Spring Spruce Up: Tips for Painting Your Home

A new coat of paint can make your home—and you—glow with happiness. If you are considering selling, why not get it out of the way now so your time will be free for other repairs? 

As with most home projects, prepping is key and will guarantee the best results. Here are a few tips from Angie’s List to think about beforehand:

• First, check with your homeowner's association to see if you need a permit.

• After you receive approval for your project, have the house power-washed to remove mildew and dirt. You can’t paint on top of mildew. (Well, you CAN, it just won't last!) Painters may or may not be equipped or trained for this job, so interview them carefully if they offer to do it. If you’re not confident, call a power-washing company that you trust. If you’re really handy, rent a professional power-washer and do it yourself. Important: give the house at least 24 hours to dry.

• After the house has dried, make sure that the painters will be scraping any areas that may have loose or flaking paint.

• Confirm that your painters will caulk any cracked seams between clapboards or along vertical junctions.

• Have any necessary repairs made. Ask your painters to inspect your home for visual nails; they have a tool for recessing the nail, then they can caulk over it.

• Check and see if your painter will be using mildew resistant paint.

• Trim back overgrown bushes and trees.

• And finally, don’t forget the eaves of your house. They may need re-staining.

Things we love: Color Visualizer

Sometimes we come across something so cool that we just HAVE to share it with our readers! We found two tools that allow you to try out paint colors virtually.

The first one is “Color Snap” by Sherwin Williams. The site allows you to quickly and easily choose any of their paints and apply them to a number of predesigned rooms and house exteriors. For those who are more graphics savvy, we fell in love with the Olympic “Paint Visualizer” tool that allows the user to upload a photo to truly customize your paint job.

Also, you may be surprised at how many apps are available right on your phone. Have a favorite paint visualizer app? Please share it in the comments!