Should I Repaint My House Before Selling? Pros and Cons

Apr 26, 2023 | Exterior Painting, Interior Painting

The next move in your life and career may be to move out of your current house and look for somewhere else to live. It could be in a different city, a different state, or a different country altogether. 

Yes, the prospect of living and exploring a brand-new environment is exciting. But you first need to focus on selling your house before moving.

One of the aspects you need to consider when putting your house on the market is its paint condition:

  • Are there cracks in the wall you need to address?
  • Has the color of the paint faded over time?

You probably have many questions about whether you should repaint your house before selling it — and that’s okay. We’re here to help and take you through everything you need to know so you can make the best decision.

What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks of Repainting Your House before selling it?

We understand how deciding whether or not to repaint your house before selling can be difficult for you. 

On the one hand, deciding to repaint the walls of your home adds more tasks to your to-do list but makes your property more desirable.

On the other hand, if you decide to leave your home as it is, you may lower its market value, but you will have more time to focus on other pressing matters.

We get it. That’s why we’ve come up with a list of pros and cons to make the decision easier for you.

Advantages of Repainting Your House

First, let’s take a look at the advantages of repainting

It Will Appeal to More Buyers

A fresh coat of paint will give passers-by and potential buyers a good first impression of your home.

When they see that your house is well-maintained and well-taken care of, they will have more positive feedback on your property and perhaps be more inclined to finalize the purchase. 

It Will Highlight the Features of Your Home

Another reason why you should consider repainting your home is that it will highlight the key features of your house. If you leave your house the way it is, the visitors will be more aware of its imperfections and shortcomings rather than focusing on its more beautiful aspects. 

It Will Lessen the Work for the New Tenants

As a mover yourself, you understand that the last thing a new homeowner wants to do before moving in is spend time repainting.

Once they have transferred all their furniture and home decor into their new home, new homeowners want to be able to relax. 

Give them this simple joy in life by cleaning up your home and giving it a fresh coat of paint. 

It Will Add Value to Your Home

More than attracting more buyers and lessening the work of new tenants, repainting your house will add substantial value to your property.

A simple coat of paint on both your interior and exterior walls can increase your profit by hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars. 

That said, if you want to stay on top of the game and maximize the value of your home, repainting is your best bet.

Disadvantages of Repainting Your House

There’s no doubt that repainting your house offers a lot of advantages. But it also has its fair share of cons, which include the following:

Added Cost of Paint

Depending on the size of your house and the areas you want to repaint, you can spend hundreds of dollars on paint materials alone.

If there are any holes and cracks in your walls, you may need to buy other materials to seal them, which will ultimately contribute to your total expenses. 

Added Time To Finish the Project

On top of the added cost, you also have to deal with the additional time it takes to finish this project. 

You already have a lot of responsibilities on your plate as it is, but when you add repainting to the mix, you may feel overwhelmed. When are you going to have time to do all the repainting? 

The only way you can get this job done maybe if you work overtime or hire a professional painting company, which may only lead to additional stress.

Delayed Sales Period

Since you’ll be taking the time to revamp your house, you may need to put a pause on listing your home, which can push back the sales period. 

Finding the right paint colors, waiting for them to set, and ensuring that other aspects of your house are in order are essential tasks to guarantee success. Because of this, you can experience a delay of up to a month before you can put your property up for sale. 

As challenging as it may seem, weighing your pros and cons is not even half of the battle. Now, you need to think about the factors you need to consider once you decide to push through with the repainting project.

Factors You Need to Consider Before Repainting Your House

Did you know that there’s a lot that goes into repainting your house? More than thinking about what paint colors to use, you also have to account for numerous factors that can impact the outcome of the project. 

So, take a look at some of these factors below. 

Preparation

Before your painter begins to paint the walls of your home, they will need to prep the surface first. This includes:

  • Removing any dirt and mildew on the outer layer
  • Smooth out and sand any rough areas.
  • Pressure washing the exterior

Aside from prepping the walls, your painter will additionally need to cover the furniture around your house to protect it from paint. Once everything is prepped, they can proceed with the paint job. 

Weather

Another important factor to consider is the weather. Although there’s no such thing as “painting season,” the best time for painting the house’s facade is during the warmer months. 

Hot weather allows the paint to dry faster and prevents any moisture from collecting underneath the paint. For this reason, it’s best to do paint jobs during the summer or late spring. 

