When Should I Call A Painter?
When Should You Call Your Painter?
Knowing when you should call your painter could save you a lot of stress when buying or selling a home. Contact the painter too late and it’s a good bet that they won’t be able to get to your project. Calling too early can create confusion between you and your painter. You should use the “Goldilocks Rule” when deciding when to call your painter, so your timing will be just right.
When you’re selling your home…
Painting your buy/sell home shouldn’t be an added stress.
you should call your painter as soon as you are sure that you are selling. Doing so allows you enough time to get on a busy painter’s schedule and have the work completed before pictures need to be taken or Open Houses start taking place. This should be at least 1 to 2 months prior to your planned selling date. If you have a realtor already, check with them to see what their suggestions are. Also, a good painter will be able to walk through the home with you and tell you what needs to be taken care of to be able to sell. A good painter should also be able to guide you on what
should be done to maximize your profit. If there are a lot of nail holes, then painting the walls is usually a good idea. But, if the ceilings are in good-great shape, painting them might not be a good investment. I regularly tell potential customers that painting this or that wouldn’t be in their best interest, but I always leave the decision up to them.
When you’re buying a new home…
you should call your painter as soon as you know your closing date. Calling them as soon as you have a closing date set allows them to get you on their schedule. And most painters know that closing dates are fluid and can change from time to time. They will usually set aside a block of time for your project in case the closing date changes. You should also talk with your realtor about getting your painter a chance to look inside the home before the closing date. This will allow your painter a better chance to give you a solid proposal instead of just an estimate. If this is not possible, that’s okay. We can use websites like Zillow.com or Trulia.com to find interior or exterior pictures of the home and give a close estimate of costs prior to painting it. But be prepared for that estimate to change once your painter has had a chance to look around the home. The price could go up or down as much as 20% depending on the quality of the pictures on website and how old those pictures are. But, most of the time, as long as there aren’t any major differences between the pictures and what is really there you shouldn’t see more than a 10% difference in the final total and the estimated total.
So, that’s it…
Following these simple steps while in the process of buying or selling your home can save you a ton of stress. In fact, it can bring the excitement level of buying or selling to a new level. So if you’re in the market for a new home or looking to sell your old home in Springfield, MO, give us a call at 417-880-7834. Or, you can set up an appointment online by clicking here.
