The Ultimate Paint Guide: What Buyers, Sellers, and Landlords Need to Know

Jen Berbas
May 8
4 min read

Updated: Sep 16

Our team has put together this guide covering everything you need to know about paint whether you're buying, selling, or managing rental properties. After years of helping clients in Hyde Park, Tarrytown, and throughout Austin, we've gathered these essential tips to save you time, money, and frustration.

Best Practices When Choosing Colors

Always Do a Sample (Always!)

Several times, I have been talked out of doing samples by more than one painter. Always be sure you do this; learn from my mistakes, please. This simple step prevents costly errors and disappointment later.

Use Sample Boards

The paint store offers small foam board samples to create a little sample you can carry around and see in different lights. These portable samples are invaluable as they allow you to:

View the color in different rooms
See how it looks at various times of day
Test it against your furniture and decor
Compare multiple options side by side

Consider How Light Affects Paint

Paint colors can look dramatically different depending on:

Natural light in the room
Direction the windows face
Artificial lighting
Time of day
Surrounding furnishings and finishes

This is especially important in older homes with different architectural styles and window configurations.

Coordinate All Finishes Together

Let me share a cautionary tale from my own experience. I once painted an apartment what I thought was a sophisticated grey - it looked fabulous and dramatic on its own. Then, I installed a cool, design-forward grey carpet.

But once everything was in place, the walls suddenly appeared... purple! Greys can be particularly tricky, often shifting toward blue or purple tones depending on the surrounding elements. This is why having all your materials together as samples before investing significant time and money is crucial. Trust me, discovering your "grey" is actually purple after installing all your flooring is not a design statement you want to make.

Best Practices for Paint Finishes

Choosing the right finish is just as important as selecting the perfect color.

For Landlords: Embrace Flat Paint

I tell landlords to use flat paint only. It touches up more easily than any kind of paint with a sheen. Paints with a sheen do not touch up well months or years after being painted.

For rental properties, I always recommend using flat paint throughout. Why?

It touches up more easily than any paint with a sheen
You can spot-treat walls years after the initial painting
It provides a consistent look even with multiple touch-ups over time

This recommendation comes from years of working with property owners throughout Austin who have saved significant time and money on maintenance.

For Sellers: Be Cautious with Touch-Ups

If you are moving out of your home and selling your home, do not assume that if you use the same can of paint from several years ago that you can touch up the nail holes with the same can of paint, unless you used flat paint.

When preparing to sell, paints with any sheen will not touch up well months or years after initial application, often creating noticeable patches that can detract from your home's presentation.

For High-Moisture Areas: Avoid Flat Paint

Flat paint, on the other hand, does not do well in bathrooms due to moisture or in a kitchen where it needs to be cleaned occasionally.

While flat paint is excellent for most areas, it's not ideal for:

Bathrooms (due to moisture issues)
Kitchens (where walls need regular cleaning)
High-traffic areas prone to scuffs and marks

In these spaces, consider eggshell, satin, or semi-gloss finishes, which offer better moisture resistance and cleanability.

General Best Practices

Here are some additional paint management strategies we've developed over the years:

Document Everything

Use a spreadsheet to track paint colors AND sheens. This documentation is invaluable when you need to make touch-ups or want to reference colors for future design decisions.

Save Paint Formulas

We also take a photo of the formula on the can and save that photo to the Google sheet. Paint formulas can vary slightly between batches, and having the exact formula will ensure more accurate matches if you need more paint in the future.

Hire Professional Painters

A professional painter can typically paint a property in about one-third the time it would take you to do it yourself. Beyond time savings, professionals offer:

Superior preparation techniques
Better finish quality
Tips and tricks that "mere mortals" (like most of us) haven't considered
Fewer errors and less waste

A Quick Word About Color Matching

Matching Your Color Swatch

Most professional painters have negotiated a deal with either Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, or another paint store to get the best price. So regardless of the brand of the paint swatch you give them, they will typically go to "their guy" to purchase the paint. If you give them a Benjamin Moore color and they go to Sherwin-Williams and just "match" it, IT WILL NOT LOOK THE SAME!

My preferred painters know that I want them to always buy the paint from the store that I have the color swatch from. It cuts down on the variables and I am more likely to get exactly the color I want.

Matching Your Existing Paint

Our sellers recently had hail damage from a storm on one side of their home. Their lovely, charming 1930s screens were damaged on that side of the home and needed to be repaired. The sellers no longer had the paint color. And let's be honest, even if they did, the screens are unlikely to be the original color after 7+ years of enduring the Texas heat.

So what should we do? The best solution is to ask your painter to take the screen (or a chip of paint) into the paint store and have it color matched. It may seem like extra steps, but it ends up working out so much better than you would think!

Final Thoughts

Whether you're buying, selling, or renting out property in Austin, paint choices matter significantly. The right paint can enhance your property's value, reduce maintenance headaches, and create spaces people love to live in.

Our team is always available to provide recommendations for trusted painters and color consultants who understand the unique character of Austin's neighborhoods. If you have questions about preparing your property for sale or rental, we're here to help with personalized advice for your specific situation.

We are delighted to be your guides to Austin and Austin real estate!

Cheers,

Jen & the team