You probably already know that a fresh coat of paint to the exterior of your home when selling can make a big difference in potential buyers’ perceptions. But what about the interior? Does painting the inside of your home have the same effect on buyers? Turns out, it does.

Painting interior rooms is a critical part of staging your home before selling it. The goal is to have people envision themselves living in the home, and properties that look uncluttered, fresh, and inviting tend to command higher dollar amounts than those that don’t. According to the National Association of Realtors 2023 Profile of Home Staging, 20 percent of buyers’ agents say that staging a home boosts the dollar value that is offered between one and five percent, compared with similar homes that are not staged. Additionally, 58 percent of buyers’ agents say home staging has a positive effect on most buyers’ view of the home.

Of course, the quality of the paint job will determine the level of return you will see. That’s why it’s important to hire a professional interior painter in San Francisco to ensure a top-notch job with long-lasting results.

Market Conditions

The state of the market will determine how much ROI you can see on a fresh interior paint job, or even how necessary it will be. If you were selling your home in 2020, 2021, or even 2022, you could have gotten away with putting it on the market as-is. That’s because competition was fierce and inventory was low, often resulting in buyers paying well over asking while waiving home inspections and appraisals. In such a competitive environment, houses were being snatched up in the first weekend on the market, sometimes sight unseen.

That kind of frenzy has slowed down since then, putting the balance of control back into the hands of the buyers (at least a little bit). Now, buyers are starting to hold sellers more accountable for the state of their properties.

These days, buyers may not jump as fast to buy a home that needs work. So if, as the seller, you’ve noticed fading or flaking paint, it would be smart to paint your interior to regain that competitive edge. With buyers being more picky when it comes to the condition of homes they view, it’s more important than ever for sellers to do all they can to attract buyers – and a big part of that is adding a fresh coat of paint to the interior for that wow factor.

Areas of Priority

It can get quite costly to paint every room in your home, especially when preparing for a sale. The average professional painter will charge $1,900 to paint a room. A small room averages about $960; a medium room averages $1,920, and a large room averages $3,520. If painting every room in your home is not in the budget, you can prioritize rooms to get the most bang for your buck.

Check out these things to consider when you are deciding what and which rooms to paint:

  • Prioritize visible spaces: Choose the areas you want to highlight to potential buyers, such as the front entryway, hallway, living room, and primary bedroom.
  • Repair paint damage: Chips, flaking, and other signs of paint deterioration will certainly stick out to potential buyers, but also to appraisers whose job it is to determine the value of your home.
  • Go with neutral interior colors: While you may love a vibrant blue or red, or neon stripes for that matter, it’s best to stick to neutrals so your buyers can start with a clean slate. Also, don’t paint each room a different color; rather, stay with one color throughout.
  • Touch up damaged areas: If you can’t afford to paint the walls, or you don’t have time, at the very least touch up any areas of damage and paint the trim to give it a mini makeover.

Knowing that 81 percent of buyers’ agents say that staging a home with fresh paint makes it simpler for their buyers to begin visualizing the property as their future home, you really can’t afford to not paint your interiors to boost home value. Bottom line is, you can increase your home’s value by painting inside rooms – whether or not you plan to move in the near future.

Get an Interior Painting Quote From Fresh Start

Need an interior painter in San Francisco that you can trust? Schedule your consultation and quote from Fresh Start Painting SF in Daly City CA. Contact us today at (415) 347-7689.