Settle a paint color debate

[clairebear]

I do property management and one of the home I manage is owned by my dad. This home recently vacated and he has decided to sell. Think basic 3/2, 1800 square feet, built in 2004 with original kitchen and bathrooms, laminate countertops, but new luxury vinyl floor throughout. We've always kept the interior walls painted flat white and then just repainted flat white between tenants. I say he needs to paint the walls a neutral color with semi gloss white trim and doors. He wants to repaint flat white walls with semi gloss white trim and doors. To which I said if we have to do white walls, just save the labor and paint everything flat white. Keep in mind we are doing all the work ourselves. So if you were a buyer would you notice the trim and doors being the same color but different sheen? Or would it matter and you wouldn't care that everything is the same sheen? 

[shopgirl07]

I hate flat paint. I’d paint it all the same sheen, either eggshell or semi gloss. I have all semi gloss so that’s what I’d do.

[noodleoo]

I also hate flat paint. It doesn’t wear well at all. I prefer satin for walls and for trim, I’d go semi-gloss or high gloss. Higher gloss paint is more durable and washable as opposed to flat which is a PITA to clean. If you are spending the money to paint and the time, do it right.

I also hate white walls (especially flat white which screams rental). If I were buying I’d prefer a nice neutral color on the walls and white trim.

[isabel]

All the walls in our house are flat white and I fucking loathe them. They clean up terribly, the paint is shitty quality, they look terrible. And so instead of the seller spending an extra few hundred bucks on eggshell decent quality paint, now I get to either spend a shit ton of time or money to repaint my entire house.

So yeah, either don't bother repainting or use decent quality paint in a sheen that actually cleans up ok.

[Patsy Baloney]

If I was the buyer, I probably wouldn’t look at paint because that’s an easy fix for me.

Generally, I prefer satin/semi-gloss and a color (not white). I don’t think I would register a difference at all between the sheens of a white wall and white trim.

[wanderingback]

I do not know what any of this means so I probably would not care/notice.

[InBetweenDays]

Flat paint depends on the quality. We have flat paint on the walls throughout our house (Benjamin Moore Aura) and I love it. Eggshell is fine too but i would not do semigloss on walls. I also would NOT do flat paint on the trim.

So my vote no matter the color would be for semigloss on trim, flat or eggshell on walls.

ETA: The more glossy the paint the more it shows imperfections on the walls, so be mindful of that.

Also I wouldn't care too much about color/sheen of the walls because that is easy to repaint. I would care about sheen of the trim because I find repainting trim to be a pain in the ass. So I'd be turned off by flat paint on the trim.

[plutosmoon]

I like eggshell on my walls, glossy or semi gloss paint really highlights any imperfections in the wall or in the paint job itself. I used satin on my trim, a step below semi gloss. The paint store I use recommends offsetting the sheen on your walls and trim, trim should be 1-2 sheens higher.

Flat white walls are probably fine, but I would not do flat trim, anyone who has ever painted trim will notice, and trim is super annoying to repaint. I've bought 3 houses and repainted all 3 upon buying, so wall paint isn't a deal breaker for me since I want to pick my own colors. If I can avoid painting trim, that's a big plus to me.

[redheadk]

I would 100% notice flat paint on trim and would be very turned off. It's not the norm at all, for good reason, and I would be very wary about what it signals to the buyer.

Also, you can generally increase sheen but not decrease sheen successfully without at least lightly sanding or the paint is just going to peel/flake off.

No to semi-gloss on walls. In your situation, I'd play it safe and go with eggshell on the walls. I'd care less about the color so long as it's neutral but since color doesn't cost more, I'd choose an off-white that compliments the existing finishes in the home just to make it look attractive to buyers.

[Roc A Bee]

I’d definitely do semi gloss on the trim and doors.

Our walls are flat in living and bedrooms and semigloss in kitchen and baths. It’s SW paint so a good quality. This is just how the builder did it; I didn’t choose it, but it’s totally fine.

[sometimesrunner]

Flat paint in the trim is a travesty, so I would definitely notice that. And it’s a huge PITA to paint trim, so that would be a huge negative. I wouldn’t care about the wall color. When we bought our current house, every single room was painted a terrible color. Puke green, dark brown, red, orange…we had every single wall repainted before we moved in.

