Good or bad painting idea?

Question

I've bought my first investment home/duplex to rent off. My thought is to paint the walls a good neutral color but not leave it plain white. I'm very new to this but my thought is, it is hard to rent off something if everything is just white...seems boring and I'm coming from sales and a lot has to do with perception. My leases will be year to year so what I was thinking is I will paint the walls, your first year you can not paint over what is existing. If you want to sign another lease come the next year to allow the tenants to paint if they would like since they may be a long term tenant and I want them to feel more at home. Any thoughts, suggestions, concerns about this idea?

Patrick S. · Answer

@Dylan Bensinger Classic Silver looks pretty good from what I'm seeing on HD's website. I think the main point is to keep everything neutral and something that hides old stains as well as new ones. I'm no interior decorator so maybe that color doesn't go as well with "everything" as beige would. Someone else's department there.

I would absolutely use a semi-gloss, at the least, in a kitchen or bathroom, especially in a rental. The glossier it is, the more it repels stains and moisture. When it comes to the rest of the walls in the house, flat paint marks and stains easier. It hides better, but I can all but guarantee you'll have to repaint the entire house between renters, as opposed to just touch ups.

While I'm thinking about it, consider rewiring your bathroom fans in your rental units. Put the light and the fan on one switch. That way, if you get a tenant that likes to take hour long showers with the fan off and door closed, they won't be able to and you won't be dealing with moisture, mold, and peeling paint issues down the road.

Deanna McCormick · Answer

NO tenant painting EVER... Use a color that is standard,, or keep the color number so you can match in a year or more..

suggestion,, always paint the inside of closets WHITE.. easy to just touch up and you never have to worry about painting it to match the walls again...

Account Closed · Answer

I agree with Jim. The more colors you use the more you have to keep track of. Keep it all the same across all of your rentals. You have to remember, renters are renting. I get that you want tenants to feel at home but they won't rent if they didn't feel comfortable there. If color bothers them that much then maybe it's a simple way to filter out unwanted tenants. It's like leasing a car. You pay for it but it's not yours. Eventually you will give it back and you can't make changes as you please. That's something you know going into a lease. Same with a rental!

Account Closed · Answer

I have a property manager with a crew that uses a tan/coffee color on the walls with white trim on all of her client's rentals (including mine).  Later, I discovered that tan color really helps to hide stuff.

I have a rental where I painted EVERYTHING white....three to four coats in areas because of grease, crayon marks, etc.  It's easy to do when you're using an airless, but it really got me thinking about that tan/coffee color with white trim LOL.

Berny Petersen · Answer

@Dylan Bensinger  Go for it! I use grey all the time too, mostly for exterior work but its fine inside too. You just don't want to clash with any of the existing finishes or appliances, which is why the soft brown tones are used so much. I use flat on all walls and ceilings. The walls aren't very washable but you can literally repaint a room for a few bucks. I try to use a much tile and masonry as possible in the wet areas, but on exposed plaster/sheetrock in baths in use semi-gloss or satin, depending on the condition of the surface. Like you said, gloss and semi-gloss will show every blemish in the surface.

Berny Petersen · Answer

Agree with most of above, as in addition to rental properties I have also owned a painting business in the past. It's amazing how many people think they can paint but have no clue, and end up costing you time and money. You do not need to paint everything white. Paint the walls "builder beige" , ceilings flat white, and trim semi-gloss white. Remember that there are hundreds of different shades of white and beige, so pick a manufacturer (Sherwin Williams, Glidden, etc.) and a color number, and buy the exact same color every time. That way you can repaint and touch up when needed and always keep a uniform look.

Deanna McCormick · Answer

NO tenant painting EVER... Use a color that is standard,, or keep the color number so you can match in a year or more..

suggestion,, always paint the inside of closets WHITE.. easy to just touch up and you never have to worry about painting it to match the walls again...

I use Whiskers color number 513-4 by shewin williams but you can color match to any brand of paint that is within your budget,, I only but 5 gallon cans. And I use White for trim

Julie Thevenow · Answer

same apartment

Julie Thevenow · Answer

I used sw Skyline Steel for the walls and felted wool for the trim and floors. Same color scheme throughout the entire apartment. It think it would go with any decor the tenant has. I've been using a gray with contrasting grey trim in all of my rentals. Most comment that they love the color and they are glad it's not beige or white.

Of course you will always have one that wants to paint. Don't let them paint.

Good or bad painting idea?

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