When the time comes to sell your home, you want to make improvements that lead to a quick sale, but that also provide a decent return on investment.
Many homeowners focus on their home’s interior. That makes sense, it is the area where you spend the majority of your time. However, the area first greeting potential homebuyers’ eyes is your home’s exterior. That’s why you hear so many real estate agents talking about curb appeal. You want potential homebuyers to pull up outside your home and immediately think, “Wow!”
Fresh paint does wonders for your home. Whether you apply it to a single feature, focus on trim, or repaint the entire structure, it makes an immediate impact on anyone coming to view your home.
IMPORTANT: If you have an HOA, please run any paint modification ideas by them BEFORE painting or hiring a contractor!
Start with Your Door
If your budget is extremely tight and you’re looking to make a striking impact for the least amount of money, paint your front door.
Classic striking door colors include red, green, and black, but you can go beyond these shades and still make a statement that boosts your home’s curb appeal.
Look for a color that either contrasts or complements your home (check out our paint schemes for ideas on choosing appropriate colors). Head to your local home improvement or big box store for paint samples. Then, test them against your home’s primary paint color to find the perfect shade for your new front door.
Take it to the Trim
Your front door has a fresh coat of paint and looks great. In fact, it looks so good, that you want to do more. Now’s the time to look at all of those great architectural features that attracted you to your home to begin with. Don’t have any? Look at window trim, columns, shutters, windowsills, and any other interesting features on your home.
Break out those paint samples once again to find the perfect shade to complement the primary paint color. For best results, follow the steps professional painters follow: prep, prime, and two coats of color.
Use Color to Sell Your Home Faster
Whether you opt for a fresh coat of paint (or two) over the entire home or just on trim, you need to understand the power of color.
Neutral Hues
Neutral hues include creams, grays, and taupe. These shades create a natural palette and are popular choices to complement Phoenix’s desert-themed landscaping and neighborhoods. These colors never go out of style, giving your home a timeless look.
The neutrality of this palette also makes it easy to make a statement with a single pop of color, such as a vibrant shade for your front door.
Greens and Browns (Earth Tones)
The earth tones found in nature are a popular choice for homes, especially here in the Phoenix valley. If you live in one of Phoenix’s many HOA communities, you can just about guarantee that every home is painted in earth tones.
Darker shades are more popular in older neighborhoods. If your home is painted in shades of tan and brown, adding green accents, or another earth tone, is a popular, foolproof way to add pop and interest to your home’s exterior.
If you’re looking to switch things up, gray makes a nice accent color for a beautiful moss green.
Blues
Blue is well known for its ability to inspire feelings of serenity and calm, and grayish-blue tones are great options for increasing curb appeal. Stick to light and dark shades, working in grays, whites, or greens for your trim.
Black and White
This is probably the most traditional color palette, but not seen as often in the valley, where the stucco homes dominating the market tend toward earth and neutral tones. Traditionally, the main color is white or off-white, with black trim and accents. This look creates sharp, clean lines. Popular choices include black iron fixtures and black shutters.
Choosing a Painting Contractor
Most people choose to hire a painting contractor for two reasons: they want to be sure the job is done right and they don’t have the tools and wherewithal to do the job quickly.
You may spend less doing the job yourself, but the cost or renting or buying equipment, as well as the cost of the paint, is considerable. Then, of course, you have to consider what your time is worth. Finally, a licensed, professional crew comes with the expertise and background to know which paint brands work best in desert climes and hold up against the relentless Arizona sun.
If you’re trying to sell your home and want every edge you can get in making that sale, but aren’t sure about the cost of hiring a contractor, contact CBP today for a free quote.