Repainting the whole house can be pricey - focusing on key areas may be enough to do the trick.
Repainting the whole house can be pricey - focusing on key areas may be enough to do the trick.
So you can't put the house on the market because it's not painted? Painting isn't always essential to sell a house, says Bayleys agent Patricia Hinchey.
Some buyers don't want to do anything to the house when they move in, says Hinchey. Others prefer to put their own touch on their new home. That makes knowing your market important.
Then there are the people looking for a complete do-up who don't want to pay the premium for a new paint job when they're about to gut the house.
To paint or not to paint depends, says Devonport-based Hinchey, on how old the existing paint job is. The 5-year-old paint job probably needs only touching up. Ten years may need a bit of extra work if it hasn't been looked after. If it's 25 years since the house was last painted it probably needs a completely new paint job.
An internal paint job could cost $12,000 plus GST and $15,000 for the exterior, says Hinchey.
"Painting your house is an incredibly expensive thing," she says. "Some people don't want to spend that. It's also dependent on the market you're selling in."
Doing a DIY paint job costs less, if you're capable of doing the job. Check out a paint calculator at Tinyurl.com/NZpaintcalculator to find out what it could cost.
Resene Paints would, of course, like it if we all repainted our homes every time we sold. But the company has some realistic suggestions for owners who can't afford to do that.
First impressions count, says Resene colour consultant Nikki Morris. "Stain or paint your letter box, your front door and your garage door, if they need it. These are quick and easy projects but are usually the first things potential buyers will view and they will often judge the rest of your home based on the condition of these."
Likewise, if you have a deck or porch leading into your home or it's a major selling feature, then paint or stain it. "A freshly stained wooden deck draws attention to the outdoor living options your home provides," says Morris.
Repainting the whole house can be pricey - focusing on key areas may be enough to do the trick.
Then focus on the high-traffic areas. If your buyers are going to enter through the hallway, that may be more important to paint than the bedrooms.
If a full internal paint job is too much work or too expensive for your available funds then consider doing the baseboards, trim and doors. They can freshen up the house.
One area to look at closely is your kitchen, says Morris. "This is an area that often makes or breaks a sale. If the cabinetry is looking out of date or well worn, consider repainting it in a more modern colour and then adding new handles. Again this is quite quick and easy to do."
Specialist paints are available for kitchen cabinetry. Another tip is to paint over old-fashioned wallpaper with a new colour if it needs modernising. That's a lot easier than removing the old wallpaper.
Paint is easy to apply. However, bad colour choices can be worse than not painting at all.
It's possible that fashions have moved on since you last painted. But beware of intense colours that may not suit everyone -- even if they are all the rage. "Greiges" -- greyed beiges, greened edged creams, off-whites and greyed whites are all popular neutral options that will go well with many accent colours that buyers may want to add, says Morris.
"If you want to introduce more colour, look to perennial favourites that are always popular -- blue reds, such as Resene Pohutukawa, dusty blues such as Resene Duck Egg Blue and soothing greens, such as Resene Secrets."
Seek advice from the local paint shop or get advice from a colour consultant.
