To paint or not to paint, that is the question

My apologies for vanishing these last few days. An emergency took me away from computer access. But, all is resolved now.

Let's dive back into the wonderful world of color.

You are going to sell your house. Should you repaint it first?

In some cases the answer is obvious. Repair work done to the house left the walls and/or ceiling scarred and covered in patches. Do not make the mistake of deciding to leave it as is, patched and spackled, and letting the buyer decide what color to paint it. Most buyers can only see the walls as they are, not as they can be. Most buyers want a turnkey purchase. They will not give your property serious consideration. Those few buyers who can imagine how the room will look after it is painted, will mentally deduct much more than the cost of painting from what they are willing to offer for the house. Don't leave the house as-is if you can help it, doing so both reduces the size of your buyer pool and reduces the probable sales price.

But sometimes the decision to paint is not obvious. Wash the walls. Use a crud cleaner to remove scuff marks. Start from the assumption that you do not want to paint. Painting costs money. Painting costs time.

Ask yourself (or ask with your stager) the following questions:
- Are the walls white?
- Are the walls a personal color? Personal colors include purple, pink, baby blue, black, coral, burgandy, charcol grey, bright and loud versions of the primary colors like red, blue, and yellow; bright and loud versions of the secondary colors green or orange.
- Is the ceiling or trim a personal color?
- Is each wall painted a different color?
- Is the ceiling or trim painted a color that contrasts strongly with the walls?
- Are there more than three colors on the walls and ceiling?
- Do any two colors clash?
- Is any wall painted with a faux effect like leather, wood, Venetian plaster, or stone?
- Is a mural painted on any wall?
- Are the walls painted a trendy color right out of the latest cutting-edge designer magazine?
- Will a beige/brown sofa clash with the wall color? (I know you are standing in the kitchen, imagine those most common of household colors against your walls anyway).
- Are the exterior colors compatible with other houses in the neighborhood?
- Has it been more than five years since the walls were painted?

If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, please give serious thought to repainting.

If you answered 'no' to all of these questions, dig a little deeper. Ask yourself then, if possible, bring in trusted friends and relatives (and your stager) and ask them these questions:
- With the curtains open, and all of the lights on, does the room seem dark?
- Does the color on the walls and ceiling look splotchy or uneven?
- Does the paint color look faded?
- Do the walls seem to press in?
- Do the walls seem to drift away?
- If it was them moving in, would they feel they would be uncomfortable in this room until they changed the colors?

Tally up the answers.

If you get more 'yes' answers than 'no' answers, please give serious thought to repainting

If you get more 'no' answers than 'yes' answers, keep the walls clean, but only repaint if, your heart, you really think it needs to be done.

Okay, tomorrow we grab a paintbrush.

Have a great Tuesday!