Did I make a mistake painting the house blue!?

Did I make a mistake painting the house blue!?

Flipper/Rehabber · Tampa, FL · Member since 2018 · 60 posts · 20 votes
I’m on my very first flIP and every single decision gives me anxiety because I do not want to make the wrong choice. So far I think I have done well with picking floors and indoor paint, cabinets, etc... BUT I think I may have screwed up with the exterior paint. I picked blue, and after painting it my contractor tells me “as an investor it’s not smart to go with blue”. So now I’m second guessing every decision I have made including the exterior paint. I chose the color because I really wanted the house to catch people’s eye and not just be a boring beige and I would have done grey except there is a lot of grey inside the house and I just thought making the house grey would just be grey overkill. I’m sure this is probably a silly topic to most experienced investors so I apologize, but it’s my first flip and I don’t know a good rule of the thumb for this stuff. Like fans or light fixtures in which rooms and how to make sure everything flows together in scheme (modern, contemporary, industrial, etc) and how to pick the right colors. Help! P.s the color is sherwin Williams “poolhouse”
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Hudson, OH · Member since 2016 · 8 posts · 32 votes
7y

Hi Mandi.  As a designer who does staging consults for resale and has just gotten into flipping myself I would like to field this one for you because it is much more complicated than just color choice.  I disagree with your contractor that "as an investor it's not smart to go with blue".  Blanket statements should never be made about real estate, design, or life in general for that matter.  It truly depends on your market!  There have been some highly unscientific "studies" that show that blue houses sell for less, but these did not analyze individual markets, architectural style or appeal of varying shades of blue.  Additionally, architectural and decorative features of the home usually figure heavily into whether or not blue is acceptable and should be considered as well.

To illustrate take a look at these these stunners below:

I don't think anyone would disagree that these are all highly marketable properties and they are all done in various shades of blue. The first is a Coastal home, second Tudor and third Craftsman cottage.  Notice that white was chosen as a trim for each of these which sharpens the look and breaks up the color, and there is significant architectural and design detail that makes these homes interesting.

Now, look at these homes:

Not horrible, but an old metal awning and iron railings on the porch and no architectural detail make this blue house less appealing. Notice the color of the house is not the problem here.  A new portico and craftsman columns on this porch would really boost the curb appeal, as would some plantings to soften the look of the foundation. 

Again, you can see the color is not the problem with this house.  An overgrown bush, yard ornaments and odd bicolor door and trim add to the lack of appeal here.  The two siding orientations don't help either.  I would change the siding where it was hung vertically to something more eye catching like shakes or board and batten, add some beefier white trim around the window and door, paint the front door black and clear out that front yard.  Voila!  Cute blue cottage.

I think you picked a beautiful blue, but if you are feeling uneasy about it, analyze the other details of the facade to make sure the color isn't falling flat.  You don't have to spend a mint!  Often it's small changes that make the most difference.  I hope this helps and good luck.  Let me know if you need any clarification.

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  • Phillip LanierPro Member
    Uvalde, TX · Member since 2016 · 141 posts · 45 votes
    7y

    @Mandi Martinez

    Contractors want to become designers!  Don't listen to them!  My wife does all the designs, colors, etc.  Every single time she tells the contractor what she wants, they give her negative feed back.  She simply thanks them for their opinion and tells them to do the work.  In the end, it always comes out beautiful.  One of our houses ended up in the Texas Farm and Home magazine.  And guess what color it was.  Blue!

    Here is the article with photos:  http://texasfarmandhome.com/2017/08/11/an-amazing-...

    This is the house.

    We converted a single story house and put in Nantucket dormer windows and our contractor said it will look ugly and not symmetrical.  He told us that he's the expert and has been doing this type of work for 20 years, blah blah blah.  It's the same story I hear from all the contractors.  

    Here is the two story convert:

    BEFORE:

    AFTER:

    Blue is is a good color.  Now we are seeing a lot of blue houses pop up in our area ever since we did that first house that made the magazine.  

    If you want opinions, talk to realtors and other investors.  They are the ones that have a better pulse on the market trends.  Not your contractor.

    Good luck!!!!

    [Link Removed by Moderators]

  • Flipper/Rehabber · FLA · Member since 2018 · 7 posts · 1 vote
    7y

    Hi Mandi, painting my plant city rehab blue this weekend! 

  • Karen MargraveBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Realtor, General Contractor, and Developer · Redding, CA · Member since 2009 · 7k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    7y

    @Mandi Martinez this is one you definitely need to have a photo, because the devil is in the details. Blue comes in many different shades and hues. However; as others have mentioned, it depends on other factors, such as style of the house, neighborhood, etc. You want to have your property work with the neighboring properties, and not stick out like a sore thumb, just to be different. Hopefully you'll figure out how to upload a photo so that we can see it. Good luck! 

  • JD MartinBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    7y

    Agreed ^^ You need to post a photo for anyone to give you an informed opinion. There's virtually no color that can't work somewhere given the right conditions, but not all colors work everywhere. Look at Rainbow Row in Charleston. Some of those colors would have your house sitting on the market forever anyplace else. But Rainbow Row would be destroyed, along with a lot of financial value, if they got to paint the houses beige or battleship gray. 

    Skyline Properties
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  • Rental Property Investor · New Castle, DE · Member since 2016 · 376 posts · 158 votes
    7y

    That color is one of my favorite blue's!  I've only seen one house in my area with that steely-blue and I love riding by it!  I'm always one for being different and the family / person who purchases it will stand out from the crowd :)  I say stick with it and well wishes on selling it FAST!!!

