Indoor Paint Color for all rentals

General Landlording & Rental Properties
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Indoor Paint Color for all rentals

Anthony Wick
Rental Property Investor · Ankeny, IA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes

Ok, I’m on my phone and just too lazy to search all the past forums.

I want an indoor paint color that I can put in every room, in every rental that I own. You know the routine. Easy to touch up without needing to match color. Buy in 5 gallon buckets and have it laying around. Easy to repaint entire units after a few years.

Doesn’t have to be a long answer, but what do you use for multiple units and properties?

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Clark Kirkpatrick
Contractor · Pottstown, PA · Member since 2018 · 216 posts · 160 votes
7y

Light gray with white trim and white ceilings. Makes the trim pop, isn't just boring white and isn't a love-hate sort of color scheme.

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  • Account Closed
    Investor · Gardena, CA · Member since 2017 · 445 posts · 398 votes
    7y

    This is a lovable thread! This is Behr Linen white with a satin finish. While I would do a home with a ligh gray, every apartment I own is 100% Linen white satin on walls, ceilings, hallways, bathrooms and doors. This color is super neurtal, not too light, not to dark, not too shiny, not too flat and I honestly believe it helps make people to relax. I use this same color in my office building for my company and for my personal residence. I think white ceilings, white semi gloss or high gloss trim and doors went out of style 40 years ago.

    0Reply
  • Mike C.
    Financial Advisor · Member since 2019 · 5 posts · 7 votes
    7y

    @Anthony Wick we use Buckskin with white trim

    0Reply
  • Account Closed
    Investor · Gardena, CA · Member since 2017 · 445 posts · 398 votes
    7y

    The strange thing is; for apartments, we tried painting the ceiling with Ceiling White paint and we actually liked having the ceilings the same color as the walls. We also tried painting the doors and trim white and we still like one color better. Not one person or tenant ever made a statement about not liking everything one color and it sure makes it easy to touch up and paint apartments.

    1Reply
  • Jeffrey Bower
    Member since 2019 · 94 posts · 50 votes
    7y

    I like the light gray with white trim and ceilings. That or a white wall to make the room feel bigger.

    0Reply
  • Todd Concienne
    Youngsville, NC · Member since 2017 · 27 posts · 14 votes
    7y

    @Anthony Wick blizzard fog by valspar with white trim. We do it in every rental, every room. It a nice light gray that goes well with our standard flooring, countertops, tile, etc.

    0Reply
  • Account Closed
    Investor · Gardena, CA · Member since 2017 · 445 posts · 398 votes
    7y

    I see where gray colors are the trend, but throughout my entire life I always thought the consensus was that gray and blue are depressing colors. I just painted a 3-bathroom house and all the bathrooms were gray. We changed the bathrooms to Linen White and it was a huge improvement over the depressing gray.

    1Reply
  • Martin NealPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2017 · 293 posts · 383 votes
    7y

    @Anthony Wick I love the Behr Ground Fog with white trim in semi gloss. White flat ceiling. Good contrast and tenants love it.

    1Reply
  • Benjamin Pekarek
    Rental Property Investor · Asheville, NC · Member since 2015 · 307 posts · 127 votes
    7y

    I use Sandstone Cove in Behr. I can get it at any Home Depot in the country, the color is uniform throughout my units, and my units typically rent in 24 hours (I usually have a waiting list.)

    0Reply
  • Haseeb M.
    Real Estate Agent · Hoffman Estates, IL · Member since 2017 · 90 posts · 68 votes
    7y

    @Max T.

    I agree with posts here that it attracts better quality tenants. I have seen it happen more than once....

    0Reply
  • Haseeb M.
    Real Estate Agent · Hoffman Estates, IL · Member since 2017 · 90 posts · 68 votes
    7y

    @Nathan Shotts

    HD will recreate SW colors as well.

    0Reply
  • Max T.
    Investor · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    7y

    @Haseeb M.

    Honestly as long as he doesn’t lick something wild he will he fine. It’s good business sense to use the same color for all properties in a portfolio. When repainting only one coat is required vs 2 when changing colors.

