Is It Worth Painting Your House Before Selling It?

Refreshing the main interior walls with a coat of paint can make your home look fresh, new, and more attractive for showings and open houses. The right neutral color on the walls can also give the home a cohesive look and the appearance of more square footage.

It May Be Needed

If your walls haven’t seen a paintbrush in the last six years, it’s likely time to freshen things up. Through the years, walls can absorb moisture, grease stains, and can fade from the sun shining in. Not to mention, the current color palette of your home could be unappealing, distracting and out-dated.

It is also important to note that small signs of peeling, staining, or fading can indicate that your house hasn’t been properly maintained, which can discourage potential buyers. The good news is that these problems can be resolved fairly easily and without a lot of expenditure, depending on the size of your home. Painting the walls in a neutral white, beige, gray, or earth tone, the home will look more spacious and inviting––and provide a blank canvas for buyers.

Increases Home Value

Important areas to paint include trim, kitchen walls, cabinets, behind the toilet, and your main living space. Because painting is a reasonably budget-friendly change, it provides a high return on investment. Repainting interior walls increases home value by an average of 5% and nets a return on investment of 107%. That means a home valued at $400,000 would increase in value by $20,000. That’s a fairly significant increase for a task you can likely complete in a weekend or two.

Hire A Pro or Do It Yourself

Hiring a professional to paint a room in a house can range anywhere from $115 for a small bathroom to $2,800 for a large room. A 300 square foot living room will run around $1,200. But if you decide to repaint the entire house it could cost between $7,500 to $16,000. Labor costs will run between $2.00 and $6.00 per square foot.
Painting the interior yourself will cost considerably less, ranging between $1 and $3 per square foot for paint. If you choose to DIY this project, keep it neat and watch a few instructional videos beforehand.

So, is it worth it to repaint your house before selling it? If you have the time and money for it and your exterior or interior is worse for the wear, go for it. Painting is one of the easiest projects you can take on before you sell.