Painting for buyers
A whole-interior repaint before a sale is a different job from repainting a home you'll stay in. The goal is clean, even, neutral walls that photograph well and make rooms look cared for. That changes what's worth paying for: perfect color matching on walls nobody touches matters less; fresh ceilings, clean trim and repaired dents matter more.
This guide is for a Fayetteville, North Carolina house, where all of the water treated by the Public Works Commission is surface water, from the Cape Fear River, Big Cross Creek and the Little Cross Creek Watershed. It quotes no prices and names no companies.
Empty or furnished
An empty house paints much faster. The crew can roll walls without moving anything, cover floors in one go and work room after room. A furnished house means moving and covering furniture in each room, slowing everything. If you're moving out before listing, painting after the move usually costs less.
Walls, ceilings, trim and doors
A whole interior is four kinds of work:
- Walls, usually the largest area and the quickest to roll.
- Ceilings, slower overhead work; yellowed or stained ceilings show in photographs.
- Trim and baseboards, slow handwork with a brush.
- Doors and frames, each with two faces and edges.
Some sellers do walls only. Others include ceilings and trim to make the whole house look new. Ask the painter to price each separately so you can choose.
Neutral colors and coverage
Going from deep or bright colors to a neutral often takes an extra coat, or a tinted primer first. Ask how the painter handles strong existing colors and whether that changes the price.
Repairs before paint
Moving out reveals nail holes, anchors, scuffs and dents. Filling, sanding and spot-priming them is part of the job; heavy damage, cracks or water stains take longer. The drywall repair and surface preparation guide explains the steps. Stains need a stain-blocking primer before any paint.
Timing
Before a listing, the schedule is often tight. Ask how many days the painter needs, how many painters will be on the job, and whether a rush changes the price.
Lead-safe prep in a pre-1978 house
If the house was built before 1978, the paint being sanded or scraped may contain lead. The EPA rule on the cards below covers anyone paid to disturb that paint, and EPA lists North Carolina among the states that run their own EPA-authorized program. Lead-safe work changes prep and cleanup, and the price with them. Ask whether the painter's firm holds RRP certification.
Sheen choices
Flat or matte walls hide imperfections, which helps in photographs; satin or semi-gloss suits kitchens, bathrooms and trim. The paint sheens and finishes guide explains.
Choosing between bids
Before picking one, match the bids on rooms and surfaces included, coats, repairs, primer, product and schedule. The pricing guide and the interior painting page explain more.