Paint Color

Next, there’s paint color. This is arguably one of the most exciting parts of the project because you get to play around and experiment with colors. 

When choosing a paint color, you can never go wrong with neutral colors because they go with absolutely anything and everything. But if you want to add more creativity to your home, you can also choose a color that you love.

Just make sure that the color you end up with complements the aesthetics of your house and enhances its design harmony. 

Paint Quality

Besides the paint, you also have to consider the paint quality. The better the paint quality, the more expensive the paint will be. 

But you need to ask yourself this:

  • “Would I rather pay a high price for good quality paint that will last a long time or opt for a substandard paint that will require more frequent touch-ups?”

If you think about it, investing in high-quality paint is a smart choice because it will add more value to your home and make it look more appealing. The last thing you want is to push potential buyers away because your paint job is not the best it could be. 

Cost of Paint

There are two categories of paint you have to keep in mind:

  • Oil-based
  • Latex-based paints. 

On the one hand, a gallon of oil-based paints costs around $20 to $60, depending on the brand and quality. On the other hand, a gallon of latex-based paint costs $15 to $50. 

In addition to the type of paint, the cost can also change based on the finish you want to achieve. This finish will affect your home’s overall durability and look, so you need to consider this. 

  • Flat: This type of finish averages around $10 to $70 a gallon and is best suited for places where moisture is scarce. 
  • Eggshell or satin: This type of finish ranges from $11 to $60 per gallon and is suited for most home surfaces. An eggshell or satin finish is affordable but highly durable, which makes it an excellent option for homeowners on a budget. 
  • Semi to high-gloss: This is the most expensive among these three finishes. It costs an average of $12 to $80 a gallon and is considered high maintenance. For this reason, semi- to high-gloss is recommended to highlight certain features only, such as your trim and baseboards.

Professional Painters

Repainting your house may sound like an easy job, but there’s a lot that goes into it. 

From prep work and finding the perfect paint materials to executing the task and ensuring you achieve the desired finish, there are a lot of elements to consider that can make or break the value of your house.

For this reason, we recommend that you leave this task to the professionals. 

Instances Where Repainting Your House Is Necessary

Ideally, repainting your house should be done regularly. 

In general, homeowners are encouraged to paint their homes every 5 to 10 years. This will ensure that the house remains in good shape and maintains its market value. 

But, of course, the actual time frame will depend on various circumstances and factors. 

Signs You Need To Repaint Your House Before Selling It

To know whether it’s necessary to have your walls painted or not, you need to look for telltale signs such as:

  • Chipped corners
  • Wear and tear
  • Dents
  • Cracks

It’s one thing to repaint your home so you can freshen up the look of your home and entice more buyers. It’s another thing completely to repaint your home to fix clear signs of damage. 

Before you put your house on the market, when you find signs of peeling, fading, or blistering on your paint or rusting on the exterior walls, you need to take action immediately. Don’t wait until the last minute when the problem gets out of hand.

DIY or Hire Professional Painters to repaint your house before selling? 

Now, the question is: should you take on the project yourself or hire professional painters?

If your goal is to sell your house quickly before moving out, we recommend hiring professional services. Here is why:

  1. The scale of painting a home is complex. It exceeds the skills of most DIY-ers, that’s why getting a professional to take on this project is essential. Professional painters have teams of experts who can finish the project quickly. If you’re on a tight deadline to sell your house, the efficiency of pro painters will come in handy.
  2. Hiring professionals is the right course of action because they have all the necessary tools and equipment to get the job done. They have high-velocity paint sprayers, scaffolding, paint rollers, and extension ladders that make it safer and easier for them to repaint the exterior of your house.
  3. When you hire professional painters, you can rest assured that the finished product will be of top quality. At the end of the project, your home will look and feel brand new, which will increase your chances of selling your property to the right buyers. 

Refresh Your Home With the Help of Peach Painting

Our answer to your question, “Should I repaint my house before selling it?” is always yes. Doing so will increase the value of your home and drive up sales. 

What’s more, it will help the new tenants settle down quickly and enjoy their time in their new home. 

While there are cons involved in repainting your home, we at Peach Painting are here to help. We’ll make sure to meet your budget requirements and timeline. 

As the #1 Paint Contractor in Tampa and surrounding areas, we’ll work with you every step of the way and ensure you get the best results possible.

Get a free quote or call us at (813) 798-5074 to get started on your project. 

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