Which paint should I use for my flip?

San Antonio, TX · Member since 2013 · 17 posts · 0 votes

I bought a short sale for 315 in a 500k area, the home has not been painted before, the home should be painted but I want to keep the entire budget for the flip below 10k. I don't want to buy cheap paint but I don't want to buy the $60 dollars a gallon stuff either. I've looked at Craigslist and found paint but its a set color and I don't want to do that either. Anyone have any tips for where to find good paint at close out prices? One other note I am aware that lowes, Home Depot, and sherwin Williams do have paint returns that they sell cheap.

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Brandon TurnerPro Member

Investor · Maui, HI · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 3k+ votes

13y

Last year I decided to do a test on Paint -

I bought the exact same color from several different places and brands including:

1.) Home Depot Glidden
2.) Home Depot Behr
3.) Home Depot Behr Paint and Primer in One
4.) Home Depot Speed-Wall
5.) Home Depot Kilz ProX (Kilz's paint, not the primer)
6.) Sherwin Williams High End
7.) Sherwin Williams Low End
8.) Wal-Mart ColorPlace
9.) Wal-Mart Dutch Boy.

And here is what I found:

Every single kind of paint required 2 coats (except for one) and they all looked the same after. Yes - the expensive stuff from Sherwin Williams (at $50 a gallon) covered MUCH better than the cheap stuff elsewhere - but it still required 2 coats. The higher end stuff covered like 90% well the first coat, where the lower end stuff only covered maybe 60% - but they all needed 2 coats. EXCEPT the SpeedWall from Home Depot. That took 3 coats. Terrible stuff - don't use it.

So, as a result of my study - I decided to always buy from WalMart and get the "ColorPlace" stuff when it's convenient because it's only $80 for a 5 gallon bucket.

However - my WalMart has TERRIBLE customer service and I would sometimes wait ten or fifteen minutes for someone to come mix it. Not cool. So if I don't feel like waiting - I'll get the Kilz ProX from Home Depot, at roughly $100 for a 5 gallon bucket for the SemiGloss.

As for Color - I use the exact same for every flip, every rental, everything: it's called "Country White" and it's one of the "in stock" ones at Walmart, but I carry the card with me so I can get it color-matched wherever I happen to buy from.

Thoughts?

Podcast Guest on Show #92

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Koel Gaylord
Rental Property Investor · West Lafayette, IN · Member since 2012 · 40 posts · 10 votes
13y
You will not go wrong with Sherwin Williams (Navajo White). My top fave.
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Randy F.
Contractor · Anchorage, AK · Member since 2012 · 351 posts · 196 votes
13y
What do you mean by, "the home has not been painted before"? New construction? Interior or exterior? Has it been primed?
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Robert AdamsBusiness Member
Real Estate Broker · Henderson, NV · Member since 2009 · 1k+ posts · 373 votes
13y
Make sure to stick with nuetral colors. Don't get to crazy when picking colors. Good luck with your hunt.
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John Mireles
Landlord · San Diego, CA · Member since 2012 · 129 posts · 49 votes
13y
The deal with a flip is that you need to add value to the house if you want to make money off of it. The number one thing you can do to add value is by choosing colors that your buyer will L.O.V.E. The last thing you want to do is to just use whatever cheap boring cast-off paint colors you can get your hands on. That's being penny-wise, pound foolish.

Home Depot probably has the least expensive paint around. Sign up for their Paint Pro program and you'll save 10% on all your paint purchases. My suggestion to you is to come up with a pain scheme that will WOW your perspective buyers. It's not easy and it does take time. If you're completely color inexperienced, you may even want to bring in a designer/decorator to help you. If you put your time and money into one thing, it should be paint colors. Don't skimp!
1 Reply
Raquel Baranow
Tucson, AZ · Member since 2013 · 116 posts · 22 votes
13y
I agree with John, I like Home depot's Behr paint colors. Don't buy OLD paint, latex paint that is old is no good. Do a good job priming, scraping where necessary, pick a nice glossy paint for the trim.

Fixup house I own and am renting near downtown.

