Selling Your Home? Avoid these DIY Paint Mistakes
Thanks Redfin! Cristina Acosta Design is being featured in Redfin's upcoming article, “Experts Share their Top Tips for Choosing the Right Artwork when Staging a Home"!
They asked me for 3 tips and chose their favorite. Here are the other two tips:
Tip #1: Don’t paint ceramic tile on floors, shower surrounds or countertops. Though epoxy paint might be a fun DIY remedy for tile you don’t like, to the buyer it looks like a cheap fix. Clean the grout and let your ugly tiles shine. The next owner might love them.
I painted these fireplace tiles in about 2003. Cleaned tiles with isopropyl alcohol 50% or higher; Sprayed urethane primer; layered artist acrylic paints rubbed onto each surface; final coat was Benjamin Moore Benwood in satin sheen. (Mosaic was my “Baja” series of decorative ceramic tiles available then.)
Take my advice lightly. I painted installed tiles before, and it was AMAZING. At least, I thought so. But that was a fireplace surround - not exposed to water or much wear. And it worked. (See above.)
But repainting an entire bathroom or kitchen is different. Yes. Painting epoxy paint on your ugly tiles and grout can make a room look a lot better. Nonetheless, under that shinny epoxy surface looks like what it is — a bandaid.
Tip #2: Consider offering a “paint allowance” to a new buyer in lieu of repainting. Not everybody agrees on “neutral” colors. Only do this if you think your personal color choices are too personal, but otherwise, the paint is in good shape. If the painting needs to be done to preserve the surfaces and best sell the property, choose light colors such as white, tan or taupe.
Does my advice mean you can’t do what you want to your home? No way! Do whatever you want to your house — UNLESS — you are planning a sale. Then, be careful. Only take color and paint risks if you have your skills DOWN. There are not guarantees either way. The way the residential real estate market is trending in most US cities, selling a house is a given. Finding your new home is more complicated.
Be sure to check out the REDFIN article for more tips.
