Five Common Sense Tips to Help First Time Homeowners "Paint or Get Off the Fence!"
We all know how animals mark their territory. If you have any questions about it, just watch a tomcat for awhile. When humans purchase real estate, we have a more civilized method of marking our new space: We paint. Or at least, we talk about painting.
Many first time home owners look forward to bringing their own unique look to their home, but somehow it never quite gets done. These easy tips will help you "get off the fence" when it comes to painting your new home.
#1. Choose Your Colors
It's a good idea to purchase the furniture for your new home first and then pick paint that will match. Get several shades of paint chips from your paint dealer. Look at the chips both during the daytime in sunlight and at night under artificial light. Don't start your project until you agree on the perfect colors for your home.
#2. Take Plenty of Time
Good painting doesn't happen in a single day. A big paint job can take up to a week or more. Set aside plenty of time. It's easy to visualize yourself working with "Superhero" speed, but it's better to set generous time goals or yourself.
#3. Prepare Carefully
Sure, you love the color of paint that you've chosen, but you don't want to see it on your doorknobs or splattered against your new window panes. So use blue painter's tape around doors and windows and cover any wall and ceiling fixtures with plastic bags. Use drop cloths -- heavy pieces of canvas -- around the area where you will be working. Take pictures off walls (of course) and move furniture into the middle of the room or, if you can, into another room entirely. And don't forget to wear old clothes and shoes. No matter how careful you are, you're likely to end up wearing some of the paint.
#4. Fix Problem Spots First
Don't paint over holes and cracks and hope for the best. Repair these problems first with a patch compound. Fill in the crack or hole and then sandpaper for a smooth, even texture. If you can feel the patch with your fingers, you will see it after painting.
#5. Allow for Mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes, and it's practically impossible to avoid making a mess with paint. Have fun with the process, and have your clean up tools ready to use as the work progresses instead of waiting until it is completed.
When you buy a new piece of real estate, painting the interior is one way to mark it as your very own. It doesn't take a genius IQ or the mechanical knowledge of an engineer to paint your home, so take a deep breath, relax, and go for it. As you bask in your favorite relaxing colors, you'll be glad you took the time and energy to paint.
Content contributed by Automated Homefinder, a Denver real estate company.
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Linda Zimmerman, GRI, e-PRO, SRES |
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