A Home Inspector's guide to Painting your Home
As home inspectors we see it all the time, whether you are getting your house ready to sell or move into your new home, painting is top of the list of things to do. Let’s first talk about the seller. In this situation, people are typically painting their house as a low cost option to give it a fresh look and hopefully bring in some extra money on the sale of the home. If done properly it works like a charm. It is a low cost DIY project most anyone can handle, for as little as $300 for tools and materials you can get a lot of rooms painted and add a few thousand of value to your home. However, if not done properly it can have the opposite effect, and as home inspectors, this is what we are here to talk about. There is nothing worse than walking into a home to do a home inspection and seeing a rushed paint job that makes the place look bad. Here are a few tricks and tips to get your painting job done right. Where you are getting ready to sell or giving your new home you own personal touch.
1) Always take the time to give the walls a quick wash, it will help the paint stick better and remove stains that can otherwise be seen through the new paint
2)Touch up holes and cracks with wall putty and sand them down smooth
3)Take off light switch covers and outlets covers and cover outlets with painters tape as shown in the picture
4)If painting over carpet use a drop cloth to cover floors and furniture
5)Use primer first, or use a paint and primer in one. If you are using a stand alone primer always add a little of the paint you will be using to the primer to help cover the old paint color better.
6)If you have a good steady hand you don’t need to use tape on the top and bottom edges just take your time and go at a pace the works for you. That being said painters tape can help give you a nice clean edge. Just remember you still need to take your time, your paint edges will only be as good as your tap job.
7)Definitely, use tape around door knobs and hinges.
8)Don’t forget about the trim. If you really want to make the paint job stand out, take the time to paint your baseboards and molding (if you have it) It’s one of the first things I notice when doing a home inspection. I will admit that this is a time consuming job but totally worth it in my opinion
9)Apply enough paint, and smooth even pressure, and don’t forget the second coat
This is perhaps the most important this we can recommend as home inspectors. Often people are painting late into the night, they are tired and have poor lighting and to them, the one rush coat looks way better then the dirty old wall the was there before, and if the place is being sold anyway what does it matter? Believe me, it matters, in proper daytime sunlight a bad paint job looks terrible and is often the topic of conversation overheard between the real estate agent and the buyer while performing the home inspection. It also speaks to the quality of other jobs you have done on the property.
BONUS TIP: Spend the extra money on a low VOC paint it's healthier for you while you are painting and for whoever will be living in the home after, and it can be used as a selling feature too. Lastly, don’t forget to keep the information for the type of paint you used and keep your leftover paint for touch-ups, the buyers will appreciate it.
Inspec Homes Home Inspectors consists of a team of home inspectors in Newmarket, Keswick, Bowmanville, Kawartha lakes, Oakville, the GTA and surrounding areas. We are here to give you expert insight into your home and are happy to help.