  • Flipper/Rehabber · Tampa, FL · Member since 2018 · 60 posts · 20 votes
    7y
    @Phillip Lanier awesome awesome!!! You guys have great taste! Those homes are gorgeous. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond and your constructive feedback. I’ll definitely remember it next time the contractor tells me I’m making a bad decision.
  • Joe SplitrockPro Member
    Moderator
    Rental Property Investor · Sioux Falls, SD · Member since 2015 · 9k+ posts · 18k+ votes
    7y

    @Mandi Martinez blue can be a tough color. People behind me painted their house blue in a neighborhood of earth tone houses. They wanted it to stand out. Now I have to stare at their ugly house out my dining room window. They never have to look at it because they live in it. 

    The point is houses don't need to stand out. A neighborhood should blend together so it looks nice. 

    That being said, slate blue type colors are ok. It is smurf blue that is the problem.

  • Flipper/Rehabber · Tampa, FL · Member since 2018 · 60 posts · 20 votes
    7y
    @Cassandra Sifford thank you Cassandra! I love it too. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond. I hope whomever sees it will feel the same.
  • Investor · NJ · Member since 2017 · 786 posts · 396 votes
    7y

    @Mandi Martinez In the right area a blue house might not be such a big deal. If the area attracts a younger or more contemporary crowd you may be ok, if the buyers or renters are a bit more traditional it may have been a bit of a misstep but its probably not the end of the world. When selling or renting the house market to its strengths and positive attributes if you're concerned that your paint color was a mistake.

  • Specialist · Pasadena, CA · Member since 2017 · 133 posts · 86 votes
    7y

    @Mandi Martinez It depends on the market, but being bolder can help give your company a certain style that buyers will search out for.

    In my area, there is a flipper who has a very specific style, but it all comes together. He painted the house mint green, but sold the house above asking price. He has many other projects and people want to buy his homes because they like his style. It may limit your buyer pool, but you just need two buyers to create a bidding war.

    You should let the demographics in your area guide you as to what is appropriate and not blanket statements that neutral paint is best. 

  • Flipper/Rehabber · Tampa, FL · Member since 2018 · 60 posts · 20 votes
    7y
    @Vaughn Smith thank you for your response Vaughn. I definitely think it fits in well with the area. It doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb but it catches the eye when you drive by. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.
  • Specialist · Louisville, KY · Member since 2017 · 166 posts · 154 votes
    7y
    @Mandi Martinez When we built our last house, we used a SW color that I thought would be blue-gray. Nope, turned out crazy robin’s egg blue. I actually asked the builder if it was just primer... I will say, the interior was fantastic, great finishes, etc... but it went into contract in 3 days, in a development that still had plenty of lots, in November, in Central Ohio.
  • Rental Property Investor · Holladay, TN · Member since 2018 · 10 posts · 2 votes
    7y
    @Mandi Martinez I’m new to REI myself so I’m not sure how qualified my opinion is but I think you done ok. I looked up the color and I like it.
  • Coppell, TX · Member since 2015 · 485 posts · 310 votes
    7y

    @Luka Milicevic any pics by chance? I'd love to see the green you are talking about.

  • Real Estate Agent · Commerce CIty, CO · Member since 2018 · 127 posts · 78 votes
    7y

    I would have to see pics as well. But im leaning more towards it not being a huge issue. The color isn't going to be a determining factor for renters or buyers.

  • Investor · Houston, TX · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 871 votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Mandi Martinez:
    @Mark Sewell mark! I love it! Thank you for the response. What’s the name of the color you used? It’s great! Where did you find the inspiration?

    I left the color decision to my wife and my teen daughter.  They hashed it out.  Got it from Sherman Williams, cannot remember the name. 

    One thing I do remember is that we looked around the street and just looked at the other colors, so that we weren't too close in color to any of the neighbor houses.  This seemed fairly neutral and so we went with it.

    The inspiration came from my hard money lender, who told me that the existing color looked horrible.  Said I better paint the outside, too.  So my renovation budget too yet another major blow, but it sold.  

  • Rental Property Investor · New Castle, DE · Member since 2016 · 376 posts · 158 votes
    7y

    @Mandi Martinez ... You're very welcome!  You may be the one to bring about change in the neighborhood!  Leaving a lasting impression as the one who came in and broke the mold LOL  It'll be a quick sale and you'll move onto the next one ready to take some design risks again ;)

  • Real Estate Agent · Austin, TX · Member since 2016 · 96 posts · 69 votes
    7y
    @Mandi Martinez @Mandi Martinez I think a couple people have touched on this, but I think the biggest factor is what the rest of the neighborhood/immediate area looks like. Whatever you want to do it needs to be supported by previous sales. In Austin where we are, in certain areas it is perfectly reasonable to paint a house blue, or to do certain things that may be a little different. I know this example is exaggerated, but imagine tearing down an existing home to build a new one. What square footage should you build? How many bedrooms and bathrooms? How many stories? It just depends on the new construction comps that you have available. Look in the recent past and see what someone else did. I think as a rule of thumb when you are flipping a home you need to stick with the basics and what is more on the “normal” side, but if that whole neighborhood has blue and yellow homes than that is the “norm” in that immediate area. Just my 2 cents :)
  • West Lafayette, IN · Member since 2018 · 31 posts · 20 votes
    7y

    I bought my prior cape cod-style house because it WAS blue and it stood out from all  the blah tan houses.  It was a tad more vibrant blue that I would have chosen.  My current colonial house coincidently it also blue.  Kind of a blueberry blue.  We did not pick the color but we get compliments all the time 

  • Flipper/Rehabber · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 15 posts · 2 votes
    7y
    @Mandi Martinez Hey Mandi ,Ive been looking to actually connect with someone in Florida to explore the options of going jv on a flip .
  • Rental Property Investor · Upstate, NY · Member since 2012 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    7y

    can you believe this one....must be GOTH !!!

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