Advice on painting brick exterior myself.

[Brian H.]

Howdy folks!

Just about a week away from closing on a property I am going to rehab and sell.  

It has a sort of puke yellow paint on the outside. Sorry, not sure what other word to use.   Whoever painted it also didn't really do the job completely. At the top of the exterior walls where the brick meets the facia and all that stuff there paint is pretty patchy with a lot of the original brick showing through or not even painted.  I'd say 90% of the house has the paint on it.  

Here is the house, I promise the yellow is not as "nice" as in the picture. It's pretty bad in person.  Not sure how to describe other than puke yellow. haha

So, I have a few questions.

1. What sort of paint is best for an exterior brick wall?

2. On the spots where there was never any paint applied, do I need to prime that in some way?

3. Can I just paint over the original paint (after pressure washing, of course!) or do I need to also prime that in some way?

4. Are there any recommended/popular colors for house exteriors right now? Especially brick homes since the texture is different?

5. I am assuming I just need to repaint because it would be a nightmare, if not impossible, to get the paint off the brick house?

6.  It is coming up on Winter, do I need to get this done ASAP before cooler weather sets in?  

Thanks so much for any help!! I am sure I will have other questions, but these were the initial ones that popped into my head.

[Marian Smith]

Paint loves to stick to brick. The reason you don’t see many painted brick houses is that unpainted brick is maintenance free. I have never painted brick but I would think the hardest part would be to get good coverage...you’d need a really fluffy roller to get the mortar joints. Rolling a one story isnt too hard, but if you dont know how to prep and caulk you might hire it out. You need dry weather to paint and usually above freezing (on the paint can). Behr marque can be used at lower temperatures. Your house is cute. I would consider a light gray or taupe to go nicely with the black shutters. And pick an accent color for the front door. Navy is very stylish right now, but not so dark it doesn’t “accent.” That is a look that appeals to both sexes. Of course, cream or off white is always a nice exterior color too. The yellow may be a little much unless you are in a beachy area. Good luck. Fall is also a good time to plant a tree.