call 203-302-1086 to speak with one of our representatives.