[chickadee77]

Jan 21, 2024 23:50:02 GMT -5 redheadk said:

I would 100% notice flat paint on trim and would be very turned off. It's not the norm at all, for good reason, and I would be very wary about what it signals to the buyer.

Also, you can generally increase sheen but not decrease sheen successfully without at least lightly sanding or the paint is just going to peel/flake off.

No to semi-gloss on walls. In your situation, I'd play it safe and go with eggshell on the walls. I'd care less about the color so long as it's neutral but since color doesn't cost more, I'd choose an off-white that compliments the existing finishes in the home just to make it look attractive to buyers.

Agree with all of this. I would totally notice flat trim and hate it. I don't mind flat walls, especially in white, because I'd likely be repainting anyhow. Flat trim would make me kind of wonder if other corners were cut that aren't as visible.

[heygrey]

As a buyer, I would notice flat paint on trim and it would signal to me that the seller isn’t knowledgeable about home maintenance and appropriate products for different applications.

This did not stop me from purchasing a home with flat paint on the trim, but I immediately looked for other imperfections and mentally deducted from our offer knowing I would have to fix a lot. I was 100% correct and we have fixed many “small” things that the previous owners did not do well.

I might be in the minority of buyers, but I would absolutely not choose a flat paint. Eggshell or satin would be an improvement if you’re going to paint everything the same.

[mich1]

Jan 21, 2024 22:48:19 GMT -5 clairebear said:

I do property management and one of the home I manage is owned by my dad. This home recently vacated and he has decided to sell. Think basic 3/2, 1800 square feet, built in 2004 with original kitchen and bathrooms, laminate countertops, but new luxury vinyl floor throughout. We've always kept the interior walls painted flat white and then just repainted flat white between tenants. I say he needs to paint the walls a neutral color with semi gloss white trim and doors. He wants to repaint flat white walls with semi gloss white trim and doors. To which I said if we have to do white walls, just save the labor and paint everything flat white. Keep in mind we are doing all the work ourselves. So if you were a buyer would you notice the trim and doors being the same color but different sheen? Or would it matter and you wouldn't care that everything is the same sheen? 

Why not offer the buyer a painting credit?  I’d appreciate that more than coming in and needing to repaint over the freshly painted white.

[mrsukyankee]

We purchased our house knowing that we'd have to paint it eventually. I've never repainted a house to sell and won't. It's not worth the time or money when many buyers will want to paint themselves. (I mean it if it was disgusting, I might, but honestly, it's nothing that has kept our houses for selling at expected price).

[VillainV]

If he’s going to paint it anyway, please don’t just do flat white everywhere. At least do a semi-gloss or gloss on the trim, and a nice neutral on the walls.

[cuadrado]

I don’t care about flat paint in the walls (way easier to touch up with paint) but I would absolutely hate to see flat paint on the trim and doors.

[SusanBAnthony]

Definitely semi gloss white trim.

Walls I guess could go either way. I think most people don't immediately want to paint a whole house when they move in, and most people aren't great at visualizing, so I would paint the walls a satin finish in a neutral color.

Flat paint is awful, so unless you plan to use super high end paint don't do it.

[penguingrrl]

I hate flat paint and hate white paint, but wouldn’t care if I were looking to buy. I use color on my walls and always a matte finish for the walls, semi gloss for the trim. I can’t envision the trim and walls as the same finish, that would feel unfinished to me.

However, the first thing I did when I bought my house was repainted basically every room. The sellers had had the house professionally painted to put it on the market and it was a waste because she chose awful colors that clashed with my style and even clashed with the house itself (the kitchen has yellow tile on half the walls that’s original to the 1920s and she picked a trendy grey that clashed with that tile, and you can see that tile from the entire downstairs). I wouldn’t have noticed or cared about color because I never would leave white on the walls and I assume that if someone paints to market a property they’ve used the cheapest paint possible.

