Painting to sell is a different job
Painting a house you're about to sell has a different goal from painting one you'll live in. You want clean, even, neutral walls that photograph well and don't distract buyers, finished by a fixed date. That shapes the scope, the colors and the schedule, and all three shape the price.
What drives the price
How many rooms and which surfaces. A whole-interior repaint can mean walls only, or walls, ceilings, trim, doors and closets. Painting walls but leaving scuffed trim and yellowed ceilings can make fresh walls look odd beside them. Ask for each surface priced so you can choose.
Repairs. Moving out reveals nail holes, anchor holes, dents behind doors and marks where furniture rubbed. Filling, sanding and spot-priming them all is a big part of the work. Larger holes or cracked plaster add time. Our drywall repair and surface preparation guide explains each step.
Color changes. Covering dark or bright walls with a light neutral usually needs primer and two coats. Staying close to the existing color may need only one finish coat over repairs. Ask the painter how many coats each room needs.
Ceilings and trim. Ceilings are slow overhead work. Trim and doors need cleaning, scuffing and a hard enamel, all by brush. On some houses, trim and doors take as long as the walls.
Empty or furnished. An empty house is faster: no moving, less covering. If you're still living there, the crew must move and protect furniture, and work around you.
Product choice. A good mid-sheen, washable wall paint hides repairs and stands up to showings. Very cheap paint can show patches and roller marks in listing photos.
Schedule. A fixed deadline narrows when the work can happen. Ask whether the painter can commit to a finish date, and how many painters will be on the job.
The contract: cancelling and deposits
New York's home improvement contract law has two rules worth reading before you sign. Under New York General Business Law section 771, a home improvement contract must tell the owner they may cancel it until midnight of the third business day after signing, by written notice to the contractor. The same law requires the contract to tell the owner that the contractor must deposit payments received before completion as the lien law directs, or may instead post a bond, contract of indemnity or irrevocable letter of credit guaranteeing their return or proper use.
If you're working to a listing date, the cancellation window is worth planning around: sign early enough that the work can start on time. And if the painter asks for a deposit, look for the notice about how it will be held.
Older paint and the federal rule
Repairs before a sale usually mean sanding and scraping existing paint. EPA states its rule for paid work this way: under EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, anyone paid to do work that disturbs paint in homes, childcare facilities and preschools built before 1978 must hold RRP certification, firms included, even sole proprietorships, and their workers must be trained in lead-safe work practices. Sanding and scraping during repairs disturb paint, so if your home was built before 1978, ask whether the firm holds RRP certification and how they'll contain and clean up the dust.
What to ask for in writing
- Each room and surface, with walls, ceilings, trim and doors listed separately.
- The repair scope, and what's excluded.
- Colors, sheens, products and coats.
- The start date and the finish date.
- The deposit amount and the payment schedule.
Our interior painting page explains how rooms are prepared, and paint sheens and finishes helps you pick a sheen that hides repairs. The pricing guide explains how whole-interior jobs are priced.