    2Reply
  • Joe A.Business Member
    Realtor · Waco, TX · Member since 2018 · 76 posts · 80 votes
    7y

    @Anthony Wick

    Walls

    SW 7668

    March Wind

    Trim

    SW 7005

    Pure White

    254-242-9099
    0Reply
  • Erin K.
    Professional · Loudonville, OH · Member since 2015 · 125 posts · 37 votes
    7y

    @Anthony Wick

    Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore, with Dove White trim in ours. Get lots of compliments.

    0Reply
  • Brandon P.Pro Member
    Investor · Paradise, CA · Member since 2015 · 102 posts · 15 votes
    7y

    Sw Accessible Beige

    1Reply
  • Brendon Penner
    Rental Property Investor · Raleigh, NC · Member since 2019 · 17 posts · 4 votes
    7y

    @Brian Varmuza

    Brian thanks for the picture here. Looks great. What type of flooring and color have you chosen?

    0Reply
  • Erin Horn
    Rental Property Investor · Rye, NH · Member since 2017 · 4 posts · 0 votes
    7y

    White trim in a semi-gloss for easy cleaning.  Walls in Silver Satin (light grey) by Behr in eggshell finish.  For my own home I always use Ben Moore, but for half the price, Behr Paint from Home Depot is great for my rentals!

    0Reply
  • Jamie O'Brien
    Flipper/Rehabber · Birmingham, AL · Member since 2016 · 74 posts · 58 votes
    7y

    Revere Pewter color matched by Sherwin Williams. White Trim, doors and ceilings.

    0Reply
  • Joe Christopher Balderas
    Member since 2019 · 1 post · 0 votes
    7y

    Semi-gloss Behr Raffia Cream

    0Reply
  • Mike Franco
    Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2013 · 555 posts · 261 votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Account Closed:

    I see where gray colors are the trend, but throughout my entire life I always thought the consensus was that gray and blue are depressing colors. I just painted a 3-bathroom house and all the bathrooms were gray. We changed the bathrooms to Linen White and it was a huge improvement over the depressing gray.

     Exactly. Following trends is just dumb. It creates more work. Picking something timeless is better. 

    Look how fast beige went out of style. Beige just looked dirty, just as some would say gray looks depressing.

    I was just at Lowes paint section yesterday, and some little girl said she like gray. Her mom responded that she hates gray. That little girl was impressionable.

    I think there are more people who would not be offended by offwhite than there are people who prefer gray. I find it hard to believe that there are tons of tenants who want to rent a house based on having gray interior paint.

    One guy here said you can change colors with trends, but it takes more LABOR to do that. If you just stick with off-white, you can slap just one coat of paint and be done, and it will always be in style.

    There's a house I just saw listed for rent which had gray walls. Look at this yuck...  

    0Reply
  • Kelen Weathers
    Member since 2019 · 8 posts · 3 votes
    7y

    @Anthony Wick

    Sherwin Williams Agreeable Grey

    0Reply
  • Sammy Batra
    Investor · VA · Member since 2019 · 2 posts · 0 votes
    7y

    @Anthony Wick

    Agreeable Gray or Repose Gray work great.

    0Reply
  • Robert Duncan
    Developer · CT · Member since 2014 · 24 posts · 56 votes
    7y

    @Anthony Wick I think agreeable gray is a great color.

    0Reply
  • Anthony Wick
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Ankeny, IA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    7y

    @Account Closed Economies of scale and ease. The more units I acquire, the easier I want things to be. Boring? Maybe. Why would I care if it's not "colorful" enough? I've never had any potential tenant say they wouldn't rent a unit because the rooms aren't all a different color. 

    0Reply
  • Anthony Wick
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Ankeny, IA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    7y

    A ton of people stating "with white trim". Well, the trim is stained wood in all my rentals. And I'm not changing all of those. But ya, that would be nice. 

    0Reply
  • Glenn F.
    Rental Property Investor · Virginia Beach, VA · Member since 2014 · 41 posts · 9 votes
    7y

    I would stay away from the grays because it's the fad right now. Think how Corian, wallpapers, and avocado colors were once fads too. Think a decade out.

    I stick with off white eggshell walls, and high gloss on trim. High gloss is really durable and easy to clean and the contrast against the off white still looks custom vs cheap white apartment. 

    0Reply
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