Paneling vs Drywall
Hello BP community. I need some help! I recently bought a little 720sqft lake house here in North East Missouri that I plan to live in for a couple years then sell. I paid $72,500 and it appraised for $88,000. I’m doing cosmetic updates throughout the house (floors, recessed lighting, cabinets, etc). Every wall is wood paneling, and I’m wondering if I should paint over it, or drywall this whole house. Verbal bid of $5,500 to drywall the house from my general contractor, but I’m assuming it will take more than that. Any advice would be appreciated, thank you!
#3 BRRRR - Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat Contributor
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#3 BRRRR - Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat Contributor
- Investor
- Austin, TX
I always drywall, paneling is outdated.
I have midcentury Modern that was full of wood paneling. I painted white and it looks great. You can look in FB under Herschel Rehab.
Since this is your private residence and it's very small, I would not spend the money on changing it to drywall. But I assume that this small cabin likely looks even smaller through wood paneling and painting it white would greatly lighten it up.
We did a property and painted the paneling ... looked great and feedback was positive. A lighter color will make it look larger.
Tips: wipe the surface down with a solution of TSP. Then use a coat of bonding primer to make sure the paint adheres. This is not your usual primer so make sure you get bonding primer. It works even on a glossy surface. Without the paint will come of easily.
I guess the real question is what is your budget and what do are your comps on a resell? Does the large expense of drywall fit into your overall plan/budget? I would suggest you paint the paneling, It'll look great. As Andy mentioned, make sure the paneling is clean before using an oil based bonding primer. Any paint store will know exactly what you need. This ensures that the old oils and colors don't bleed through the new paint.