Photographer: John Downs / Stylist: Kylie Jackes
You see it all the time: A property hits the market and it’s painted floor to ceiling in a crisp, blinding shade of white.
Some real estate agents will tell you this is a good — nay, vital! — step in selling your home. But why?
The basic idea of painting your home white is to provide prospective buyers a blank canvas onto which they can project their own life and style. By removing your personality, and making the walls white, you unlock broader appeal, right?
Well, not always.
Interior designer Briellyn Turton says this is huge misconception. In fact, if there’s one thing she wishes homeowners would stop doing, it’s making design decisions based on improving resale value – which can be a false promise.
Listen to Briellyn on The Edit podcast:
“[I wish people would stop] renovating or making decisions based on what you believe will help resale, because often that’s the most boring, all-white solution,” she tells Home Beautiful. “Australians, at this point are generally smarter than that, and they’re generally asking for more.”
Here’s what you need to know before taking the plunge.
Do I need to paint my house before selling?
Unless your walls are chipped, damaged or extremely outdated, you don’t need to paint your house to make it sell. In fact, interior designer Briellyn Turton says rushing to paint your house is not a shortcut to a sale.
“Australians are generally smarter than that, and they’re generally asking for more.”
— Briellyn Turton, Interior Designer
“If something’s been beautifully designed, and it’s unique, and it’s special, it’s going to appeal — maybe! — to a smaller amount of people, but people are going to get emotional about it,” she explained. Connecting to people’s emotions when selling a home is a far more valuable proposition than the blank canvas idea.
If you’re chasing a “magical, premium price” for your home, Briellyn believes you will actually benefit from people getting excited and feeling emotionally connected, “instead of just [feeling like] they’ve gone to six open homes on a Saturday and they’re all blending into one because they’re all white.”
Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. As mentioned, if your home could actually use a coat of fresh paint, then go ahead and give it a do-over. (Although, you don’t need to go for white! Perhaps another neutral shade will suit your needs.)
Another reason to paint your home is if it’s quite dark. Natural light is often a vital selling point, and if your home doesn’t have this in abundance, lighter walls can help your cause. Similarly, if your existing walls are dark — and not part of an impeccably thought-out design scheme — you may want to lighten them up before opening your doors to buyers.
Tip: Don’t skip swatches! If you decide to paint, you could do yourself a disservice by choosing the wrong shade. Just because you’re no longer living there, doesn’t mean you can take colour choice lightly.
The pros and cons of painting your house before selling
| Pros | Cons |
| Looks fresh and clean | An added expense |
| Can make a space look lighter | Possibly labour intensive |
| Allows prospective buyers to ‘project’ themselves onto the space | Removes character, styling and emotional connection |
| Can cover any marks or wear-and-tear on the walls | Can look the same as other houses |
| Improve street appeal | Can look clinical and unattractive |