[shauni27]

Jan 22, 2024 0:13:51 GMT -5 sometimesrunner said:

Flat paint in the trim is a travesty, so I would definitely notice that. And it’s a huge PITA to paint trim, so that would be a huge negative. I wouldn’t care about the wall color. 

this is the only thing I would notice. Flat white or neutral is not going to deter me from buying a house, and honestly even the trim wouldn't, but I think it would absolutely look terrible to have flat white on the trip.

[orangello]

Do not do flat paint on trim. That should never be an option.

[lolalolalola]

Agree with the others —- trim and doors semi gloss.

100% of our house walls are currently white flat and I love it.

[livinitup]

No, I wouldn’t do the same thing you do between tenants to prep to sell. It just screams cheap.

As a labor saver, I might use the same color on the trim as the wall (different finishes) so I don’t have to be too careful about taping and trimming. A neutral color would show better, though. But if I had to do the labor, that’s the corner I’d cut.

[midwestmama]

My vote would be for a light neutral on the walls in an eggshell finish at the least (although satin finish makes more sense, since that is the minimum for a bathroom and that way you only have to get one paint for the walls) and semigloss white for the trim. I think a neutral color with white trim will show much better/be more appealing to prospective buyers.

[rubytue]

Please use an eggshell finish on the walls. Yes, I would be super annoyed if trim was painted with a flat finish. 1 x It scuffs so easily it’s going to need to be repainted in weeks. 2 - trim is such a bitch to paint. Wall colors, I don’t care about, but trim? Fuck painting a whole house of trim.

Also, our current house we bought from an estate. They had somone come through and paint everything, a flat yellow/cream. It’s mostly gone, save one fireplace (why?! Man I wish that was natural brick). But at least trim and bookcases were a semigloss white. So we haven’t had to do trim. It wouldn’t have stopped me buying the house, but I’d be bitching for months if I had to redo the trim.

[Susie]

Jan 21, 2024 22:48:19 GMT -5 clairebear said:

I say he needs to paint the walls a neutral color with semi gloss white trim and doors.  This is the best option.

He wants to repaint flat white walls with semi gloss white trim and doors.  So... he wants to use ceiling paint on the walls?  It's not the worst option here, but it's not good either.  Nobody wants to live with that, so buyers are going to feel like they immediately have to paint.  That's not a selling point.

To which I said if we have to do white walls, just save the labor and paint everything flat white.  omg no don't do that.  This is by far the worst option.  It would give major "poorly executed flip" vibes.  

If the trim is already gloss or semi-gloss, it will wipe down much better than the walls.  If you are looking for a shortcut, I'd wipe down the trim but not paint it unless it reallllly needs it.  Then you can paint the walls only.  I would do something in the gray, greige, or beige area.

[sonrisa]

What is the natural light in the house like? Use your paint to maximize that (people don’t buy a house for a paint color but they do notice how light or dark it feels). Flat paint absorbs more light than eggshell and any grey/greige/beige will also bring the perceived light level down a tad.

[eddy]

I would not want trim to be in a flat paint. That would be so hard to clean up. For ease of use I suggest you paint with some sort of gloss just as a kindness to the next owners.

[penelope]

I can't imagine not buying a house that I want because of paint. That is so fixable. Personally, I wouldn't want what you are suggesting but when we were looking to purchase, our concerns were much bigger than something that a weekend of labor can fix. Tile in the bathroom, kitchen cabinets, flooring....things like that were deal breakers for us. Our house looked like the previous owners found a clearance sale at Sherwin Williams or something, every room was such odd, bright colors. We didn't think twice about that, the layout worked, the land was what we wanted, the infrastructure was solid. Paint was just a project we would get to.

[gardengal]

I guess how competitive is your housing market? If things are snatched up 30sec after you make the decision to sell, with multiple offers & not even on the market, then maybe paint doesn't matter.

But if it's slower & it needs to move fast at top price, I'd at least make sure trim is semigloss as I agree with pp, I'd definitely notice & I'd wonder if there's other "atypical" maintenance choices that have been made. I also really hate flat paint but it seems somehow less daunting to repaint walls vs. repainting trim AND walls. Also, do not do semigloss on walls; it will definitely show every tiny issue which will just give more pauses to buyers.