Painting: Using The Same Color Scheme Or Not?

Question

Hey everyone,

If you are flipping homes, do you  use the same color schemes for all your houses, do you have a couple of different color schemes you select from, or is it different every time? What would you guys recommend?

Roy N. · Answer

If you were farming one particular neighbourhood for your flips, I'd be concerned about painting them all the same colour selection as no-one wants to walk into their neighbours house and find it absolutely identical.   Selecting different sets colours from a common palette for houses near to one another may have benefit.

An alternative, if you can get your flips under contract before they are finished, is to provide the buyer the option of selecting the paint colours.

The bland overuse of "builder beige" is one of the things I always notice when touring a new subdivision or row house development.

We are buy and hold investors and use a common palette across our units; even then, I try to vary things a little between two neighbouring properties - perhaps different accent wall colours or light fixtures, etc.

John Myers · Answer

I use the same colors on most of my flips and rental properties.  I paint the walls practical beige, the doors and base boards are semi gloss white.  Closets are painted white, and if the bathrooms are small, they are painted white.

This is a very neutral color scheme, but people love it.

I am only flipping homes in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho NM.  I have flipped homes that have sold from $115,000 to $290,000.

I certainly understand the concept of different colors for different homes and styles.

Good Luck

James Scholz · Answer

Yea open houses. The ones that agents have listed and you can go walk around them. Or look online and see what the interiors are.

Chris Winterhalter · Answer

Mike V.

It depends how much your flips vary in location, price point, & style.  If they are all similar & the color scheme is working then I would stick with it (until style changes are appropriate).  One of the most difficult aspects of flipping houses is the scalability.  Flips can be extremely time consuming especially for the first few.  Any system you can put in place to free up more time is key.  Each flip will be unique so you don't want to take away the uniqueness either.  When I was flipping properties we ran all color schemes by our stager & realtor.  They were key in keeping our SOW's & designs in check.  Our price point was below 350k so we never really consulted a professional designer (except once).

So in short if they are all similar locations, price points, & styles (& the color scheme is working) then I would stick with it.  From time to time run the colors by your team if changes are needed.  If you are flipping different types of properties, locations, etc then you may need to address the color scheme on a project basis.  Good luck!

Jeff McCaskey · Answer

I use earth tones on all my properties rentals and flips. Usually there are degrees of quality from one paint to another from the same brand such as Valspar. A cheaper house gets decent but less expensive paint, and much higher value property gets a higher grade of paint.

It was my research before getting started that picking 2-3 colors both interior and exterior will allow you to use left over paint on the next project as well as change it up from one unit to another.

Timothy Pruner · Answer

John Myers paints the same way we do. Everything we paint for landlords or people wanting to put their home on the market is just like he does. We have never heard of a unhappy tenant or homeowner with those colors.

James Scholz · Answer

If you're doing the same sort of house every time, then you can get away with the same colour scheme. Its a bit more efficient as you can keep the half-used tins of paint for future places.

Though like everything here, do your research on each property regardless.i.e. have a look at what is popular in the area at the moment and see if what you're doing fits with peoples expectations in the neighbourhood.

Jeff McCaskey · Answer

Mike V.

Hey no problem! Glad you could use the info. Best of luck in MD buddy.

James Scholz · Answer

Mike V. - Look at the current open homes. You should be able to see which ones have been recently done up. If you want to go further you can keep a record and see which ones sell faster/higher prices etc. Or ask the local agents + stagers if they have any opinions.

i.e. everyone tends to go for some shade of beige when flipping, but in Auckland you basically go for grey or white inside. Beige was big here in the 90s and there were a lot of badly built houses in the 90s. So it comes across as dated compared to what is being done now.

Mike V. · Answer

Thanks brother!

Painting: Using The Same Color Scheme Or Not?

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