Health & Fitness
How to Paint Your Home's Exterior Walls (Spring Market Ahead)
Painting your walls before getting your home ready to list for sale.
When preparing to sell a home, few things improve its curb appeal more than a fresh coat of exterior paint.
Many people are intimidated by the thought of painting their home’s exterior, and choose to hire a third-party to handle the work. But, you can do it yourself, with these easy steps.
First, before starting, you’ll want to inspect your home. Examine all walls, look under the eaves, and pay attention to door frames and windows. Be on the lookout for peeling paint, mildew and rough surfaces and make a note of them.
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Next, gather the tools you’ll need to do the job. These include :
- A power washer
- A 2-3” inch putty knife
- A 2-3” inch pull scraper
- A wire brush
- A sander
- Chlorine bleach
Then, to create a clean surface on which to paint, power-wash the walls with plain water. Detergents are not needed, and may not work as well as plain water, anyway.
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Follow-up your wash with the putty knife and wire brush to remove the remaining paint. Note where paint has peeled, blistered or wrinkled. Avoid gouging the surface by holding the putty knife perpendicular to the wall, and by using moderate force.
For areas that won’t easily clean, use your pull scraper. It’s used the same way as the putty knife, but it has a sharp blade attached that quickly works through old paint.
Next, sand your home’s exterior smooth using a piece of sandpaper wrapped around a sanding block. An electric sander may be more effective for large areas; it’ll save you time and energy.
If during the cleaning process, you find mildew, be sure to remove it. A simple mix of chlorine bleach will do the job. Mildew will show through the new coat(s) of paint, so be sure to be rid of it before beginning.
Lastly, with your home cleaned and primed for paint, wait for “good painting weather” and get started. Soon you’ll be ready to list your home for sale.
If you need a reference to a local Realtor to help Sell or Buy a home please let me help guide to a local professional. Live Rate Quotes 24/7 with no social security number by clicking: http://mykelaventure.waterstoneblog.com/ratequote/
About the Author
Myke LaVenture (NMLS #282849)is an loan officer with Waterstone Mortgage located in Woodbury. Email Myke at mlaventure@waterstonemortgage.com, call at 651.338.4377 or click to get a free, no-obligation rate quote You can also find Myke on Twitter and Facebook
