Key Takeaway Both DIY and hiring a pro have their place. DIY is best for smaller, low-risk projects if you already own supplies and have the time. But when selling a home, tackling multiple rooms, or dealing with high ceilings and detailed trim, hiring professionals almost always pays off. Pros bring efficiency, equipment, and experience...
Key Takeaway Painting a room yourself involves much more than rolling paint on walls. Between shopping for supplies, prepping surfaces, applying multiple coats, waiting on dry times, and cleaning up afterward, a single-room paint job can easily stretch into a full weekend (or more). Factor in the cost of paint, tools, and lost time, and...
Key Takeaway Yes — a poorly done DIY paint job can hurt resale value. Sloppy trim lines, uneven roller marks, or streaky finishes make a home feel neglected rather than refreshed. Buyers equate visible shortcuts with hidden problems, lowering their confidence and sometimes their offers. When selling, paint should inspire trust — not raise doubts....
Key Takeaway Painting an empty home is almost always less expensive and more efficient. With no furniture to cover or move, painters save hours of prep work, reduce material waste, and complete projects in significantly less time. That translates into lower labor costs, a cleaner finish, and a faster turnaround — especially valuable if you’re...
Key Takeaway The best order to paint in an empty home is: ceilings first, then walls, and finally trim and doors. Starting from the top down ensures drips and splatters don’t ruin finished areas below. In some cases, painting trim before walls can make sense, but in most home-sale projects, working from ceilings down to...
Can Fresh Paint Stage an Empty Home? Key Takeaway Yes — fresh paint can act as a form of staging in an empty home. While furniture and décor help buyers visualize a lifestyle, neutral, freshly painted walls give the property a clean, modern backdrop that instantly feels more inviting. Light colors make rooms appear larger,...
Key Takeaway Yes — painting can improve indoor air quality when you choose the right products. Modern low- or zero-VOC paints release far fewer chemicals into the air than older formulas, reducing indoor pollution. Fresh paint also seals surfaces, which can help cover odors left behind by smoke, pets, or cooking. The result is a...
Key Takeaway Yes — fresh paint can help with lingering odors, but it’s not a complete solution. New paint seals surfaces and often carries its own clean “fresh start” smell that buyers notice in a positive way. However, painting should never replace proper cleaning. To truly eliminate odors, you must first address the source, then...
Key Takeaway The biggest paint mistake sellers make is choosing bold or overly personalized colors right before listing. While you may love deep reds, bright greens, or dark accent walls, most buyers don’t. To maximize appeal, think of paint as setting the stage for the next owner — you’re giving them a fresh, neutral canvas...
Key Takeaway Yes — if you refresh the walls but leave ceilings and trim untouched, the project will almost always look incomplete. Ceilings and trim frame your walls; when they stay dingy, yellowed, or scuffed, it distracts from the new color. Painting them along with the walls ensures a clean, cohesive look and adds polish...