Interior
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Will BarnardPro Member
Moderator
Developer · Santa Clarita, CA · Member since 2008 · 15k+ posts · 10k+ votes
13y
Originally posted by John Mireles:
The deal with a flip is that you need to add value to the house if you want to make money off of it. The number one thing you can do to add value is by choosing colors that your buyer will L.O.V.E. The last thing you want to do is to just use whatever cheap boring cast-off paint colors you can get your hands on. That's being penny-wise, pound foolish.
Home Depot probably has the least expensive paint around. Sign up for their Paint Pro program and you'll save 10% on all your paint purchases. My suggestion to you is to come up with a pain scheme that will WOW your perspective buyers. It's not easy and it does take time. If you're completely color inexperienced, you may even want to bring in a designer/decorator to help you. If you put your time and money into one thing, it should be paint colors. Don't skimp!
I could not agree more! Trying to save a few dollars on paint by purchasing some return is foolish in my opinion.
Even at HD you can buy and paint mix color you want in a 5 gallon container for around $100 which is only $20 per gallon. Choosing the right colors is imperative as it affects curb appeal (the first thing a buyer sees when driving up) and the interior feel of the home. Light and bright, earth tone colors are tasteful to the majority and provide the effect you need to get the maximum amount for your flip. Doing quality work on paint and all other rehab items goes with out saying to achieve maximum price points.
Podcast Guest on Show #130
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John Wiley
Real Estate Agent · Kansas City, MO · Member since 2011 · 8 posts · 7 votes
13y
This is one area were you don't want to go cheap. I agree with John and Raquel. Last year I bought a house built in the 1930's. A two bed, one bath house. I only paid $500 but it is in an area of Kansas City that is struggling to come back from being gang ridden. It was a big risk. It is paying off nicely. I put a lot of hard work in the house but with out a doubt it was the money I invested in a paint scheme that has allowed me to get more money from the house then others. I hired a person who is well known in the area for color architecture. His services cost me $250. Worth every penny. Once the colors when up on the house people would stop and get out of their cars to say how much they liked it. I am renting the house for about 25% more than the going market rate. The renter LOVES the house and wants to buy it. It was the paint colors that made a lot of difference.

Here are some pictures.

John

1 Reply
Steven Del Prete
Contractor · Brick, NJ · Member since 2011 · 86 posts · 12 votes
13y
I'll add in and agree with everyone here. This is an area you don't skimp on. No need to go over and past what you need but just don't go below. Choose the right colors and choose the right paint.

Most important though is choosing the right painter that does a great job. I'm sure a lot of people don't think painting is hard and for the most part it isn't but there are painters who suck and painters who are good so choose wisely.
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Randy F.
Contractor · Anchorage, AK · Member since 2012 · 351 posts · 196 votes
13y
Originally posted by Steven Del Prete:
I'll add in and agree with everyone here. This is an area you don't skimp on. No need to go over and past what you need but just don't go below. Choose the right colors and choose the right paint.
Most important though is choosing the right painter that does a great job. I'm sure a lot of people don't think painting is hard and for the most part it isn't but there are painters who suck and painters who are good so choose wisely.

Agreed. Everyone is a painter but not everyone can paint. And a good painter is a master with a caulk gun. All too many contractors see caulking as a job best suited to the lowest man on the totem pole. Not so. A top notch paint job is absolutely dependent upon a quality caulk job. Going with flat white ceiling and colored walls? If walls are textured, corners are likely rough. Run bead at all vertical and horizontal corners smoothing out with wet finger, paint ceiling bringing paint down onto walls a bit, then cut right up to ceiling shadow in corners for a perfect no-tape cut line.
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Steven Del Prete
Contractor · Brick, NJ · Member since 2011 · 86 posts · 12 votes
13y
Originally posted by Randy F.:
Everyone is a painter but not everyone can paint.

Exactly. Everyone should write that down and remember it.

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Figen M.
Investor · Hillsborough, NJ · Member since 2012 · 12 posts · 1 vote
13y
The price difference between cheap paint and decent paint is really insignificant. In addition to that, you might end up putting more coats of paint with the cheap paint and end up costing you more, more frustration and more labor (yep my first flip !). Home Depot Behr or Lowe's Valspar are very good and affordable and won't cost you fortune.
When it comes to color scheme, if it is exterior, i highly recommend using a color that goes well with the surrounding houses on the street (please for the sake of general esthetic of the neighborhood). I also think about what direction house faces. If it has so much sun during the day, i prefer not to use dark colors because it fades in time (hopefully you won't own the property by then, but i always want to do renovations in a way that it will last longer for the buyer too).

For interior colour, i prefer anything with hues of champagne, it is warmer than white or off white but calmer than yellow. I might put some accent wall or might go a little crazy in the kitchen or somewhere but in general I never use a color that you like today, but dislike tomorrow. This also might change according to the buyer profile in the area.
Anything with a little better quality always pays off.
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Brandon TurnerPro Member
Investor · Maui, HI · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 3k+ votes
13y
Last year I decided to do a test on Paint -

I bought the exact same color from several different places and brands including:

1.) Home Depot Glidden
2.) Home Depot Behr
3.) Home Depot Behr Paint and Primer in One
4.) Home Depot Speed-Wall
5.) Home Depot Kilz ProX (Kilz's paint, not the primer)
6.) Sherwin Williams High End
7.) Sherwin Williams Low End
8.) Wal-Mart ColorPlace
9.) Wal-Mart Dutch Boy.

