So in an earlier post we talked about going to the home improvement stores, picking out some paint chips to take home. Whether your are getting your home ready to sell or just freshening up your interior vibe, paint is one of the least expensive home improvements you can make.

Seeing the colors in both natural light and at night (with your incandescent or LED lights on) will open your eyes to what works for you.

Colors change a lot based on the type and quantity of light coming into your rooms. You’ll want to choose a color that is not too dark at night and not too bright in the daylight – in short one you can live with and feels right.

Start with one color at a time. Now it’s back to the store to get a gallon made up. If you are painting walls in bedrooms and living areas, matte or flat finish is perfectly fine. Kitchens and bathrooms are a good place to use satin finish and trim and moldings and doors is where you want to buy a semi-gloss finish. The shinier the paint the more expensive it is. It’s also much easier to wipe clean which is why it’s great for baths etc.

If you haven’t already purchased brushes and rollers now is the time to do so. You will need a least one trim brush 2″ or smaller, one larger brush 4″ wide and one roller with roller handle. A paint tray is handy to pour the paint into. Don’t forget to ask for one of the paint “keys” from the paint store so you can open your paint lid easily and a paint stick or stirrer.

Once you get your paint home and have covered up the floor with a drop cloth and moved any furniture away from the walls, you are ready to paint!

We’ll get more into techniques and when to brush and when to roll next time. See you then!

Want to update your home but don’t have a lot to spend? Are you wondering how to sell a home you own fast and want some tips?

I always recommend cleaning first and painting second. Both give you the option of putting some  “sweat equity” in your home and for a small investment you’ll make a big impact.

But how do you paint a room and how much paint does it take? Painting does take some practice but if you have the right tools, and some patience you can easily learn. It’s the quickest way to add value when you are selling your home.

First take a trip down to your local hardware store or big box retailer such as Home Depot or Lowe’s. Head to the paint department and start looking at color chips. Neutral is best but it doesn’t have to be boring! You can choose a warm neutral that has two complementary colors next to it. One should be lighter and one darker than your base neutral.

Grab a bunch of colors you like and take them home so you can see what they look like in your home and at different times of day. Light affects colors so don’t rely on the artifical light in the store to guide you. You need to see them on your walls. Tape them up and when you have one you like head back to the store and pick up a quart to try it out at home. Feeling confident? Buy a gallon or two.

Use these handy calculators to figure out exactly how much paint you need to buy.

Home Depot Paint Calculator

Benjamin Moore Paint Calculator – How much paint should I buy?

While you’re buying the paint, pick up some trim brushes and paint rollers and paint trays. I like the disposable cheap kind because if there is one thing I don’t like to do that’s clean paint rollers and brushes! The trim brushes are for the trim or baseboard and moldings and the rollers are for the walls.

We’ll talk about technique in a later post. But meanwhile, you’re out buying paint riight? See you soon.