Making a good first impression is vital when putting your home on the market. Painting is a relatively affordable way to make your home look fresh and updated, and our real estate agents often advise homeowners who are preparing their Excelsior homes for sale on how to maximize their home's value with paint. These tips for freshening up your home's look can help you create a stellar first impression and stimulate buyers' interest.   

• Stay Neutral
  One of the most important things to keep in mind is that potential buyers want to envision themselves living in your home. Bright colors inside and out can be jarring to buyers and turn them off. Neutral colors like beiges, grays, and whites can make rooms look bigger and give buyers a canvas on which they can picture their own artwork and photos. If you're painting over bright or dark colors, use a stain-blocking primer before applying paint.
  
  
• Paint the Exterior
  Buyers often drive by before making an appointment to see a home. Because the outside of your house is the first thing buyers will see, you'll want to make sure curb appeal is top-notch. For exterior colors, choose more natural, earthy tones like greens, blues, and whites. It's also a good idea to use more than one color on the exterior of your home. Using a different color for trim adds a nice contrast and makes the exterior of your house pop. Although red is a no-no on walls and larger surfaces, painting your front door in a rouge hue can attract buyers as well.
  
  
• Give Ceilings Some TLC
  It's easy to forget about your ceilings when preparing your Excelsior home for sale. However, painting the ceiling can have a significant impact on a potential buyer's impression of a space. Painting ceilings white can make them look higher and give a room a feel of light, airy spaciousness.
  
  
• Keep It Clean
  Don't forget to wash walls, repair holes and dings with spackle and smooth them with sandpaper before painting. Avoid doing a sloppy painting job—properly cutting in corners and avoiding messy trim gives rooms a sleek, neat look that's more pleasing to the eye. If painting's not your thing, hiring a professional to get the job done right is worth the cost. A fresh coat of paint can increase your home's value and help it sell faster. It's always best to have a professional paint the exterior of your home—they have the equipment and expertise to do it safely and make it look incredible.

Searching for more tips on how to prepare and stage your Excelsior home to sell? From listing to closing, our real estate agents can help. Contact Homes by Joel to get started.