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What color should I paint my house for resale? San Francisco painting tips!

What color should I paint my house for resale? San Francisco painting tips!

Choosing paint colors when selling a house can be difficult. Simply following your own taste in paint colors may not be the best plan. The goal when selling a house is to choose paint schemes that will be appealing to the greatest number of potential buyers. First impressions are very important when your house is being shown or photographed. A beautiful paint job can help to make those first impressions positive ones.

Choose Neutral Colors when Painting to Sell your Home

Generally, it is considered best to choose neutral paint colors when selling a home. Light tans, grays, and blues are popular and likely to appeal to a broad spectrum of buyers. Painting a house in subdued tones is least likely to turn people away. When a house is painted in overly bright or bold colors, that can dominate people’s impression of the house, and make it hard for buyers to imagine the house with their own color choices or furniture. On the other hand, if the home is painted in neutral colors, people can easily envisage their own additions and modifications to make it fit their preferences.

An additional consideration when painting to sell your home is trim color. White is always your best bet, since it will provide a crisp, attractive border to your other colors. Also, white is classic, and will not turn off any potential buyers.

Another reason that neutral paint colors can help to sell a house is that it is that new home buyers can't always have a home repainted immediately after purchasing it. If potential buyers see a home that is painted dark or bold colors that they do not like, and they know it may be some time before they can change the colors, it may make the home less appealing to them. If the home is painted in neutral shades, most people are able to live with those colors for a time before getting the house repainted.

While neutral paint colors for selling your house is generally considered the best choice, there are other factors to consider as well. You will want to choose a look and color scheme that is suited to your unique setting and house. In some areas, or for some types of structures, there may be bolder color schemes that are more desirable. For example, San Fransisco and Oakland have many historic homes that have a distinctive character and charm. Talk with a color expert who can help you choose authentic historical colors for your period home.

When Neutral Colors Might Not Work in San Francisco Homes

If you are considering painting your San Francisco Bay area home before putting it on the market, you may want to consult with a painting company or your real estate agent regarding which paint colors are most popular in your location.

MB JESSEE is a top-notch professional painting contractor serving San Francisco, East Bay, Oakland Hills, Berkeley, Contra Costa, Danville and other nearby communities.

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“I just wanted to send you an email to say that John did such a great job over here today. He is truly a hard worker. He has the perfect balance of friendliness, honesty, and professionalism. I trust him. He takes the time to do the job to the best of his ability and that is what sets him (and your company) apart from the competition. He didn't make me feel rushed. He really made me feel like our job was the most important thing in the world. Thanks again!”

— Jo
Oakland

“Just had MB Jessee paint the interior of our house and they did a wonderful job. They tackled some crazy wallpaper as well as painted some very high ceilings and walls. The whole process was quick and they did a great job! We are very pleased. I was also very impressed by the crew. They were very personable, kind and actually took pride in the work they were doing. In one of our conversations with the lead Ricardo, he actually told me he was very proud of how the rooms had turned out. I agree sir! It turned out great and it's not often you hear someone thinking of your home like they would theirs, and putting that level of work and quality into it. That made a huge difference in how I viewed this company. Ricardo, you were fantastic and thank you for the great job, we will be using you again.”

— Jeff M.
Danville, CA

“Everyone I dealt with was nice, helpful, and very professional. The price was reasonable! (I didn't feel like I was getting the "San Francisco price." The attention to detail and work quality was excellent. They did what they said they would do in the exact timeframe they said they would do. Highly recommend!”

— Tim Tyson

“The kitchen looks NEW! You guys are amazing.”

“In all the years I've worked with MB Jessee, I'm always so impressed by your crews. They are so respectful of everything--you never even know they're there! Except that the paint looks amazing when they're gone. We've had one showing of our home and already have an offer. I'm sure it is because the paint looks so beautiful.”

— Erin T.
Pleasant Hill

“My entire experience with MB Jesse was very professional. The crew were very friendly and super accommodating of my ridiculous schedule and geriatric pets in the house. The finished product, which was pretty much my entire house, far exceeds my expectations. Would definitely work with them again!”

— Heather Jordan

“The finish on my kitchen cabinets had failed, becoming tacky and grimy around the handles. M B Jessee gave me a reasonable quote, far below some others, and did an outstanding job, striping the original varnish and refinishing with a new lacquer finish. The cabinets look like new. Work was done 1 day faster than estimated. The crew was extremely hard-working, considerate, and neat. Highly recommend M B Jessee.”

— Thama B.
San Francisco, CA

“Today I received a beautiful bouquet from your company. It was totally unexpected and very much appreciated--a lovely surprise. Also today, your crew finished my job. I am so pleased with all their fine work. Richard is absolutely amazing and a total delight to work with. He was also extremely helpful during the paint color process. The interior work in my home far exceeded my expectations. A big thank you to you and the crew for an outstanding job. Thank you, thank you for a terrific job!”

— Barbara
Piedmont

“M.B. Jessee painted the exterior of my Spanish house over 9 years ago, and they did such an incredible job that they are still getting referrals from me today. The paint is holding up perfectly -- there is absolutely no peeling chipping or any other deterioration. I still remember that my final walk-through list consisted of items written on one side of a 3x5 index card (and I'm REAL picky about my house!) However, when Matt and I did that walk-through over HALF the items were no longer an issue, as his team had noticed them first and they had already been resolved.”

— JoAnn Newcomb

“MB Jessee just finished our exterior and we couldn't be happier with our experience. The foreman (Pedro) and lead painter (Ricardo) were incredible to work with: they communicated scheduling clearly, Ricardo was a joy to be around every day, the showed up early every day, were incredibly tidy and did great paint work. The final walk through experience was incredible. Pedro pointed out items I missed demonstrating a clear desire to complete another quality project. I highly recommend them. As others have noted they definitely aren't the cheapest but you quickly realize that you're getting what you pay for. The 3 year guarantee is also a nice touch since there are likely touch up items that will show up after the job is done.”

— Joshua Jansen

“I just wanted to thank you all for doing such a phenomenal job on our recent house painting. We are very happy with the outcome and can't say enough good things about the crew. Everyone working on the project was outstanding and made it a great experience. Thanks to everyone.”

— Daylan
Piedmont

“We just wanted to let you know how pleased we are with the work of MB Jessee Painting and your employees. Everything turned out beautiful. Our foreman was great! He was punctual, professional, neat and very accommodating ... and went the extra mile. We will definitely recommend you to our friends and family.”

— Michelle & Rivers Gee