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While it may seem counterintuitive to invest more money into your home before listing, it’s important to understand why you should paint the exterior of your house before selling. A fresh coat of paint increases curb appeal and competition, which ultimately means that your home will spend less time on the market and fetch a relatively higher price in the end. On average, painting the outside of your house before selling can raise your sale price anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000. That’s a huge return on the relatively inexpensive investment of painting.

The short answer: Yes, you should paint your house exterior before selling, as it yields major benefits during the selling process. Here’s why:

1. Buyers Seek Curb Appeal in the Digital Age

Gone are the days when buyers drove around looking for “For Sale” signs in the lawns of their favorite neighborhoods. Word of mouth, while powerful, has also taken a backseat to online home-buying platforms and agency marketing. These hyper-visual platforms mean that potential homebuyers are attracted to the most photogenic homes within their budget. In fact, a very photogenic home might even push buyers to stretch their budget: they simply fall in love.

What does this mean for the home sellers of today? Your home needs to have curb appeal. A fresh coat of exterior paint and some landscaping can make all the difference in attracting a large pool of buyers. Not only will your home “go viral” on the web, but also this type of upkeep sends an important message to buyers: you took good care of this home.

2. Buyers Want a Low-Maintenance Investment

A fresh coat of paint shows buyers that you didn’t shy away from important upkeep and maintenance of your home. A pristine external appearance serves as a stand-in for the rest of your home’s nuts and bolts. It sends the message to buyers that the internal workings of the home will likely also be in tip-top shape, from the HVAC and water heater to the walls and windows.

In the end, buyers typically don’t want to purchase a project. They want to make a sound investment in a home that will accrue value without the need to put in a lot of work upfront. Having a low-maintenance, move-in ready home will pique their interest.

Depending on your home’s siding, exterior paint should be refreshed every 3-7 years. This means that your buyers can rest assured knowing that they won’t need to worry about the investment of repainting for at least the first few years. Your fresh coat of paint also helps protect the exterior siding from insects and weather, so buyers know that they are less likely to face any surprise damage in the near future.

3. Exterior Repainting is an Instant Style Update for Older Homes

If you’re the proud owner of a vintage Adirondack home, you may feel conflicted. You’d like to retain the vintage charm of your home, but it’s also important to maintain a refreshed appearance. Luckily, exterior painting is an easy way to update the appearance of your home without covering up its old-school style.

The key to painting older homes is in choosing color stories and accents that enhance the home rather than fully modernizing it. Connecting with a local expert in exterior painting will help ensure a final look that fits your home and celebrates the Adirondack aesthetic. In other words, make sure you hire the best Adirondack house painter so your home stays true to its roots.

4. Local Buyers Want The “Adirondack Look”

The Adirondacks are unique in that your homebuyer pool may consist of long-term residents as well as vacationers and retirees. Many have worked hard to afford a little slice of heaven, and they may arrive with high standards for how paradise should look.

If they’re specifically shopping in the Adirondacks, it’s because they already love the aesthetic and natural refuge of the area. That means your home should embrace local styles and color stories to fit the “look” that you think buyers will like.

Rather than style your home like a desert ranch or coastal beach house, choose an exterior color scheme that highlights natural depths of color and woodsy charm. For some, this means darker grays and red accents. Others prefer a light gray or wooden siding with pops of color around the doors and windows. If you’re looking for color inspiration, a recent study by Zillow showed that homes painting navy blue with gray slate doors sell anywhere from $1,514 – $6,271 more than the average comparable home.

No matter the color scheme, buyers will not overlook your attention to detail. Ultimately, these subtle choices give a home its inviting quality.

Given the many benefits, it’s surprising that more sellers don’t paint their house exterior before selling. Understandably, many sellers are eager to make a sale and realize their profits. However, it’s ultimately a better financial decision to take the time to work with an expert to repaint the exterior of your house before selling.

If you’re ready to discuss the specifics of your project, we’re here to help.

