Painting the interior of your home before putting it on the market is considered to be one of the easiest and least expensive things you can do to stage your house for a quick sale. A fresh coat of paint, both inside and out, can be very appealing to home buyers, and will make your home look well-kept and up-to-date.

However, there are some tips you can follow when painting the interior of your home that will create the best first impression for potential buyers.

Assess Your Current Paint

Before deciding what to paint inside your home, take an objective look around. Do you have any rooms which are painted unusual colors, or perhaps are extremely bright or dark? Or, do you have rooms that have wallpaper, especially that which looks outdated or which has an extremely busy pattern? If so, these are the types of issues that you want to correct with paint.

Prospective buyers tend to like neutral shades, as it helps them imagine their own belongings in your house. If a room is painted a bright or dark color which wouldn’t match their furniture, for example, their immediate thoughts about the room tend to be negative. Also, if you have painted areas in your home which are chipped, peeling, or just look old and dingy, this is going to be a turn-off to prospective buyers. Paint is one of the easiest and cheapest of all home improvements: A home that needs to be painted appears to have been neglected, and this may cause buyers to wonder about what other maintenance issues may have been ignored.

Dealing with Wallpaper

If you have rooms in your home that are wallpapered, you are going to need to make a decision as to what to do about them. Realtors report that wallpaper in general is perceived as a negative factor when selling a house, due to the fact that prospective buyers generally view it as something they will need to remove or replace.

If you have wallpaper that is attractive, in a light color with a small pattern or texture, you might decide to leave it alone. However, any wallpaper that has a large pattern, dark color, or otherwise would appear to be difficult to match, should be removed. Once the wallpaper is removed, repaint the room in a light neutral shade, and it will be better received by potential buyers.

Repainting the Rooms in Your Home

If you have recently painted your home with a light neutral shade, you might be able to get by without painting. However, realtors often report that a very fresh coat of paint is definitely appealing, and even the smell of fresh paint can be an attractive feature. Plus, repainting will give you a chance to fix any nicks or scratches in the walls so that they look absolutely perfect.

Since paint is one of the least expensive things you can do to the interior of your home, why take chances? A fresh coat of paint in an attractive neutral shade might be just the thing you need to make your home stand out from all the others, so that it sells fast.