Before Selling Guide
Decorating Before Selling in Cardiff
Decorating your Cardiff home before you sell is easier when you know where to start.
This page covers whether it is worth it, what buyers notice first, and when to finish before the photos.
- Is It Worth Decorating Before Selling a House?
- Which Decorating Defects Will Buyers Notice First?
- How Far Before Photography Should Work Finish?
Primrose Decor connects people in Cardiff with a trusted local decorator. Call 029 2271 0084 and find out which rooms buyers will notice first.
Worth Decorating
Is It Worth Decorating Before Selling a House?
Yes, if the paint is in a state buyers will notice. Decorating does not guarantee a higher sale price, and this page does not promise one.
Three things put buyers off:
- Worn paint. It makes rooms look tired.
- Paint that photographs badly. Photos are what buyers see first.
- Marks that suggest neglect. They hint that the house has not been looked after.
Fresh, even paint removes that doubt. A scuffed hallway gives viewers a reason to hesitate. A clean one does not.
Your estate agent knows what your home is worth. What a decorator can change is how it looks.
Buyer Priority
Which Decorating Defects Will Buyers Notice First?
Buyers see a home in a set order: the front door, then the way through the house, then the rooms. Work in the same order.
1
Front Door
The entrance is the first thing every viewer sees and every listing photo shows.
2
Hallway And Stairs
Everyone walks through them to reach the other rooms, so scuffs show here first.
3
Strong Marks
Dark or bright marks show up in photos. Deal with them before the rooms.
4
Unfinished Repairs
A half-filled hole tells buyers the upkeep stopped. Finish visible repairs in the same visit.
Fix things in that order and each later room looks better against a clean start.
Why Choose Us
Why Choose Us
A pre-sale job should be short, clear and priced before you commit.
Ranked By What Buyers See
Your decorator looks at the home in the order buyers will, so the jobs that show most come first.
Free Site Quote
Ask for a free site quote before your photos or first viewing.
Smaller Than A Renovation
You get a short list of jobs, not a repaint of every room.
Local Introductions
Primrose Decor connects people in Cardiff with a trusted local decorator.
Rooms Worth Painting
Which Rooms Are Worth Painting Before Viewings?
Choose rooms by how much buyers will see them and what state the paint is in. Living rooms, kitchens and main bedrooms usually come first. Hallways matter in every home.
- Living room. It is often the biggest room, so worn patches cover more wall. Check the corners, the wall behind the sofa and the ceiling.
- Kitchen. Walls near the hob and sink pick up grease and splashes. Tired cabinet doors can often be repainted, not replaced. See kitchen cabinet painting.
- Main bedroom. Check the wall behind the bed and the ceiling above the window for marks.
- Bathroom. Look for speckled mould on the ceiling. Painting over it without fixing the ventilation lets it return.
- Spare and box rooms. Leave them alone if the paint is clean. Touch up a scuff or two.
A short list done well beats a rushed whole-house repaint. If most rooms need work, house painting covers the whole job. Our hallway painting page covers the hall, stairs and landing.
Selling a flat? Your lease usually says who looks after the windows, the front door and the shared areas. Check it before you book, so you only pay to decorate what is yours.
Not sure which rooms to pick? Call 029 2271 0084 and arrange a free site quote before your photos or first viewing.
Get My Free Quote
Get your rooms ranked before the photos
Colour Choices
What Colours Work Best for Sale Photographs?
Pale, calm colours draw the least attention. A soft, even finish shows light and space instead of your taste. No single colour suits every home, so match the colour to the room.
- Warm whites and soft neutrals. These are the safest choice in living rooms, hallways and bedrooms.
- Cool greys. A north-facing room gets cooler light, so a cool grey can look flat there. A warmer neutral holds up better.
- White ceilings and clean woodwork. They give the walls a crisp edge in photos.
- Matt walls, satin woodwork. A matt finish hides small flaws in a wall. Satin on doors and skirting wipes clean.
Use one palette from room to room, so the photos look like one home. A mix of leftover tins reads badly.
Test before you commit. Paint a large swatch on two walls. Look at it in the morning and the evening. Then take a phone photo, because a camera shows colour differently from your eye.
Be careful with bold colours. A feature wall can split opinion. Repaint it unless the wall is in good condition and the rest of the room is calm.
Three Levels Of Work
Should You Repair, Touch Up or Repaint?
There are three levels of work. Choosing the right one saves money.
1
One Repair
Fill and sand a hole or crack, then prime it. Paint the whole wall up to the nearest corner. Old paint fades, so a small patch of new paint can show.
2
A Touch-Up
Clean the scuffs first, because many marks wipe off. Then touch in what is left on paint that is otherwise sound.
3
A Full Repaint
Repaint the whole wall when patches would show, or when the wall is worn all over. A stained ceiling needs a stain-blocking primer under the new paint.
The test is whether the fix will vanish into the wall or show as a patch. If a mark keeps coming back, such as damp or mould, the cause needs fixing before any paint goes on.
Probate Sales
Selling a Probate Property?
A probate sale is easier when the decorator knows who to ask. Give one name for approvals from the start, even when several family members are involved. Who holds that authority is a question for your solicitor, not for this page.
Clearance often shows the real state of the walls and woodwork, so try to book the quote after it. If you cannot, tell the decorator about any known problem areas.
Agree these before work is booked:
- Who holds the keys, or how an agent gets in.
- Whether the water and power stay connected.
If you live far away, ask for photos before the work starts and again when it is finished. Ask for any change to the job in writing before it goes ahead.
Outside Checks
What Should You Check Before Painting the Outside?
Before you repaint the outside, ask Cardiff Council whether your home is listed or in a conservation area. Cardiff’s conservation areas include Llandaff, Roath Park and Rhiwbina Garden Village. Many Cardiff homes are Victorian or Edwardian terraces, so this check is worth making.
The rules differ from area to area. In Llandaff, a new colour on walls or windows facing the road needs planning permission. Repainting in a similar colour counts as maintenance. Other areas have their own rules, so check your own address.
Ask early. If you cannot change the colour, repaint like for like and keep the finish clean. A tidy front still helps the first photo. For the door itself, see front door painting.
Inside, panelled doors and cornices look best with clean, even paint around them. Our period property painting and Cardiff Victorian house painting pages cover these homes. If you live in Llandaff, see our Llandaff decorators page.
Timing The Work
How Far Before Photography Should Work Finish?
Leave time between the last coat and the photographer. The paint needs to harden, the house needs a proper clean and the rooms need dressing. A room photographed the day after painting can show roller marks and dust.
Finish several days before the photos, not the same week. Work backwards from the photo date:
- Agree the list of rooms with your decorator.
- Do repairs and filling first, then ceilings and walls, then woodwork.
- Let each coat dry for the time on the tin.
- Clean the house, including the dust left by sanding.
- Dress the rooms, then photograph them.
How long the work takes depends on the rooms, the preparation and the drying between coats. Ask for the days on site as well as the finish date.
If the photographer is booked sooner, tell your decorator the date as soon as you know it. Finish the rooms that will be photographed first. The rest can wait until viewings begin.
Call 029 2271 0084 to book work around your photography date.
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Pre-Sale Decorating FAQs
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