And here is what I found:

Every single kind of paint required 2 coats (except for one) and they all looked the same after. Yes - the expensive stuff from Sherwin Williams (at $50 a gallon) covered MUCH better than the cheap stuff elsewhere - but it still required 2 coats. The higher end stuff covered like 90% well the first coat, where the lower end stuff only covered maybe 60% - but they all needed 2 coats. EXCEPT the SpeedWall from Home Depot. That took 3 coats. Terrible stuff - don't use it.

So, as a result of my study - I decided to always buy from WalMart and get the "ColorPlace" stuff when it's convenient because it's only $80 for a 5 gallon bucket.

However - my WalMart has TERRIBLE customer service and I would sometimes wait ten or fifteen minutes for someone to come mix it. Not cool. So if I don't feel like waiting - I'll get the Kilz ProX from Home Depot, at roughly $100 for a 5 gallon bucket for the SemiGloss.

As for Color - I use the exact same for every flip, every rental, everything: it's called "Country White" and it's one of the "in stock" ones at Walmart, but I carry the card with me so I can get it color-matched wherever I happen to buy from.

Thoughts?

Podcast Guest on Show #92
9 Reply
Steven Del Prete
Contractor · Brick, NJ · Member since 2011 · 86 posts · 12 votes
13y
@Brandon Turner so you do while in all rooms of the home? Is this so the new home owner can paint the home as they wish when done? Do you think anyone choose not to buy your home because that saw a similar home and price with neutral colors through out they liked?

On the new homes I've built for an investor we do everything in white and all trim and a semi gloss white if the house is being painted before its sold. If someone buys it before it gets to paint then they can choose the colors in the rooms.
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Curtis Gabhart
Real Estate Broker · San Diego, CA · Member since 2009 · 119 posts · 54 votes
13y
The first thing to find out is whether the existing paint is oil or latex.

Unless when you said it had never been painted because the house is brand new.
1 Reply
Mark UpdegraffBusiness Member
Real Estate Broker · Rochester, NY · Member since 2010 · 1k+ posts · 689 votes
13y
Kilz pro x, good paint, amazing price :D
Podcast Guest on Show #112
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William Bannister
Commercial Landlord · Oshkosh, WI · Member since 2013 · 299 posts · 88 votes
13y
Nice colors John Wiley on your rehab! looks fabulous! for a lower end deal that's how to change junker back into a home.
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John Mireles
Landlord · San Diego, CA · Member since 2012 · 129 posts · 49 votes
13y

First let me say good job on finding a reliable source of paint for cheap. But, if you're just painting every house and every room with the same white, you're leaving money on the table. I don't even paint my rental units white, much less something I intend to sell.

Color has such a powerful impact on people that to not use color is to not use the most effective - and cheap - tool one has for making the buyer fall in love with the property. I'm not talking about garish tones - there's plenty of fairly neutral pain schemes out there that speak to buyers' aspirations. If you, the seller, can deliver a palette that matches what the buyer would love to do on their own but can't, you're guaranteed to sell that house for top dollar.

If you don't know what colors to use, try hiring a designer. If you're too budget conscious (pennywise pound foolish in my opinion), then at least go into the paint store and check out the many pamphlets and brochures they have with all the different colors. Now both Home Depot and Lowes sell little tester cans for less than $4. Buy a few and try the colors on your wall before you begin painting. Once you've decided on a color scheme, then you can replicate it with each house you do. Paint colors go in and out of style so you'll need to mix things up after awhile.

I obsess over color. To me, the color must be absolutely perfect. I'll pick out ten sample colors before I decide on a color. But I want the end effect to seem effortless. Each room makes its statement and the color sets the tone. For interior colors, I'm really liking the new Behr fan deck. For exterior, the Frazee fan deck. Not all paint decks are equal.

Yeah, it's work picking out paint, but dialing in the pain colors is a heck of a lot cheaper than anything else you can do.
3 Reply
William Bannister
Commercial Landlord · Oshkosh, WI · Member since 2013 · 299 posts · 88 votes
13y
I use Kils for primer and trim in my lower end rentals and they carry it at Walmart for 73 bucks a 5 gallon jug. The same 5 gallon jug at home depo was 80 dollars. It covers the stains and ect. Then I might come back with a country white or a very similar color like china white or ect they have at Walmart. Walmart paints are low quality and I would not use it on a higher end rehab worth over 100k.
Since i do income property its good enough.
I have how ever gotten a few bad 5 gallon jugs at Walmart I had to take back because the paint was too thin. I have my tricks for that game too when people sell me a poor product i return it half used up, its pmt for time wasted doing returns. Using the same color saves a lot of shopping and looking to match colors later. I also avoid fad colors like the plague since it dates your unit and has a tendency to reduce the pool of buyers or renters. Each customer has there own tastes and having bland walls can make it easier to attract the masses to your rental unit. I like clean bright walls and white always does that or off white and a few high quality pictures hung in a living room will help show your unit. a nice picture of Tuscan village or a picture of the french Riviera in the back round on the wall can help. If you rent unit take picture so u can use it for next showing;)

