As the countdown to listing your home for a summer sale begins, the condition of your home’s exterior paint is ripe for consideration. If your home needs paint, now is the time to discuss its colour with your home stylist Sydney. Fortunately, Sydney has a weather profile that allows this big paint job a long stretch of time to be completed.

The Weather
In order to do its job well, paint must be applied within a temperature range conducive to drying and curing. Classic painting time is during the summer months, but if you’re listing your home to sell in the spring and summer, you surely don’t want the project ongoing through the listing time of the house. You want the house painting to be completely finished and the house stunningly beautiful, so begin early if at all possible if temperature and weather permit.

Even though paint manufacturers have worked over the years to improve their products to extend the ‘paint season,’ one must still keep a weather eye open. This labour intensive job can be derailed by sudden cold snaps that can stall the entire project. You can now buy paint that will still dry even though the ambient temperature is close to freezing, but pay attention to the directions on the can or those you get from your paint retailer.

The other major factor in when to paint is water – whether it is present in precipitation or dew. The surface to be painted is the ultimate judge of whether or not painting will be ultimately successful. If moisture is present on the surface, don’t attempt to paint. If the surface water is just dew, allow it to burn completely off before beginning to paint. If you’ve had a rainy spell, allow two or three sunny days to dry the surface.

The Prep
Each side of your house has a different set of circumstances and should be considered separately in terms of painting the entire house. In other words, take one side of the house at a time. In terms of preparing the surface of your house for painting, understand that a bad paint job is generally due to poor preparation.

• Clean the surface using a pressure washer, removing dirt and loose paint.

• Scrape away peeling, damaged or loose paint that remains after pressure washing

• If there are surface flaws, have your paint retailer recommend a surface repair product that can be used on exterior surfaces. (Remember that when filling holes or cracks, the less of this compound you leave behind, the less sanding you’ll have to do.)

• Take care to remove old caulking around windows and doors and reseal as necessary. Holes or unsealed openings are an invitation to rot. This is also the time to repair and reputty windows.

• Priming bare wood is essential to making the finished product look good. You want all the layers to appear as one and not leave visible ‘terraces’ where paint layers show. Sand those areas where bare wood surfaces exist, then prime the wood to make all the layers seem level. (Most of the time your paint retailer will suggest that you tint the primer coat to closely match the final paint colour. This will make your project easier in the end.)

As you are prepping your home for paint, remember that the most visible areas need to be absolutely flawless. Around and near the front entrance and the front of the house as a whole need special care and attention since they represent the handshake that introduces your home to prospective buyers. This is not to say that the sides or back of your house should be neglected or ignored – they simply do not carry the same weight, according to home stylist Sydney.

Should you opt out of doing this job on your own, your professional home stager will have a list of professional painters whose work is recommended. Your paint job could make or break a potential sale, so do consult with the home stylist Sydney you’ve chosen about the timing, the colours, and any other concerns you have. This project can be an expensive one, so you want to be sure you’ve done it well and with great care.

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