For your free estimate, please contact us or call Christopher Caldwell at (518) 891-7354.

Chris Caldwell has been painting, insulating, and preserving historic houses, commercial buildings, and Great Camps in the Adirondacks since 1978.

You might think it’s obvious how to hire the best Adirondack house painter. After all, Tom Sawyer had no problem getting others to whitewash that fence, so what’s to know? But it’s important to avoid any frustrations—or worse still, money lost—especially if your building is in the Adirondacks where winters are severe and painters come and go. Review these basic suggestions before you embark.

1) Make sure the painter has insurance and runs a legitimate business.

If this is a project bigger than your closet, and you want to use a pro, you will want to make sure your painter is insured in case there is an accident, an injury, or damage to the property. You will also want the painter to be a legitimate contractor so s/he can purchase paint at a wholesale price and get the best price for you as a result.

As part of standard interview questions (while you are seeking an estimate of the job) ask the painter about insurance and consider seriously the risks you may be taking if s/he does not have insurance. Can you really afford to be sued if something goes wrong on your personal or professional property?

2) Get a free on-location or in-home estimate and make sure the painter has experience with the work required for your project.

It’s fine to hear a ballpark figure over the telephone, but if you are serious, you will want a site-specific estimate.

If the painter has experience, when s/he views the project site, s/he will point out possible challenges to the job, what s/he could do to prepare or repair the site for painting, and help you manage what s/he will or will not do as part of the painting work. A good painter will also ask you questions regarding access to the site, where they should park, as well as what the rules are regarding workers and work hours.

Do you have the time to waste or resources to burn by not hiring a seasoned professional? Can you really afford to use a painter who has no experience in staining cedar-shingled boathouses? Or using an electric lift to paint the fourth floor of your commercial building?

3) Ask for references and pictures: the best Adirondack house painter will have them.

Don’t stop at the estimate. Ask the painter for at least three past clients who would be willing to talk to you. Three references should be enough to assess the quality of the painter’s work. Did he or she complete the work within a reasonable time period (Or did they accept the job and then table it for later because the painter got a bigger job?) and if the client was ultimately happy with the job completed. Ask the client, would s/he hire the painter again? Word of mouth is a great way to find the best Adirondack house painter.

Ask the painter for examples of his/her work. Does s/he have a website with images you might consider? Seeing visuals will help you determine the painter’s style and expertise, as well as his or her knowledge of historical Adirondack architecture.

4) Communicate clearly your needs and expectations and ask those of the painter.

When you are ready to hire, ask for proof to see the painter is insured. And then, before you seal the deal, it’s really important that you communicate your expectations because once the job begins, adding things on will likely cost more. So try to review as much upfront as possible.  For example, when you say you want the exterior of your house painted, what parts of it do you not want to be painted? Are you expecting it to be one uniform color or are there decorative parts you want to paint different colors? How about the foundation? The chimney, the cable, or electrical boxes?

Additionally, ask the painter about their expectations, like needing staging areas for supplies, access to the driveway, or having access to running water.

Also important: ask the painter about clean up and disposal issues. Do they need access to your garbage receptacles or do they take trash with them (every day?) and will they leave you or your staff with any extra paint they do not use?

5) Understand what your estimate does and DOES NOT include.

The cheapest estimate may not include everything you must pay for in the end. It’s important to understand that most painters usually bid their projects based on an hourly rate, their prep time, supplies, type/quality of paint, ceiling/roof heights, equipment needed, difficult access points, and the number of people working. Ask your painter to talk through with you various additional or potential costs. And again, know, it’s always better to clarify all project costs in the beginning before the work begins. In the end, the best Adirondack house painter is one who can effectively estimate and complete your project.

Specializing in painting and insulation, Christopher M. Caldwell LLC has been dedicated to the detailed care and preservation of historic houses, boathouses, Great Camps, and commercial buildings in the Adirondacks since 1978.

For your free painting, staining, or insulation estimate, contact us or call Christopher Caldwell at (518) 891-7354.