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Randy F.
Contractor · Anchorage, AK · Member since 2012 · 351 posts · 196 votes
13y
While I understand the use of the same paint and color on rentals, I see greater benefit in allowing quality and character of each individual property to dictate color choice. Even in a kitchen with older cabinet, a stock laminate countertop from Lowes, and a tile floor, choosing a mid-tone color common in all features can pull various textures and finishes together for a more cohesive look.

Using the same brand, color, and sheen is still no guarantee of a perfect match, so multiple gallons should be "boxed" together and touch-ups done with the leftovers. And by the time the leftover paint is no longer useable, the walls will likely have dulled or faded where it wouldnt work to touch it up anyway and it is ready for re-paint. May as well give the vast majority of people what they like... A little color.

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John Mireles
Landlord · San Diego, CA · Member since 2012 · 129 posts · 49 votes
13y
When I redid this apartment, my assistant told me, "You should just paint it white because how do you know if the tenant will like your colors?" My answer was that any tenant that I wanted would like my colors. This unit recently went vacant. I had this rerented in about three days at a rate well above market for the area. Yeah, it would have rented if it was Navajo white, but not as fast and not for top dollar. Although this property is in a poorer neighborhood, I get a more upscale tenant because of how it shows.

The outside of the building isn't shy either.

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Steven Del Prete
Contractor · Brick, NJ · Member since 2011 · 86 posts · 12 votes
13y
@John Mireles the outside is definitely different but what you did on the inside is ver attractive. Well done
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John Ellis
Flipper/Rehabber · Mentor, OH · Member since 2011 · 121 posts · 51 votes
13y
My approach to painting is very similar to the above posters however I do not buy any paint from Home Depot or Lowes because in the end it cost way more then Sherwin Williams products. Contact you local Sherwin Williams and ask to meet with the sales rep. By opening a cash or charge account, they will automatically beat HD prices. I suggest then putting together 5 of the products you use the most. For me here are the five products from SW I use:
1. ProMar 200 Flat (Ceilings)
2. Golden Eagle Roller Cover
3. Surscrube Eggshell for the walls (I get it for around 15 a gallon)
4. Pro Classic Enamel Semi Gloss for all interior molding
5. 950 Caulk ( About 18 a case of 12)

I use the same color for every room and all molding is white. The painters love the paint and products we use from Sherwin Williams and I would recommend them to anyone who is doing a small job to a large job. Great service and Product.
2 Reply
John Mireles
Landlord · San Diego, CA · Member since 2012 · 129 posts · 49 votes
13y
Originally posted by Steven Del Prete:
@John Mireles the outside is definitely different but what you did on the inside is ver attractive. Well done
Actually, I can't take credit (nor accept blame depending on how you look at it) for the outside. I purchased the building with those colors.
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George Paiva
Investor · Milford, CT · Member since 2012 · 592 posts · 285 votes
13y
I do the same. I have accounts at Sherwin Williams and Painters supply. They have much better quality paints than the HD or Lowes. I use the same colors everytime Dover White or Antique White. I am setup with a PRO cash account which saves me a few bucks.

But the time saved is what helps the most. I only need to do one coat. I once was in a pinch to get paint and was already at HD. Had to paint it 2x to get decent coverage.

Originally posted by John Ellis:
My approach to painting is very similar to the above posters however I do not buy any paint from Home Depot or Lowes because in the end it cost way more then Sherwin Williams products. Contact you local Sherwin Williams and ask to meet with the sales rep. By opening a cash or charge account, they will automatically beat HD prices. I suggest then putting together 5 of the products you use the most. For me here are the five products from SW I use:
1. ProMar 200 Flat (Ceilings)
2. Golden Eagle Roller Cover
3. Surscrube Eggshell for the walls (I get it for around 15 a gallon)
4. Pro Classic Enamel Semi Gloss for all interior molding
5. 950 Caulk ( About 18 a case of 12)
I use the same color for every room and all molding is white. The painters love the paint and products we use from Sherwin Williams and I would recommend them to anyone who is doing a small job to a large job. Great service and Product.

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Figen M.
Investor · Hillsborough, NJ · Member since 2012 · 12 posts · 1 vote
13y
@John Mireles, beatiful colors,. The living room color is my favorite one, that i use very often, it reflects the light very well.
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